The Department of Mathematics and Physics offers a Master of Science degree in Mathematics and Physics, with a concentration in Physics. The curriculum of study must be chosen by the student and approved by the graduate committee of the Physics program. The emphasis of study will be reflected by the student's choice of courses in his program of study.
Faculty
Professors:
Henry, Laurence L.
Ph.D., Physics
Wayne State University
Lam, Pui-Man
Ph.D., Physics
Washington University
Zhao, Guang-Lin
Ph.D., Physics
Iowa State University
Associate Professor:
Stewart, Anthony
Ph.D., Physics
University of Florida
Assistant Professor:
Gao, Feng
Ph.D., Condensed Matter Physics
Shandong University, Jinan, China
Professors Emeritus:
Bagayoko, Diola
Ph.D., Physics
Louisiana State University
Fazely, Ali
Ph.D., Intermediate Energy Nuclear Physics
Kent State University
McGuire, Stephen C.
Ph.D., Physics
Cornell University
Introduction
The Bachelor of Science (BS) degree program in Physics was established in the Fall of 1959.The Master of Science (MS) degree program in physics started in the Fall of 1996. The MS program provides high quality educational and research opportunities for students interested in high demand fields of physics, applied physics, materials science, and related disciplines. In the Fall of 2012, The Board of Regents consolidated the BS degrees in Mathematics and in Physics and the MS degrees in Mathematics and in Physics. The resulting degrees are the BS and MS degrees in "Mathematics and Physics," with a concentration in Mathematics and in "Mathematics and Physics," with a concentration in Physics.
Objectives
The objectives of the graduate program in Physics are to:
- Prepare students for high-tech fields;
- Prepare students for doctoral studies in physics and related fields; and
- Extend the physics training and research skills of high school teachers and of other professionals.
Admissions Requirements
In addition to meeting the admission requirements of the Southern University Graduate School, all applicants must:
- hold a bachelor's degree in Physics and or related areas with at least twenty-seven credit hours of physics courses or equivalent;
- Three letters of recommendation; one of which must be from a faculty advisor;
- A brief essay describing the applicant's career plans; and
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores (international students only).
Plan of Study
Master of Science with a Physics concentration
- The basic core graduate courses are taken by each student: Classical Mechanics, Mathematical Physics I, Classical Electrodynamics I, Quantum Mechanics, and Statistical Mechanics as well as MATH 500B and MATH 533B.
- At least one semester of Graduate Seminar is required. Students who have a particular interest in pursuing a Ph.D. degree will take the second courses in most of these sequences.
- While applied physics students will take the first courses of the above sequences, they will concentrate on topical areas relevant to their programs in subsequent courses.
- Another set of reform guided, technology imbued, and concept intensive core courses is available for teachers and professionals who want to earn a master's degree in Physics.
Illustrative areas of ongoing research are: Condensed Matter Physics (Theory and Experiments); Magnetic Materials; Computational Physics; Atomic, Molecular, and Nudear Physics and Applications; Surface Physics; Materials Science; HighTemperature Superconductivity; Astronomy; High Energy and Astro-Partide Physics; and Teaching and Learning Physics.
DEGREE/GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
The degree requirements for a Master of Science in Mathematics and Physics (with a Physics Concentration) include the following:
- Completion of a program of at least twenty-four credit hours of graduate coursework (including all core courses) with an overall "B" average or better and six hours of thesis research;
- A passing score on the Physics Concentration Comprehensive Examination (PHYS 601B); and
- Successful defense of a thesis.
In satisfying the above requirements, the student must adhere to the residency criteria of the Graduate School.
Core Courses
Electives
Research Courses