FIVE-YEAR BS-MS PROGRAM
Qualified students completing a BS degree from a department of the Tickle College of Engineering or the College of Arts and Sciences who have added a physics minor by completing the requirements listed under the Five-Year BS with Physics Minor-MS program in the Undergraduate Catalog, must apply to the department’s graduate committee for permission to enroll under this program. Six credit hours of 400-level courses required for a minor in physics combined with a BS engineering degree may be applied toward a master’s degree (project option or non-thesis option) in physics during a fifth year following the award of the BS. This program is designed for students attending the University of Tennessee for the Master of Science degree because other universities may not accept these courses for graduate credit since they were used to satisfy requirements for an undergraduate program. Significant components of the program are:
- Students must have an overall GPA of 3.4 in required course work. Conditional admission may be granted after completing the required 100- and 200-level requirements for the minor while full admission is granted after enrolling in the final semester of courses required for all BS and minor course requirements with a minimum overall GPA of 3.4.
- Students must at least be conditionally admitted to the program prior to taking graduate courses for both their minor and master’s degree. All courses taken for graduate credit must be approved by the graduate program director. Students admitted to the program must request permission from the Graduate School to take approved courses for graduate credit.
- Students admitted to the program must also follow the normal procedure for admission to the Graduate School. Admission of students into this program must be approved by the department and the Graduate School. Students will not be eligible for assistantships until they are enrolled as graduate-level students in the Graduate School.
Five-Year Program Project Option
The requirements for the project option are PHYS 411 , PHYS 412 , PHYS 593 , PHYS 594 , and 12 credit hours (four courses) chosen from any 500-level physics courses. Examination and reporting requirements are the same as for the standard physics major MS project option.
Five-Year Program Non-Thesis Option
The requirements for the non-thesis option are PHYS 411 , PHYS 412 , and six courses (18 credit hours) chosen from PHYS 513 , PHYS 514 , PHYS 521 , PHYS 522 , PHYS 531 , PHYS 541 , PHYS 571 , PHYS 573 . Examination requirements are the same as for the standard physics major MS non-thesis option.
Physics Major, MS Requirements
Thesis Option
The course requirements include 24 graduate credit hours of physics courses, of which at least 12 credit hours are taken from PHYS 506 , PHYS 513 -PHYS 514 , PHYS 521 -PHYS 522 , PHYS 531 , PHYS 541 , PHYS 571 , PHYS 573 . Each candidate must present an acceptable thesis, 6 credit hours of PHYS 500 , and pass an oral examination on course material and thesis.
Geophysics concentration. The department offers an MS thesis program with a concentration in geophysics. Program requirements are 12 credit hours from PHYS 506 , PHYS 513 -PHYS 514 , PHYS 521 -PHYS 522 , PHYS 531 , PHYS 541 , PHYS 571 , PHYS 573 ; a minimum of 12 additional credit hours in geology, geophysics, and/or physics, as approved by the student’s committee; and the presentation of an acceptable thesis, 6 credit hours of PHYS 500 , and the passing of an oral examination on course material and thesis.
Project Option
The course requirements include a minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate course work composed of PHYS 513 -PHYS 514 ; 9 credit hours from PHYS 411 -PHYS 412 , PHYS 421 , PHYS 431 -PHYS 432 , PHYS 461 , PHYS 507 , PHYS 508 , PHYS 521 -PHYS 522 , PHYS 531 , PHYS 541 , PHYS 555 , PHYS 571 , PHYS 573 (at least 6 credit hours above the 500-level); 6 credit hours from PHYS 593 , PHYS 594 for a Project in Lieu of Thesis; and 6 additional credit hours which may come from physics or from a single minor field outside of the Physics Department, such as computer science, mathematics, engineering, chemistry, biology, education, business, or law..
The candidate must pass an oral examination on course material and on the project representing the culmination of an original research project completed by the student. A written report must be approved and accepted by the Physics Graduate Committee and the department head. An electronic version of the written report must also be submitted to the permanent electronic archive of the Physics Department available on the Internet.
Non-Thesis Option
Students seeking the non-thesis option must apply to the Director of the Graduate program for permission to enroll under this program. The requirements are the satisfactory completion of 30 credit hours of graduate course work composed of 18 credit hours from PHYS 506 , PHYS 513 -PHYS 514 , PHYS 521 -PHYS 522 , PHYS 531 , PHYS 541 , PHYS 571 , PHYS 573 ; 6 additional credit hours from physics or a minor field; and 6 credit hours from other courses numbered above 400 (preferably of advanced laboratory nature.) At least 20 credit hours must be taken at the 500-level or above. In addition, the candidate must pass a written examination administered by his/her committee.
