The MS in Medical Physics program is designed for graduates of accredited undergraduate programs in engineering, physics or a closely related field who would like to become certified Medical Physicists and/or conduct research in Medical Physics. Students that desire a more in-depth research experience may want to pursue the MS in Medical Physics on their way towards a PhD in Nuclear Engineering.

The UT Medical Physics programs received accreditation from CAMPEP.

Options Available

Thesis Option

Project Option

Campus Code

Knoxville Campus

Admissions Standards/Procedures

• Students in the field of nuclear engineering desiring to study for the Master of Science must have a Bachelor of Science degree from an accredited university with a major in engineering, physics, or a closely related field.
• Students are encouraged to take the GRE, but not required.
• All entering students shall have a strong foundation in basic physics demonstrated either by an undergraduate or graduate degree in physics; or by a degree in an engineering discipline or another of the physical sciences and with coursework that is the equivalent of a minor in physics (i.e., one that includes at least three upper-level undergraduate physics courses that would be required for a physics major).

Credit Hours Required

• 32 graduate credit hours
• 9 undergraduate credit hours of required preparatory course work (no undergraduate credits hours may be applied towards the degree)

Required Courses

• A major consisting of 20 credit hours of graduate courses in engineering which must include each of the following core courses BME 574 , NE 490 , NE 551 , NE 565 , NE 566 , NE 567 , NE 568 , NE 569 .
• An additional 2 graduate courses from the following list of electives: NE 406 , NE 542 , NE 550 , NE 552 , NE 582 , NE 583 , NE 588 .
• Two foundational courses: BCMB 230 (5 credit hours) and EEB 240 (4 credit hours) (see the current undergraduate catalog for course descriptions). NOTE: These courses cannot be taken for graduate credit.
• Option Requirements
  • Thesis Option: NE 500  Thesis, minimum 6 credit hours
  • Project Options (NOTE: Research topic must be related to Medical Physics):
    • Two engineering practice projects, NE 598  for 6 credit hours
    • One engineering practice project, NE 598  for 3 credit hours, plus 3 credit hours of additional nuclear engineering (NE) course work as approved by the graduate committee.

Non-Course Requirements

• The Medical Physics Program Director must be a member of all MS graduate committees.
• The determination of which option a student may undertake is made by the student’s graduate committee and is based on the student’s personal interests, academic background, and work experience, as well as the nature of projects currently available in the department.
• A thesis project requires the student to conduct independent, in-depth research on a Medical Physics related topic.
• An engineering practice project is similar to a thesis project but smaller in scope and can be research, design, product development, special operations, or a critical review of published literature in a specific technical area related to Medical Physics.
• The final report for an engineering practice project is normally prepared in thesis format (i.e., according to the Graduate School, Guide to the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations); however, another formal report format may be used if approved by the student’s graduate committee.
• The student must also register for the appropriate number of credit hours of either NE 500  or NE 598 , as specified by the student’s major professor, during each semester that work is performed on a thesis or engineering practice project.
• Finally, the student must pass an oral examination on all work presented for the degree regardless of thesis or project (all course work and all projects).