Medical Physics Major, MS

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 - Medical Imaging
• NE 490 - Radiation Biology
• NE 551 - Radiation Protection
• NE 565 - Medical Physics I Clinic
• NE 566 - Medical Physics II Clinic
• NE 567 - Medical Physics I
• NE 568 - Medical Physics II
• NE 569 - Medical Physics Clinical Experience

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• An additional 2 graduate courses from the following list of electives:

• NE 406 - Radiation Shielding
• NE 515 - Introduction to Radiochemistry
• NE 542 - Management of Radioactive Materials
• NE 550 - Radiation Measurements Laboratory
• NE 552 - Radiological Assessment and Dosimetry
• NE 582 - Transport Theory: Monte Carlo
• NE 583 - Transport Theory: Deterministic Methods
• NE 588 - Particle Accelerators: Technology and Applications
• 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.

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• Option Requirements

• Thesis Option:

• NE 500 - Thesis (minimum of 6 credit hours)

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• Project Options (NOTE: Research topic must be related to Medical Physics):

• NE 598 - Nuclear Engineering Practice

• Select one plan:

  • Plan one: Two engineering practice projects, NE 598 for 6 credit hours
  • Plan two: 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).