The University of New Orleans

The University of New Orleans has offered classes at the Stennis Space Center since the 1970’s. UNO offers both a Master of Science in Applied Physics and a Ph.D. degree in Engineering and Applied Science at Stennis.

Master of Science in Applied Physics

The Master of Science In Applied Physics (MSAP) provides for maximum flexibility in designing a personal program of study immediately related to a student’s career objectives. It is essentially an interdisciplinary vehicle for study and research with physics as the core and a strong companion course of studies in applied physics or a related area of science or engineering. Guidance is provided to the student by a committee comprised of resident faculty as well as adjunct faculty whose full-time employment is in technical industries and government laboratories. Close cooperation between the Department of Physics and representatives from the student’s specialty area will assure an interdisciplinary climate for study and research. Among the specialty areas are Computer Science, Geophysics, Biological Sciences, Applied Mathematics, Chemistry, Engineering, and Applied Physics. In general, appropriate courses are offered in late afternoon and evening hours, and selected courses are also offered at off-campus locations. After the student has been accepted by the Graduate School, admission to graduate status in the Applied Physics program will be determined on the basis of completion of a satisfactory undergraduate major, general chemistry, and mathematics through differential equations. Graduate Record Examination scores (verbal, quantitative, and analytical) must be submitted. The student should have proficiency at the intermediate undergraduate level in mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and thermodynamics, or remedy any deficiencies once in graduate school.

The Department offers both thesis and non-thesis options in the MSAP. In the thesis option, the minimum requirements are 24 credit hours of course work plus at least six hours of thesis credit (PHYS 7000), for a total of 30 semester hours. In the non-thesis option, the minimum requirement is 33 semester hours of course work. In both options the graduate work must include at least 18 hours of physics (including the thesis in the thesis option) and 9 hours in a specialty area (which may be physics). At least 18 credit hours must be taken in courses numbered above 6000. Each graduate student is expected to participate in the weekly seminar, PHYS 6198. A maximum of one credit hour in PHYS 6198 can be used to satisfy program requirements. Each MSAP student must demonstrate a proficiency in classical mechanics, electrodynamics, and thermodynamics at or above the levels of PHYS 4302, 4503, and 4601, respectively.

The thesis work may be in a related area. It is possible for students who hold a full-time professional job to elect a thesis topic related to problems of current interest at their place of employment. The student’s Faculty Committee acting for the Graduate Faculty of the Department of Physics makes a determination of the suitability of such work-related thesis problems. After the course work is substantially completed, the student is required to pass a comprehensive examination. In the case of students who elect to do a thesis, the examination will be an oral one in which questions will be primarily on the thesis and related matters.

The average time required to complete a Master’s program in the Department of Physics is four full-time semesters. Work during the summer sessions may shorten this, while part-time pursuit of the degree will extend the period of study. Full-time students are encouraged to apply to the Department of Physics for graduate assistantships.

Some examples of possible concentrations and sample courses include: 1) Computational physics: PHYS 4201-2, 4205, 4211, 6205, 6206, 6207, 6208, and selected Computer Science courses; 2) Physical electronics: PHYS 4205, 6205, 4503, 4510, and selected Electrical Engineering courses; 3) Geophysics: PHYS 4205, 4507, 6205, 6206, 4322, and selected Geology and Geophysics courses; 4) Acoustics: PHYS 4322, 6302, 6321-2,6325; and 5) Optics: PHYS 4521, 6501-2, and selected Electrical Engineering courses. All electives are subject to the approval of the Department of Physics. If you desire a specific area of concentration, you are invited to discuss the various program possibilities with the Graduate Coordinator, who may be reached at (504) 280-6682.

Ph.D. In Engineering and Applied Science

The Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering and Applied Science is an interdisciplinary, integrative degree involving faculty from the College of Engineering and the College of Sciences. This program is particularly suited to the emerging trends in the scientific and engineering communities.

Admissions

Admission to the doctoral program is based on reasonable evidence that the applicant will prove capable of scholarly research on a broad intellectual foundation. All students enrolling in the program must have a Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in engineering, physics, mathematics, geophysics, computer science, or closely related field, or be willing to complete course work required in an existing Master’s program in one of the participating departments at UNO while pursuing the Ph.D. Admission decisions will be based primarily on grade-point average, Graduate Record Examination scores, and letters of recommendation. Foreign applicants (non-English speaking countries) must also have a satisfactory TOEFL score.

Degree Requirements

Students enrolled in the program must satisfy all general requirements of the UNO Graduate School. Ph.D. candidates must complete a minimum of 51 semester credit hours of graduate course work in an approved program beyond their Bachelor’s degree, not including dissertation writing. The credit hours may include up to 30 semester hour credits obtained in a Master’s degree program if the area of the Master’s degree is relevant to the doctoral program. Up to six of these 30 credits may be for the Master’s thesis research. In addition, a doctoral dissertation based on the results of the original research under the guidance of a faculty committee and defended in a public examination is a requirement of the doctoral program. At least 30 semester hours of dissertation credit must be earned.

Departments participating in the program are Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Computer Science, Geology and Geophysics, Mathematics, and Physics. The student’s dissertation advisory committee will consist of at least five members. No more than three can be from any one department. There must be at least one committee member from each of the Colleges of Engineering and Sciences. Program Qualification is administered by the department of the principal advisor(s). It is based on material in a typical departmentalized master’s degree program, or equivalent. Courses are chosen with the consent of the dissertation advisory committee. The committee shall consider the interdisciplinary nature of the program when they approve the courses. A minimum of nine credits (three courses) must be taken in each college. A General (comprehensive) Examination will be administered by the dissertation advisory committee. The examination will be based on material in the student’s program of study. After passing the General Examination, the Ph.D. student is expected to write a dissertation prospectus and defend it before the dissertation advisory committee. After a successful defense and committee approval of the prospectus, the student may pursue research leading to the dissertation. (The student may register for a maximum of 12 dissertation credits before successful defense and approval of the prospectus provided that Program Qualification has been successfully completed.) The dissertation should reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the program. There must be a final public defense of the dissertation administered by the dissertation advisory committee.

Contact Information

Students seeking advice regarding the UNO Ph.D. program in Engineering and Applied Science, the master’s program in Applied Physics, or any other UNO degree program should contact Keith Long at the Center of Higher Learning at Keith.Long@usm.edu / 228-688-3170.

Website: https://www.uno.edu/academics/cos/physics/graduate