Graduate Catalog 2003-2004

Physics and Astronomy

Degree: Master of Arts in Teaching; Master of Science

John Laird, Chair
Lewis Fulcher, Graduate Coordinator
Room: 104 Overman Hall
Phone: 419-372-2421

Graduate Faculty

Professors - Robert Boughton, Ph.D.; G. Comer Duncan, Ph.D.; Lewis Fulcher, Ph.D.; John Laird, Ph.D.

Associate Professors - Haowen Xi, Ph.D.

Assistant Professors - Andrew Layden, Ph.D.; Bruno Ullrich, Ph.D.; Stephen Van Hook, Ph.D.

The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers programs leading to the degrees of Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Science, and a cooperative Ph.D. in collaboration with the University of Toledo. The curriculum of the programs emphasizes applications as well as a solid foundation for pre-Ph.D. training. Course work focuses on developing skills in several areas of emphasis: astrophysics; computational physics; theoretical physics; solid state physics; and materials science. All graduate students are involved in research as part of the degree program.

The M.A.T. degree program is designed to prepare students for a physics teaching career or to provide enrichment for practicing teachers. The cooperative Ph.D. program enables qualifying students to take courses at BGSU and at UT and to move to UT for their Ph.D. under the direction of either BGSU or UT faculty in physics and astronomy.

Prerequisites to Graduate Work

Applicants should have the equivalent of a bachelor's degree with a major in physics, or a minor in physics and a major in a cognate field from an accredited institution. Applicants should also have taken a minimum of one year of undergraduate chemistry. Applicants with prerequisite deficiencies may be required to take undergraduate course work or satisfactorily complete an examination as a condition of admission.

M.A.T. applicants must have at least one year's teaching experience and hold a valid teaching certificate from the state in which they are teaching.

Cooperative Ph.D. Program

For students wishing to obtain a Ph.D. in Physics, the cooperative program with the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Toledo is an option. Graduate students at BGSU would complete requirements for the Master of Science at BGSU and take the Ph.D. qualifying exam offered by the University of Toledo. After successfully passing that examination, the student would be admitted to the University of Toledo’s program and could take courses at the University of Toledo and at BGSU. After being admitted to candidacy, students may engage in dissertation research with BGSU, UT, or faculty from both BGSU and UT.

Admission Procedure

Applicants seeking admission to the graduate programs in physics and astronomy should follow the instructions outlined in the "Graduate Admission" section of this catalog.

Degree Requirements
Master of Arts in Teaching

Degree requirements are listed under the heading of Master of Arts in Teaching in the "Degree Programs" section of this catalog.

Master of Science
The M.S. degree is offered under two plan.

Plan I: Candidates must complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of 500- and 600-level courses approved for graduate credit including a minimum of 26 hours in physics. Students are required to take PHYS 601, 602, 603, 604, 605, and 606, for a total of 18 semester hours. Students must also register for two hours of PHYS 681 per semester in each of four semesters. In addition to the above 26 hours in the major field, candidates must present a formal thesis and pass an oral examination on the thesis.

A specialization in Materials Science is available. The student must take PHYS 610, and PHYS 6540-6550 at the University of Toledo. A thesis on some materials topic must be completed.

Plan II: Candidates must complete a minimum of 32 semester hours of 500- and 600-level courses approved for graduate credit including two hours in PHYS 691--Directed Research in Physics--for a minimum of 28 hours in physics. Students are required to take PHYS 601, 602, 603, 604, 605, and 606, and PHYS 691 for a total of 20 semester hours. Students must also register for two hours of PHYS 681 per semester in each of four semesters. As an important part of the research seminar work, the student must submit a scholarly paper and pass a final written comprehensive examination covering selected fields.

For students pursuing a specialization, both Plan I and Plan II require additional course work.

Graduate Courses
Please access graduate courses online at http://webapps.bgsu.edu/courses/search.php. Graduate courses offered by the Department of Physics and Astronomy use the prefix: PHYS.

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