Required Courses

Graduate School Required Courses

Performance and Course Retake Policy

No grade of D or F is allowed on a used course (by CAPP) and no more than two grades of C or lower are allowed on all graduate courses taken while in the program.

A student may retake a course, but only one retake is allowed while in the program. Both grades will be included in the GPA calculation. No more than one grade of D or F is allowed on all graduate courses taken while in the program.  A retake is not allowed if this occurs.

New Students

A student is expected to take the one hour credit course, PH 8111: Seminars and Colloquia, in each semester of the program. The course is focused on presentations of original research studies related to various research areas in the department. It is given by experts in their fields and required to be completed in each semester that the student is in residence at MSU.

MS - Thesis Option

Minimum of 24 graduate course work credit hours (8 courses).  Minimum of 6 credit hours of thesis research (PH 8000).

Required courses

• PH 8233 Methods of Theoretical Physics I
• PH 8743 Quantum Mechanics I

and any 2 of the following 3 courses:

• PH 8213 Mechanics
• PH 8243 Methods of Theoretical Physics II
• PH 8313 Electromagnetic Theory I

MS - Non-Thesis Option

Minimum of 30 graduate course work credit hours (10 courses).  Research hours not required.

Required courses

• PH 8213 Mechanics
• PH 8233 Methods of Theoretical Physics I
• PH 8243 Methods of Theoretical Physics II
• PH 8313 Electromagnetic Theory I
• PH 8743 Quantum Mechanics I
• PH 8753 Quantum Mechanics II

Highly recommended course:

• PH 6333 Electromagnetic Fields II

The topics for the written preliminary exams are covered in these courses.

PhD

Required courses

• PH 8213 Mechanics
• PH 8233 Methods of Theoretical Physics I
• PH 8243 Methods of Theoretical Physics II
• PH 8313 Electromagnetic Theory I
• PH 8743 Quantum Mechanics I
• PH 8753 Quantum Mechanics II

Highly recommended course:

• PH 6333 Electromagnetic Fields II

The topics for the written preliminary exams are covered in these courses.

Courses taken at MSU in the MS program may be used again in the PhD program.

Minimum of 20 credit hours of dissertation research (PH 9000).
Minimum of 24 graduate course work credit hours (this includes the 18 hours of required courses). 
An additional 10 graduate credit hours is required, which may be any combination of dissertation research (PH 9000) and course work credit hours.

Advanced Course Rotation