Program of Study

The Master of Science program in Applied Physics offers three program concentrations and two degree options.

 

·        Applied Physics Concentration (Thesis and Non-thesis Options)

·        Applied Optics Concentration (Thesis Option)

·        Medical Physics Concentration (Non-thesis Option)

 

A student should decide on a concentration and option prior to completion of their first year of residence.

The Applied Physics Concentration is excellent preparation for those planning to continue their education through the Ph.D., either in physics or an engineering field, or for a career as an instructor in a two-year college. Students electing the Thesis Option will be well qualified for employment in industry or in a research laboratory.

The Applied Optics Concentration is designed for students intending to pursue a career in optics fields such as optoelectronics, optical communications, optical metrology, etc. This concentration would also be excellent preparation for those planning to continue their education through the Ph.D. in optics.

The Medical Physics Concentration is designed for students wishing to pursue careers in such medical fields as radiology or medical imaging (MRI, ultrasound, CAT), or as a research scientist/technician with companies developing and manufacturing medical equipment.

 

Additional Admission Requirements

In addition to fulfilling the university's general requirements for graduate admission at the Master's level, applicants seeking admission into the M.S. in Applied Physics program must also:

1. Possess a Bachelor's degree in Physics, or a closely allied field, usually from an accredited college or university. Applicants from fields other than Physics may expect to be required to remove deficiencies in their physics background.

2. Present satisfactory scores on the aptitude portion of the Graduate Record Examination.

3. Possess an overall grade point average of at least 2.75 (based on a 4.0 scale) on all of the applicant's previous work beyond high school. The average in the major should be 3.0 or better.

4. Present satisfactory scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language, if the applicant is from a non- English speaking country.

5. Demonstrate evidence of sufficient interest, ability, and preparation in physics to adequately profit from graduate study, as determined by the Physics & Optical Science Department's Graduate Committee.

 

Degree Requirements

All degree options require the completion of 30 credit hours approved by the Physics and Optical Science Department. A minimum of 15 credit hours presented for the degree must be in courses numbered 6000 and above. Courses for which undergraduate credit has been awarded may not be repeated for graduate credit. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 is required on all coursework attempted for the degree. At the time of admission up to 6 semester hours of graduate transfer credit may be accepted if approved by the Physics & Optical Science Department and the Graduate School. All candidates for the degree must pass a final examination administered by the student’s Advisory Committee.

A student selecting a concentration having a thesis option must present credit for at least 6 semester hours of PHYS 6991. The thesis defense is the final examination for a student selecting the thesis option.

A student selecting a concentration having a non-thesis option must pass a final examination administered by the student’s Advisory Committee.

 

Applied Physics Concentration

Entering students not having the equivalent of PHYS 4222, PHYS 4232, or PHYS 4242 are required to take PHYS 5222, PHYS 5232, and/or PHYS 5242, as appropriate, before the end of their first year of residence. A student electing this concentration may, with departmental approval, apply up to 9 semester hours from such related areas as Optics, Mathematics, Chemistry, and Engineering toward the 30 credit hour degree requirement.

 

Applied Optics Concentration

The Applied Optics Concentration is designed to accept students having undergraduate majors in physics, chemistry, and engineering. Entering students not having the equivalent of PHYS 4242 are required to take PHYS 5242 before the end of their first year of residence. Students electing the Applied Optics Concentration must present credit for a minimum of 15 credit hours in courses having an OPTI prefix. The 15 credit hours of courses having an OPTI prefix must include OPTI 6101, 6102, and 6104. The remaining 6 credit hours needed to complete the degree requirement may, with departmental approval, be selected from Physics, Optics, Chemistry, and Engineering courses.

 

Medical Physics Concentration

The Medical Physics Concentration is designed to accept students having undergraduate majors in physics, engineering, chemistry, and biology. Students having undergraduate majors in chemistry and biology will likely need to take some undergraduate physics courses as prerequisites to courses required for the medical physics concentration as applicants admitted into the Medical Physics Concentration must present earned credit for the equivalent of the UNC Charlotte courses listed below.

PHYS 3101 - Topics and General Methods of Physics - 3 credit hours

PHYS 3141 - Introduction to Modern Physics - 3 credit hours

PHS 4231 - Electromagnetic Theory I - 3 credit hours

PHYS 4241 - Quantum Mechanics I - 3 credit hours

MATH 1241, 1242, 2241, 2242, and 2171 - 15 credit hours

CHEM 1251, 1251L, 1252, 1252L - Principles of Chemistry - 8 credit hours

Students lacking courses in anatomy and physiology will be required to take BIOL 1273 and 1273 Laboratory (Human Anatomy and Physiology - 4 credit hours). Students lacking courses in basic circuit theory and electronics will be required to take ECGR 2161 (Basic Electrical Engineering I - 3 credit hours).

A candidate for the M.S. in Applied Physics degree with the Medical Physics Concentration must present credit for the following courses.

PHYS 5210 Theoretical Physics

PHYS 5232 Electromagnetic Theory II

PHYS 5242 Modern Physics II

PHYS 6261 Nuclear and Particle Physics

PHYS 6301 Radiation Detection, Instrumentation, and Data Analysis

PHYS 6302 Radiation Protection and Dosimetry

PHYS 6303 Imaging in Medicine

PHYS 6304 Physics of Diagnostic Radiology and Radiotherapy

PHYS 6401 Clinical Medical Physics (6 credit hours)

Admission to Candidacy

In addition to the general requirements for admission to candidacy, students enrolled in the Master of Science program in Applied Physics program should have:

1)      Removed all identified entrance deficiencies by the time of application for admission to candidacy,

2)      Completed at least 18 approved credit hours with a GPA of 3.0 or better, and

3)      Selected a major advisor and formed an advisory committee.

 

Assistantships

Support for beginning graduate students is usually a teaching assistantship. Continuing students are often supported by research assistantships.

Comprehensive Examination

All candidates for the degree must pass a final examination. The thesis defense is the final examination for those students who select the thesis option.

A student selecting a concentration having a non-thesis option must pass a final examination administered by the student’s Advisory Committee. Subject matter for the examination will be prepared by the student’s Advisory Committee and given to the student at least 30 days prior to the examination date. The student will make an oral presentation to members of the Committee that is based upon the prepared response. Committee members may question the student on any and all aspects of the relevant test material.

Advisory Committee

Each student in the M.S. in Applied Physics Program must have a major advisor and an advisory committee. The student should select a major advisor before the end of the first year of residency. The student and the major advisor jointly determine the advisory committee. The advisory committee must have at least 3 members, the majority of which must be from the Department of Physics and Optical Science. The major advisor and the advisory committee must be in place prior to applying for degree candidacy.

 

Program of Study in Optics

The Department of Physics and Optical Science is a major participant, and the administrative coordinator, of M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Optical Science and Engineering. These degree programs are interdisciplinary involving six science and engineering departments [Physics & Optical Science, Chemistry, Mathematics, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering & Engineering Science, and Computer Science], the Center for Optoelectronics & Optical Communications, and the Center for Precision Metrology. The program is administered through the Department of Physics & Optical Science. The purpose of the program is to educate scientists and engineers who will develop the next generation of optical technology. The program emphasizes basic and applied interdisciplinary education and research in areas of optics that include:

• Optoelectronic devices and sub-assemblies

• Devices for telecommunications, sensors, and characterization

• Optical materials (semiconductors, polymer-organic and crystalline)

• Optical metrology

• Optical imaging

• Optical communication networks

 

Applications of this research include:

• Optical telecom and data-com

• High efficiency, tunable narrow bandwidth laser sources and detectors

• Smart structures for distributed sensing

• Wireless technologies for communications and remote sensing

• Materials and surface characterization

• Nanostructured optical devices

• Microelectronics

• Bioiosensing and medical imaging

 

A complete description of the programs and course offerings in Optical Science and Engineering can be accessed at the web address http://optics.uncc.edu and under the OPTI listing in the Graduate Catalog.

 

Courses in Physics

 Any physics course at the 5000 or 6000 level can be applied to the 30-hour requirement. Any other courses to be applied toward the 30-hour-course requirement must be approved, in advance, by the Physics Department. Courses approved by the Physics Department as appropriate for meeting the 30-hour-degree requirement are listed below. A minimum of 15 credit hours must be in courses with a 6000 number.

 Intermediate Graduate Courses

 PHYS 5000. Selected Topics in Physics. (0-4) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Selected advanced topics in physics. May be repeated with approval of the Department. (On demand)

 PHYS 5210. Theoretical Physics. (3) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Topics include: Matrices, power series, solutions to ordinary and partial differential equations, Hilbert space, Fourier integrals, boundary value problems, Green's functions, and complex analysis. (Fall)

 PHYS 5220. Computational Methods in Physics. (3) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Use of computers in solving physics problems including computational and mathematical methods to solve problems in classical mechanics, quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, nuclear physics, optics, and solid state physics. Computer solutions include numerical methods of integration, solving differential equations, curve fitting, and statistical analysis in physics. (On demand)

 PHYS 5222. Classical Mechanics II. (3) Prerequisite: PHYS 3121 and MATH 2241. Continuation of PHYS 3121. The second course of a two-semester sequence treating particle dynamics, the motion of systems of particles, rigid body motion, moving coordinate systems, Lagrange’s equations, Hamilton’s equations, and small oscillations. Three lecture hours a week. (Spring)

 PHYS 5232. Electromagnetic Theory II. (3) Prerequisite: PHYS 4231. Continuation of PHYS 4231. The second course in a two-semester sequence. Topics include magnetostatics in free space and in matter, electromagnetic induction, vector and scalar potentials, magnetic properties of materials, Maxwell’s equations in free space and in matter, propagating electromagnetic waves, and boundary value problems. Three lecture hours a week. (Fall)

 PHYS 5242. Quantum Mechanics II. (3) Prerequisite: PHYS 4241. An extension of PHYS 4241 to include more advanced topics such as generalized eigenvalue problems, angular momentum, spin, the hydrogen atom, and perturbation theory, with selected applications from atomic, solid state, and nuclear physics. Three lecture hours a week. (Spring)

 

Advanced Graduate Courses

PHYS 6101. Biophysics. (3) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Will include principles of physics relevant to biological media; electrical activity, optical microscopy, and spectrophotometry. Photosynthesis and light absorption. Models of blood flow and the cardiovascular system. Dynamics of membrane lipids and ionic flow. Visual and audio systems. Radiation biophysics, ultrasonic interaction in biological media. Credit cannot be awarded for both PHYS 6101 and 8101. (Fall)

 PHYS 6121. Classical Dynamics. (3) Prerequisite: PHYS 4222. Variational principles and Lagrange's equations. Hamilton's principles and mechanics of particles. The two-body central force problem. Rigid body motion. Small oscillations and the eigenvalue equation. (Spring, alternate years)

 PHYS 6131. Classical Electromagnetism I. (3) Prerequisite: PHYS 4232. Electrostatic and boundary value problems. Multipole expansions, dielectrics and magnetostatics. Maxwell's equations, time varying fields and conservation laws. Plane electromagnetic waves and wave propagation. Wave guides and resonant cavities. Simple radiating systems. Scattering and diffraction theory. (Fall, alternate years)

 PHYS 6132. Classical Electromagnetism II. (3) Prerequisite: PHYS 6131. Special theory of relativity. Dynamics of relativistic particles and electromagnetic fields. Charged particle collisions and scattering. Radiation by moving charges. Bremsstrahlung, virtual quanta, and beta decay theory. Multipole expansions and fields. Radiation damping. Self-fields of particles. Scattering and absorption of radiation by a bound system. (On demand)

 PHYS 6141. Quantum Theory I. (3) Prerequisite: PHYS 4242. Principles of non-relativistic wave mechanics. The Schrodinger equation, linear harmonic oscillator and WKB approximation. Central forces and angular momentum. The hydrogen atom. (Fall, alternate years)

 PHYS 6142. Quantum Theory II. (3) Prerequisite: PHYS 6141. Scattering theory, linear vector spaces, spin, two level systems. Quantum dynamics, symmetry operations, bound state and time-dependent perturbation theory. Theory of scattering, angular momentum, and identical particles. (On demand)

 PHYS 6251. Statistical Physics. (3) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Classical and quantum statistical mechanics. Statistical thermodynamics. Ensembles, partition functions, fluctuations, ideal Fermi and Bose gas systems. (On demand)

 PHYS 6261. Nuclear and Particle Physics. (3) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Properties of nuclei, nuclear models, and interactions. Nuclear reactions, fission, and fusion. Alpha, beta, and gamma decay. One and two particle states. Relativistic kinematics, principle of invariance, quantum numbers, elementary particles and models. (On demand)

 PHYS 6271. Advanced Solid State Physics. (3) Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Crystal structure. Electromagnetic, electron, mechanical, and elastic wave interactions with crystals. Theory of X-ray diffraction. Energy band theory of metals and semiconductors. Optical properties of solids, phase transitions, and amorphous solids. Quantum mechanics of covalent bonding, phonon excitation, and thermal energy. (On demand)

 PHYS 6301. Radiation Detection, Instrumentation, and Data Analysis. (3) Corequisites: PHYS 6261. Charged particle, neutron, and photon detection. Signal processing and data recording methods including techniques of data analysis and error propagation. The course will consist of two lectures and one two-hour laboratory each week. The course will emphasize application of radiation detectors used in radiotherapy and diagnostic radiology. Two lecture hours and one two-hour laboratory each week. (Fall)

 PHYS 6302. Radiation Protection and Dosimetry. (3) Corequisites: PHYS 6261. Radiation dosimetry fundamentals including photon, electron, and neutron dosimetry. Radiation transport. Fundamentals of radiation protection and shielding. Assessment of effective dose. Three lecture hours per week. (Spring)

 PHYS 6303. Imaging in Medicine. (3) Prerequisites: PHYS 5210 and PHYS 6301. The fundamental conceptual, mathematical, and statistical aspects of imaging science, and a survey from this formal viewpoint of various medical imaging modalities, including film‑screen radiography, positron and x‑ray computed tomography, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging. (Fall)

 PHYS 6304. Physics of Diagnostic Radiology and Radiotherapy. (3) Prerequisites: PHYS 5210 and PHYS 6302. Physics of x‑ray diagnostic procedures and equipment Physics of the interaction of the various radiation modalities with body‑equivalent materials. Physical aspects of clinical applications including radiation therapy to cause controlled biological effects in patients.  Three lecture hours per week. (Spring)

 PHYS 6401. Clinical Medical Physics. (1 - 3) Prerequisite: Consent of Program Director. Eighty to one hundred supervised contact hours of clinical internship at a regional health care system. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours. Graded Pass/No-credit. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

 PHYS 6991. Physics Thesis Research I. (1-3) Prerequisite: admission to candidacy and consent of instructor. Research for the thesis. Letter grade assigned. May be repeated to accumulate a maximum of 6 hours credit. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

 PHYS 6992. Physics Thesis Research II. (1-4) Prerequisite: PHYS 6991 and consent of instructor. Research for the thesis. Graded pass/no-credit. May be repeated to accumulate a maximum of 4 hours credit. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

 PHYS 7999. Graduate Residence (1) Required of all masters students who are working on or defending thesis projects, and/or are scheduled for comprehensive examinations, but who are not enrolled in other graduate courses. Credit for this course may not be used to satisfy the 30-semester-hour requirement for the degree. Graded pass/no-credit. May be repeated for credit. (Fall, Spring, Summer)

PHYS 8101. Biophysics. (3) See PHYS 6101 for Course Description.