Professional Master of Science in Physics

ProfessionalMasterofScienceinPhysics

OnlineInformationSessionMay5,2021

UWPhysicsDepartmentUWProfessional&ContinuingEducationWebsite:http://www.physicsmasters.uw.edu

Today’sinfosession•  ProfessorJeffreyWilkes,UWDepartmentofPhysics•  ProfessorAnnaGoussiou,UWDepartmentofPhysics•  JessicaMosa,PartnerSuccessLead,PCE•  RenéSiegenthaler,ProgramManager,PCE•  …andyou:let’sintroduceourselves

Furtherinformationisavailableonourwebsite,www.physicsmasters.uw.edu

UWPhysicsDepartment/UWProfessional&ContinuingEducation 2

UWProfessionalMSinPhysicsProgram

Agenda•  TheProfessionalMSinPhysics(PMSP)degreeprogramatUW

•  PMSPAdmissionandDegreeRequirements•  PartnershipbetweenUWPhysicsandUWProfessional&ContinuingEducation(PCE)

•  Questions&Discussion


UWPhysicsDepartment•  OffersBS,ProfessionalMS,andPhDprograms

•  Butthereisnofull-time/daytimeMSprogram

•  Faculty– UWPhysicsfacultyrecognizedinternationallyasleadersintheoreticalandexperimentalresearch

•  TwoNobelprizewinners(H.Dehmelt,D.Thouless)

– Studentscanparticipateinleading-edgeresearchconductedbyfaculty,andlearnaboutthelatestscientificdiscoveries


MS-PhysicsProgram(MSP)•  Startedin1970s–programupgradedin2009

–  Studentscomefrommanysources:•  Employeesofregionalhigh-techfirms•  Highschoolteachers•  Militarypersonnel•  RecentBSgraduates

•  Designedforworkingprofessionals–  Alleveningclasses– Majorityofstudentsenrollinonecourseperquarter–  Typically2-3yearstocompletedegreeprogram


DesignedasterminalMSdegree•  GrowingdemandforProfessionalScienceMaster’sdegreesinSTEMfields– Employers(industry,R&Dlabs)recognizevalue

– SeparatefromPhysicsPhDprogram•  NotdesignedaspreparationforPhDstudies

– However,someMSPalumnihavegoneontoPhDprogramsatUWandelsewhere

– Allcoursestaughtbyfull-timeUWPhysicsfaculty(regularandresearchprofessors)


Motivations&Results•  Studentmotivations

–  Professionalandcareeradvancement–  Seekqualificationsformoreinterestingassignments–  Careerre-direction–  Simpleintellectualinterest

•  Graduatessucceed!–  Promotionswithcurrentemployer–  Securenewjobs–  DefinenewcareerpathsinR&Dorteaching


Whatisrequiredtoapply?

Notjustforphysicsmajors•  BSdegreeinaphysicalscience,mathematics,orengineering

–  NotlimitedtoapplicantswhomajoredinPhysicsasundergraduates

–  Notlimitedtostudentswhogottopgradesasundergrads…(tellyourfriends)

–  Notlimitedtorecentgraduates—someofourstudentstooktheirBSdegree5~20yearsago


Notsureyouareready?•  StartasaGraduateNon-Matriculated(GNM)student(minimalrequirementstostart)–  Takecorecoursestotryouttheprogram

•  Seeifitisagoodmatchforyourneeds– MayapplylaterfortransfertotheMSdegreeprogram

•  Upto12GNMcreditscanbeappliedtotheMS–  ORtakeindividualcourseswithoutcommittingtodegree

•  GNMisanoptiontoexpandyourknowledgewithoutcommittingtothedegreeprogram


Onlineclassattendance•  Allclassesmeetevenings,ontheUWSeattlecampus

–  In-personclasseswillstartagaininAutumn2021

•  PMSPlectureclassesofferoptionalonlineattendance–  Attendclassesfromhome,work,oranywherewithaninternetconnection,usinganycommonbrowser

•  Zoomvideoconferencingprovidesaudioandvideooftheinstructor,slides,chatwindow,andrecordingsofclasssessions

-  Classesarenotdesignedasonline-only;werecommendin-personorreal-timeonlineattendancewheneveryoucan

–  Forcourseswithlabsorotherhands-onwork,on-campusattendancemayberequiredforsomesessions


AdmissionRequirements•  Reasonablegradesinrelevantcourses

–  B(3.0)gradeaveragein300-400levelundergradphysicscoursesorequivalentengineeringcourses

•  UWGraduateSchoolrequires3.0overallGPAinlast90credits•  Physicalscienceandmostengineering(EE,ME,CE,ChemE,etc.)BSprogramsincludeappropriatecourses

•  Statementofpurpose–  YourreasonstojointheMSP

•  HowtheMSPwillconnecttoyourcareergoals•  NOTanessaycontest:usedonlyforbetteradvising

•  GREscoreisnotrequired(orconsidered)


Admissions•  ForadmissiontothePhysicsMSDegreeProgram,orasGNM,

submityourapplicationtotheUWGraduateSchoolonline:http://www.grad.washington.edu/admissions

•  Applicationsarewelcomeatanytime–  MoststudentsstartAutumnQuarter,butyoumaystartinWinteror

Spring(butnotSummer)Quarter

–  Applyforadmissioninthenextacademicquarter,ortostartlater

•  Newapplicationsarereviewedeveryquarter(summeralso)–  Quarterlydeadlineslistedonwebsitearethelatestdatewecanensure

processingintimetostartthefollowingquarter,butapplicationsareaccepteduntiltheendoftheprecedingquarter


AdmissionsFAQs•  CanIapplyatanytime?

–  Yes,weacceptapplicationsyear-round•  However,westronglyrecommendstartinginAutumnorWinterquarter,whenintro-levelcorecoursesareoffered

•  Whatifmyundergraduatedegreeisnotinaphysicalscienceorengineering?–  Youneedphysicsclassesbeyondtheintro/100courselevel,withgoodgrades(GPA3orhigher)

•  Mostengineeringprogramsincludeequivalentcourses(mechanics,E&M,thermodynamics,etc.)

–  Youcansendyourtranscripts(informal,personalcopy)tousforadviceonyourpreparation


AdmissionsFAQs•  ShouldIcontactyoubeforeapplying?

–  [email protected](location,previouseducation,goals)andwecanprovidepre-applicationadvising

•  WhatifIgotmyBSdegreeyearsago?–  Manyofourstudentsstartafteradecadeormoreintheworkplace

•  Classesaredesignedtakingintoaccountyourneedforreview,especiallyinrelevantmath

•  Whatshouldmypersonalstatementinclude?–  Thepersonalstatementisnotanessaycontest,aswithsomecollegeapplications!

•  Weuseitonlyforadvisingpurposes,tomakesureyourstatedgoalsandexpectationsmatchourprogram’scapabilities


AdmissionsFAQs•  CanIapplynowtobegininautumn?

–  Certainly!Weprocessapplicationstowardtheendofeachquarter.–  Applytostartinthetermwhenyouwillbereadytobeginclasses

•  Youmustregisterforcreditinthetermyouhaveappliedfor

•  WhatifworkorfamilyobligationscomeupandIneedtotaketimeoff?–  Noproblem!Youcanrequeston-leavestatusanytime

•  MSstudentsmustberegisteredforcreditsORbeon-leaveeverytermexceptsummers,tomaintaintheirstatus

•  GNMstudentsonlyneedtoregisterforcreditsonceperyear–ifyouneedmoretimeoff,applyforleave

–  However:theUWGraduateSchoolrequiresyoutocompleteyourdegreewithin6yearsofstarting


AdmissionsFAQs•  CanIcompletemydegreefromoutsidetheSeattlearea?

–  AlllecturecoursesofferoptionalattendanceviaZoom•  Slides,audioandchatwindowsarerecordedandcanbeviewedlater

–  Nolabcoursesarerequiredforgraduation–  Foryourfinalindependentstudy(capstone)project,youwillneedtofindatopicthatyoucanpursueremotely,andafacultymentorwillingtosuperviseyouviaemailorvideoconferencing

•  Idon’treallyneedanMSdegree–Ijustwanttolearnmorephysics–  Great!TheGNMoptionisjustwhatyouwant


MSDegreeRequirements1-Completethreeofthefourcorecourses(4creditseach)

–  PHYS543:ElectromagneticTheory–  PHYS441:QuantumPhysics–  PHYS544:ApplicationsofElectromagneticTheory–  PHYS541:ApplicationsofQuantumPhysics

2-Completeatleast18creditsingradedcourses–  MSPoffersonecoreandoneelectivecourseperquarter

•  Youmaytakeelectivecoursesinotherdepartments,withpriorapproval

3-Completeafinalindependentstudyproject–  Submitprojectreport(notaformalMSthesis)–  Oralexamonyourindependentstudytopic

4-Accumulateatleast36credits(coursesplusindependentstudy)UWPhysicsDepartment/UWProfessional&ContinuingEducation 17

Offered every year, Autumn and Winter

Alternate years, Spring term

Electivesrecentlyoffered•  QuantumComputing•  ContemporaryOptics

•  PhysicsofLasers•  NumericalMethodsforPhysicsDataAnalysis

•  Nuclearphysics:sources,detectors,andsafety•  Acoustics•  PhysicsofRenewableEnergySources•  RadiationandRadiationDetectors•  CondensedMatterPhysics


Customizeyourprogramwithindependentstudycourses

•  Exploratoryindependentstudycourses(typically1or2credits)–  MentoredbyaPhysicsfacultymember–  Customizeyourstudiestomatchyourpersonalgoals–  Chooseatopicofyourown,selectfromalistofsuggestedtopics,orworkwithfacultyontheirresearchprograminpreparationforafinalproject

•  FinalIndependentStudyProject(typically8-18credits)–  WorkwithfacultyinPhysics,orprofessorsinotherdepartments

•  MSstudentstypicallyparticipateinongoingresearchprojectswithfacultyandPhDstudents

–  Or,defineyourownprojecttopic•  Somedojob-relatedresearchunderfacultysupervision


ChoosearesearchareathatfitsyourgoalsUWPhysicsDepartmentResearchGroups•  Browseresearchgroupwebpagestoidentifyfacultymemberswhomaybementorsforindependentstudyprojects:

Forcompletelist,seehttps://phys.washington.edu/research


AstrophysicsAtomicPhysicsBiologicalPhysicsColliderPhysics

CondensedMatterExperiment

CondensedMatterTheoryEnergySciences

GravitationalPhysics

NanoscalePhysicsNeutrinoPhysics

NuclearExperimentNuclearTheory

ParticleExperimentParticleTheory

PhysicsEducationPrecisionMeasurementQuantumInformation

PhysicsAdjunctFacultyinotherdepartments•  SeethePhysicsDepartmentwebsiteforlistoffacultyinother

departmentswhoareadjunctsinPhysics(cansupervisePhysicsgradstudents):

•  WealsohaveAffiliateProfessorsoutsideUW,atNationalLabs(PNNL,Argonne,LosAlamos),andatotherinstitutions


AstronomyAeronauticsandAstronautics

AppliedMathematicsAtmosphericSciences

BioengineeringCenterforNanotechnology

ChemistryEarthandSpaceSciencesElectricalEngineeringMaterialsSciences

PhysiologyandBiophysicsRadiology

Yourfinalproject•  RecruitaPhysicsfacultymembertobeyoursupervisor/

adviser/mentor

•  Scheduleandenrollinindependentstudy(PHYS600)courseseachterm(typically2~8credits/term)

•  Preparewrittenreporttosummarizeprojectandfindings–  Typically20–50pp,formattedasatechnicalreport

–  Finaloralexamination:

•  Presentationofprojectandfindings(typically30min.)

•  Questionsposedbypaneloftwoormorefaculty•  Submitfinalwrittenreport


AdministeredjointlybyPhysicsDepartmentandUWPCE

•  Uponsuccessfulcompletion,youareawardedtheMSinPhysicsbytheUWGraduateSchool–  Samediplomaasanyfull-time/daytimeUWMSstudent

–  AllacademicaspectsarehandledbyPhysicsfaculty

•  PMSPdegreeprogramisadministeredbyUWProfessional&ContinuingEducation(PCE):–  CourseregistrationishandledbyUWPCE–  PMSPisoneofmorethan80graduatedegreeprogramsadministeredbyPCE


Programcosts•  PMSPisaself-sustaining(notstate-supported),fee-based

degreeprogram

•  Tuitionis$759/credit–  TuitionisintendedtotrackUWresidentgraduatetuition

–  Totalcoursefees/tuitionfordegreeprogram(36credits)isabout$28K

–  Limitedfinancialaid

•  Loansareavailableforsomestudents

•  Noscholarshipsorassistantshipsavailableatthistime


UWPhysicsDepartment/UWProfessional&ContinuingEducation

Forallquestionsaboutprogramrequirements,applicationformsandadmissionsprocess:

•  CatherineProvost,GraduateStudentAdvisor

(206)[email protected]

Forallquestionsaboutregistrationandpaymentoptions:•  BrianCox,OperationsManager

(206)616-5104 [email protected]

Forquestionsaboutacademics,admissionscriteria,courseofferings,prerequisites,independentstudy:•  JeffreyWilkes,FacultyCoordinatorfor

[email protected]

(Note:Prof.AnnaGoussiouwilltakeoverthisroleattheendofSummer2021)Togetemailnoticesaboutinformationmeetings,upcomingapplicationdeadlines,etc.:www.physicsmasters.uw.edu/email-signup/

ContactInformation

25

Website: www.physicsmasters.uw.edu

Questions?•  Theseslidesareavailableat

•  Forfurtherinfopleasevisitourwebsite,[email protected]


http://depts.washington.edu/emsp/infosessions/

Professional Master of Science in Physics

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