Physics and Astronomy

• Faculty
• Course Work
• Home Page - http://www.physics.gmu.edu/
• Undergraduate Programs
  • Physics, B.S.
  • Minor in Physics
  • Minor in Astronomy
• Graduate Program
  • Applied and Engineering Physics,M.S.
  • Computational Sciences and Informatics, Ph.D.

Faculty

Professors: Blaisten-Barojas, Dworzecka (chair), Ehrlich, Ellsworth, Kafatos, Lankford, Lieb, Satija, Trefil (Robinson Professor)

Associate professors: Becker, Ceperley, Evans, Wallin

Assistant professors: Gluckman, McIntyre, So

Visiting assistant professors: Kowalski, Oerter

Visiting instructor: Ewell

Course Work

The Physics and Astronomy Department offers all course work designated ASTR and PHYS in the "Course Descriptions" chapter of this catalog.

Undergraduate Programs

Physics, B.S.

1. Required (21 credits): PHYS 160, 260, 261, 262, 263, 305, 308, and 407 (Engineering-physics double majors may substitute ECE 305 for PHYS 305 and ECE 333, 334 for 407.)
2. Twelve credits chosen from PHYS 251, 303, 306, 307, 402, 408 or 409, 416, and ASTR 328 or 428
3. Twelve credits chosen from PHYS 121, 122, 123, 124, CS 112, or any approved upper-level physics, astronomy, chemistry, electrical engineering, or mathematics courses
4. Required (20 credits): MATH 113, 114, 203, 213, 214, and 313 or 413 or STAT 344

The requirements for the B.S. in Physics prepare students for graduate school or for one of the many careers in business or industry in which physics graduates are employed. Students in fields of mathematics, science and engineering who are considering a double major in physics should discuss it with the undergraduate coordinator. Some course substitutions are allowed for such majors but they should be discussed in advance. In meeting the requirement for 12 credits outside the core, students have the option of electing an emphasis. The courses required for each emphasis are listed below. Students who wish to complete an emphasis should plan a program of study in consultation with their advisors.

Emphasis in Graduate School Preparatory
Although any of the options listed here provide the successful student with a fully adequate background to enter graduate school, this emphasis is for the student whose career goals definitely include graduate work in physics. To complete this emphasis, the student should take at least nine credits from the following courses: PHYS 510, 512, 540, and ASTR 530. In addition, the student should complete a senior project (PHYS 408) in the specialty that he or she intends to pursue in graduate school.

Emphasis in Computational Physics
This emphasis is for the student who wishes to pursue a career that applies computers to the solution of physical problems and data analysis. To complete this emphasis, the student should take at least nine credits from the following courses: PHYS 510, ECE 442, MATH 446 and 447. In addition, the student should complete a senior project (PHYS 408) on a problem that involves the use of the computer for the solution of a physical problem.

Emphasis in Astrophysics
This emphasis is for the student who is planning to attend graduate school in astrophysics or pursue a career in industry. To complete this emphasis, the student should select four courses from the following: PHYS 428, ASTR 328, 530, 532, 535, and MATH 446. In addition, the student should complete a senior project (PHYS 408) on an astrophysics problem.

Emphasis in Electronics
This emphasis is for the student who wishes to pursue a career in industry applying a strong background in electronics to physical problems. To complete this emphasis, the student should take at least nine credits from the following courses: ECE 301, 333, 430, 431, and 433. In addition, the student should complete a senior project (PHYS 408) on an electronics problem.

Emphasis in Applied Solid State Physics
This emphasis is for the student who wishes to pursue a career in the semiconductor industry. To complete this emphasis, the student should take the following courses: PHYS 512, ECE 430, and ECE 431. In addition, the student should complete a senior project (PHYS 408 or 409) in applied solid state physics.

Writing-Intensive Requirement
The university requires all students to complete at least one course designated "writing intensive" in their majors at the 300 level or above. Students majoring in physics may fulfill this requirement by successfully completing PHYS 416.

Honors Program in Physics
Physics majors who have completed the prerequisites for PHYS 405 and 406 Honors Thesis in Physics and who have maintained an overall GPA of at least 3.500 in physics courses and a GPA of 3.500 in all courses taken at George Mason may apply to the departmental honors program. To graduate with honors in physics, a student is required to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.500 in physics courses and to successfully complete PHYS 405 and 406 with a GPA of at least 3.500 and a grade of at least A- in PHYS 406.

Teacher Licensure (Certification)
Students who want to become elementary or secondary school teachers should consult the sections on licensure (certification) found in the catalog in the "Graduate School of Education" chapter. Those planning to become secondary school teachers should consult with the secondary education advisor in their departments.

Minor in Physics

Minor in Astronomy

Premedical, Predental, and Preveterinary Students
Students planning to enter medical, dental, or veterinary schools may choose to major in physics. Such students should consult with the premedical advisor for physics. Requirements for admission to schools in the health sciences vary, but one year of biology and organic chemistry (CHEM 313, 314, 315, and 318 or 320) is required in addition to a B.S. in Physics.

Honors Students
The general education requirements for the B.S. may be satisfied by the successful completion of the Honors Program in General Education. See the Honors Program section of this chapter and see the Honors office for sample schedules for majors in physics.

Physics for Majors
Students who intend to major in physics should take the physics introductory sequence (PHYS 160, 260, 261 or 265, 262, 263). However, students who decide to major in physics after completing PHYS 243 and 245 may do so but only with written permission of the Physics and Astronomy Department. Such students are required to take at least four additional credits in approved physics courses.

Physics for Nonmajors
PHYS 243, 244, 245, and 246 are recommended for biology, chemistry, geology, and premedical students and for mathematics students who seek a bachelor of arts degree. PHYS 106 and 107 are also recommended for biology majors. PHYS 101, 102, 103, and 104 are intended for nonscience majors. PHYS 160, 260, 261 or 265, 262, 263 constitute a calculus-based sequence in general physics to be taken by physics and engineering majors and chemistry, computer science, and mathematics students who pursue a bachelor of science degree. Students may receive credit for only one of the following three sequences: PHYS 243, 244, 245, 246; or PHYS 103, 104; or PHYS 160, 260, 261, 262, 263.

Graduate Program

Applied and Engineering Physics, M.S.

All courses are offered during late afternoon or evening hours to allow students with full-time employment to attend easily. Persons employed at area high-technology organizations may take up to 6 credits (out of 30) for work done on the job under the guidance of a faculty member. This employment-related research may be conducted either under an optional three-credit research project or an optional six-credit master's thesis. Master's students who are not employed full time may apply for financial aid or for a limited number of research assistantships.

Admission Requirements
Those holding a baccalaureate degree in physics or a related field from an accredited institution and who earned a GPA of 2.750 (out of 4.000) in their last 60 credits are invited to apply for admission. If the baccalaureate degree is in a field other than physics, the applicant should have taken several courses beyond the introductory physics courses, such as junior-level classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, or electronics. An applicant may be required to make up one or two deficiencies, based on a graduate physics advisor's assessment, and still be permitted to enroll in the program. Two letters of recommendation must be submitted, preferably from former professors. The general Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and the GRE subject test in physics are recommended for applicants who received their baccalaureate degrees within the last five years. A less recent bachelor's recipient may wish to present a statement of his/her work experience in lieu of the GRE.

Degree Requirements
Candidates for the degree must successfully complete 30 credits as follows:

1. For both emphases within the program, a nine-credit core consisting of PHYS 510, 513, and 732 or 736.
2. For the applied physics emphasis, any three of the following courses: PHYS 512, 533, 540, 575, 612, 613, 620, 676, 701, 705, 711, 722, 728, 732, and 736; ASTR 530, 761, 764, 765, and 766.
3. For the engineering physics emphasis, PHYS 533 and any six credits in electrical engineering (ECE) courses.
4. Electives amounting to 12 credits may be chosen from courses in physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, information technology, and computational sciences and informatics. However, no more than six credits may be chosen from areas outside PHYS, ASTR, CSI, and ECE. No more than six credits of PHYS 799 may be applied to satisfy degree requirements.
5. Credit may be received for either ECE/PHYS 798 Research Project (three credits) or ECE/PHYS 799 Master's Thesis (six credits), but not both. The research project may be performed at a student's place of employment with the concurrence of a faculty advisor. The thesis is a more substantial piece of work performed under the supervision of a major professor and requires the student to make an oral defense. ECE/PHYS 798 may be taken only once.

In addition to the requirements stated above, a student may also select an emphasis in astrophysics, atmospheric physics, biological applications of physics, computational physics, condensed matter, instrumentation (engineering physics), or nonlinear dynamics. An emphasis requires that a student complete 15 credits of approved courses. The students in the master's degree program can earn a graduate certificate in Computational Techniques and Applications from the School of Computational Sciences by choosing an approved sequence of courses.

Computational Sciences and Informatics, Ph.D.

Areas of concentration in computational physics and in space sciences and computational astrophysics exist as part of the doctoral program in computational sciences and informatics (see the "School of Computational Sciences" chapter for degree and admission requirements).