UW
Physics Evening MS Degree Program
Department
of
Physics, University of Washington / Seattle
last updated:03 Aug 2009
For students with an
undergraduate degree in a physical science, engineering, mathematics,
or
computer science, who wish to attend graduate school part-time and earn
a
terminal Master's degree in Physics. This
program is
not intended as preparation for admission to the UW Physics PhD Program.
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Evening MS and GNM
students:
: As
you know, from now on registration for Evening MS classes will be handled by UW Education and Outreach (UWEO, UW Extension), not via MyUW. To register for autumn classes: Download and print the
registration
form (pdf),
and mail to UW Educational Outreach Registration Services, PO Box 45010 Seattle, WA 98145-0010, fax to (206) 685-9359, or call (206) 543-2310 to register by phone.
Contact Jen Lehner in the Physics Department Office,
206-543-2488 or
grad@phys.washington.edu
if you have questions.
.
- Notice (July 24, 2009): Due to construction work at their regular offices in Lewis Hall, UWEO advisors are temporarily located in a restricted-access area of Roosevelt Commons, until August 10. If you need to talk to a UWEO advisor, please call 543-6160 before going to Roosevelt Commons in person; they will return all calls promptly and arrange to meet you in a public area of the building.
Jump
directly to the
following topics:
Other links
for additional information:
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UW/Seattle Physics-Astronomy Building
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Program
Overview
Target
Audience:
This
program is
especially designed for students currently employed full-time who have
an
undergraduate degree (or equivalent preparation) in physical sciences,
engineering, mathematics, or computer science. The program offers:
- Basic
graduate-level
courses for returning students
- Special
content courses
for science teachers
- Technical
courses for
working scientists and engineers
Faculty:
All
physics evening classes are taught by full-time members of the UW
Physics faculty.
Applications, admission decisions, course content, and other academic
aspects of the
program are solely determined by UW
Physics faculty.
Administration:
The Physics
Evening MS Degree Program is administered by UW Education & Outreach. Course registration, tuition and fees,
and other all other purely administrative matters are handled by
UWE&O. Questions on these topics should be addressed to UWE&O (see links and contact
phone
numbers below).
Program
Structure:
Evening
courses, which
meet two nights per week, may be taken either individually or as a
course of
study leading to a Master of Science degree in physics. Students
typically
complete the requirements in three years by enrolling in one late
afternoon or
evening class each quarter of the academic year. Students may take
classes at a
faster pace if they wish to complete the program in a shorter time.
Courses of
study emphasizing particular areas can be arranged according to
individual
interests. Examples of specialized tracks created by students in recent
years
have included:
- Acoustics
- Laser
physics
- Mathematical
modeling
- Optics
- Surface
physics
- Physics
instrumentation
- Physics
education
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The
program
includes a
sequence of required "core" courses, encompassing both classical and
quantum physics, and specialized courses, which are varied each year.
The core
courses, Electromagnetic Theory, Quantum Physics, and Applications of
Quantum
Physics, provide background for the study of specialized topics and
introduce
applications from the outset, and are offered every academic year. They
are especially
designed for returning students who are beginning graduate study after
several
(or many) years in the workplace, and who have an interest in
applications of
physics or related fields.
Technical
courses on
aspects of physics instrumentation are an important part of the
program, as are
advanced specialized courses of particular interest to research
scientists and
engineers. Courses taught in past years that may be repeated in the
future have
included:
- Nonlinear
Dynamics and
Chaos
- Laser
Physics
- Liquid
Crystal Devices
- Numerical
Methods in
Physics
- Applications
of
Electromagnetic Theo
- Contemporary
Optics
- Condensed
Matter Physics
- Electronics
for Physics
Research
- Low-Temperature
Physics
and Cryogenics
- Acoustics
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Courses
Open to
Graduate Non matriculated Students:
Students
may take any
individual course offered on a graduate non-matriculated basis, with
permission
of the Evening MS Program Coordinator. Under current UW rules, no more
than 12
credits taken as a graduate non matriculated
student
can be applied to a graduate degree. To request an application, please
contact
the Graduate Adviser at (206) 543-2488 or grad@phys.washington.edu
For
information on
tuition rates, please go to UW Tuition & Fees.
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Admissions
Prospective
students
may apply for admission at any time during the academic year or summer.
Application deadlines for
each quarter are listed
below. Prospective
students submitting applications before these deadlines may be able to begin classes in the
term immediately following.
Application
deadlines for admission the following term are:
- Autumn
Quarter: August 15
- Winter
Quarter: November 1
- Spring
Quarter: February 1
- Summer
Quarter: May 15
New
students can be accepted
on a space-available basis until 3 weeks before each quarter begins.
Requirements
Admissions
requirements
are deliberately kept simple, to accommodate students whose
undergraduate major
was in other disciplines.
- Applicants
should have
an undergraduate degree in a physical science, engineering,
mathematics, or
computer science.
- An
average grade of 3.0
in junior- and senior-level physical science courses is required.
- Graduate
Record
Examination (GRE) scores are not
required (or considered).
- Each applicant must submit
a statement of purpose, outlining personal goals motivating pursuit of
the MS degree.
Those
applicants
interested in particular courses or the Evening Master's degree program
are
encouraged to discuss their backgrounds and interests with faculty
members in
the Physics Department. A faculty Adviser is available to help admitted
students plan a program of study.
In many
cases applicants whose
undergraduate
preparation does not meet our admission criteria may be advised to try
taking
the core courses as Graduate Non-Matriculated (GNM) students. If their
grades
are adequate, they can be admitted later and transfer up to 12 GNM
credits into
their MS program.
Application
Instructions
NOTE: This is not a
full-time program, and cannot provide support for applications for
financial aid
(to UW or private sources), or student visas.
To begin
the online
application process, please see the Online Application for Graduate
Admission
In
addition
to the
materials submitted to the Graduate Admissions Office by the web forms,
please
submit the following materials to the Physics Department Graduate
Program
Office (in one envelope if possible):
- Photocopy or
printed copy of the completed Graduate School online application form.
- Official
transcripts from every
college
and/or university attended.
Send to the following
address:
Graduate
Program Office
Physics
Department
Box 351560
University of
Washington
Seattle, WA
98195-1560
The
University of
Washington reaffirms its policy of equal opportunity regardless of
race, color,
creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital
status,
disability, or status as a disabled veteran or Vietnam era veteran in
accordance with University policy and applicable federal and state
statutes and
regulations.
Admissions
Contacts
For
general
information on program and requirements, admissions applications, and
all
administrative issues:
Ms Jen Lehner
Graduate
Student
Advisor
206-543-2488
grad@phys.washington.edu
For
academic
issues, or questions on course offerings, prerequisites and
qualifications:
Professor
Jeffrey
Wilkes
Faculty
Coordinator
emsp@phys.washington.edu
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Advising
Students
should contact
the Graduate Adviser (grad@phys.washington.edu)
for questions regarding
rules,
policies, Graduate School procedures and regulations, registration
procedures,
and for any other administrative or general information.
For
academic advising
(program planning, choice of courses, advice on appropriateness of
preparation
for advanced courses, etc), new students will initially be assigned to
a member
of the graduate faculty in the Physics Department. (Faculty who
volunteer as
Advisers are willing to hold evening office hours to meet students.)
Students
may select a faculty member of their choice as their Adviser at any
time
thereafter, with the agreement of the faculty member. Students should
meet with
their Academic Adviser at least once per academic year, preferably at
least
once per term.
Advanced
students who are doing the Independent Study component of their degree
program
will be advised by their project supervisor. However, students who do their
Independent
Study project under the supervision of a faculty member outside the
Physics
Department should retain their academic Adviser in the Physics
Department, and
meet with their Physics Adviser at least once per term.
Students
may contact
the Evening MS Program Faculty Coordinator (emsp@phys.washington.edu)
at any
time for additional consultation or advice.
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Course
of Study
Students
must complete
36 credits of work at the 400-level or above. Of the 36 credits, at
least 18
credits must be at the 500-level or above and at least 18 credits must
be
numerically graded. A minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA is required for a
graduate
degree. In addition to three core courses, a supervised independent
study
project is required. Students may complete the requirements in three
years by
enrolling in one late afternoon or evening class each quarter of the
academic
year. Credits from appropriate courses in other departments may be
applied for
credit toward the degree, if approved by the Evening MS Program
Coordinator.
For more detailed information, go to: Evening Master's Program Policies
and
Rules.
Students
complete their
independent study project by enrolling in Phys 600 for typically 3 to 9
hours
each week and working with one of the research groups in the Physics
Department.
They may also work in certain other departments on campus or at their
place of
employment subject to approval by the Evening MS Program Coordinator.
The
project should involve experimentation, analysis, or instrumentation
related to
a problem of current interest. A brief written statement describing the
project
should be given to the Graduate Adviser before the independent study
project
commences. A written report and final oral examination on the research
project
are required.
Examples of
projects completed previously include:
- Ultrasound
Reflections
- Development
of a
Pre-optics Curriculum for Physical Science Students
- Fabrication
and
Characterization of Superconducting Tunnel Junctions
- Impurity
Effects on
Charge Collection in Liquid Argon
- Investigating
Student
Understanding of Newton's Second Law Among Pre College Teachers and
High School
Students
- Laser
Diode Stabilization
Using External Optical Feedback
- Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen
(EPR) Correlations in Annihilation Photon Experiments
- Phased
Array Holography
- Spectral
Properties of
Semiconductor Injection Lasers
- Chirp
Sonar System
Development and Testing
Policy
on Assistantships for Evening MS Students
The
Physics
Evening MS
Degree Program is designed to be a part-time program, so EMS students
do not
normally qualify for teaching or research assistantships, and such
support is
not normally offered. In exceptional cases, the Department may offer a
TA, or
an individual faculty member may propose to offer an RA, but all such
exceptions require the explicit prior approval of the Physics
Department Chair.
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Evening
MS Program Course Offerings
All courses
are 4
credits except as noted.
PHYS 600
(Independent
Study) is offered every term, by arrangement with individual faculty
supervisors.
2008-09
academic
year
Autumn 2008
PHYS 434:
Application
of Computers to Physical Measurement (T. Burnett) TuTh
6:30-8:00 p.m. (3 credits)
PHYS 543:
Electromagnetic Theory (L. Sorensen) MW 7-8:50 p.m.
Winter 2009
PHYS 441:
Quantum
Physics (V. Chaloupka) MW 7-8:50 p.m.
PHYS 575:
Selected
Topics (TBD) in Applications of Physics (J. Wilkes) TTh
7-8:50 p.m.
Spring 2009
PHYS 544:
Applications
of Electromagnetic Theory (L. Sorensen), MW 7-8:50 p.m.
PHYS 542:
Numerical
Methods in Applications of Physics (R.J. Wilkes) TTh
7-8:50 p.m.
Summer 2009
PHYS 575: Special Topics in Experimental Physics - Sensors and Detectors (T. Zhao), TTh 6:30-8:20 p.m
2009-10
Academic
Year
Autumn 2009
PHYS 547:
Electronics
for physics research (L. Sorensen) TuTh
7-8:50 p.m.
PHYS 543:
Electromagnetic Theory (V. Chaloupka) MW
7-8:50 p.m.
Winter 2009
PHYS 441:
Quantum
Physics (L. Sorensen) MW 7-8:50 p.m.
PHYS 575:
Selected
Topics (TBD) in Applications of Physics (J. Wilkes) TTh
7-8:20 p.m.
Spring 2010
PHYS 541:
Applications
of Quantum Physics (L. Sorensen)
PHYS 545:
Contemporary
Optics (R.J. Wilkes) TTh 7-8:50 p.m.
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Research
Groups
Students
are encouraged
to fulfill their independent study project requirement by joining one
of the
research groups led by members of the Physics faculty, who are engaged
in
forefront physics research in a broad range of areas. See the
individual group
websites linked below for further information:
Physics
Research
Group Websites
Click on
the link above to find up-to-date links to the following research
groups:
- Astrophysics
&
Gravitational Physics
- Astrophysics, Axions, and Dark Matter
- Atomic
Physics
- Biophysics
- Center for
Experimental
Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics
- Condensed
Matter
Experiment
- Condensed
Matter Theory
- Elementary
Particle
Experiment
- Institute
for Nuclear
Theory
- Nuclear
Theory
- Particle
Astrophysics and Neutrino Astrophysics
- Particle
Theory
- Physics
Education Group
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Other
Related Areas:
Some
Evening MS
students do their independent study projects under the
supervision of
faculty in other UW departments. Here are some examples:
- Aeronautics
& Astronautics
- Astronomy
- Atmospheric
Sciences
- Biochemistry
- Bioengineering
- Chemistry
- Earth &
Space
Sciences
- Materials
Sciences
& Engineering
Please see the UW home page for links to
information about these other units of UW.
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Additional information
Visit the
links below for information relating to:
Contact
us:
Mailing address:
Graduate
Program Office
Physics
Department
Box 351560
University of
Washington
Seattle, WA
98195-1560
For
general
information on program and requirements, admissions applications, and
other academic issues:
Ms Jen Lehner
Graduate
Student
Advisor
206-543-2488
grad@phys.washington.edu
For
academic
issues, or questions on course offerings, prerequisites and
qualifications:
Professor
Jeffrey
Wilkes
Faculty
Coordinator
emsp@phys.washington.edu
UW
Education and Outreach contact information:
For
general
information on admissions applications, tuition and fees, and
all
other purely administrative issues:
To talk with an adviser, please call 206-543-6160 or
1-800-543-2320
or e-mail advisers@extn.washington.edu
For further information, see also:
http://www.extension.washington.edu/ext/courses/registration.asp
http://www.nondegree.washington.edu/nondegree/
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