Applied Science Department

Programs and Course Descriptions

Faculty

The Applied Science Program

In Applied Science we use the tools, the techniques, and the understanding involved in a wide range of sciences in order to solve complex scientific and technical problems. The Department has state-of-the-art facilities in (1) theoretical and computational analysis of physical and biological systems; (2) materials synthesis and characterization of nanostructures, polymers, inorganics, and composites; (3) modification and evaluation of interfaces; (4) processing control of materials and surfaces; and (5) imaging technology and theory from nano to planetary scales.
The core faculty of Applied Science is augmented by a large number of affiliates from the physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, computer science and mathematics departments as well as from nearby Jefferson Lab and NASA Langley. Applied Science students enjoy:

An academic program tailored to each student’s needs. The coursework component of each student’s curriculum is highly flexible and is planned individually with his or her faculty advisory committee.
Outstanding research opportunities in internationally recognized laboratories. Applied Science students perform their thesis research in the laboratories at William and Mary, Jefferson Lab, and NASA Langley.
Yearly stipends and full-tuition scholarships. The Research Assistant stipend is $22,800 plus tuition and health insurance.

Advanced students help coordinate the seminar program and often travel to present their research accomplishments at national and international meetings. Our students publish in interdisciplinary journals regularly, and sometimes receive U.S. patents by the time they are awarded their degrees. The graduate student association, departmental seminars, and intramural sports provide casual settings for further involvement in campus life.

General Description

The Department of Applied Science is an interdisciplinary graduate department that offers M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in the physical and natural sciences. The program is offered by the core faculty of Applied Science in cooperation with affiliated faculty from the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), as well as from the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) and the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab).

Faculty research interests include biomacromolecules, cell biology, computational neuroscience, electronic materials, epidemic modeling, ecology, in-situ sensing techniques, laser spectroscopy, medical imaging, molecular self-assembly, nanotechnology, neurophysiology, nondestructive evaluation, novel chemical instrumental techniques, physical and chemical properties of polymers, polymer characterization techniques, robotics, solid state nuclear magnetic resonance and surface science. Applied Science students perform their thesis and dissertation research in the laboratories at William and Mary, Jefferson Lab, and LaRC. The coursework component of each student’s curriculum is highly flexible and is planned in consultation with his or her faculty advisory committee. Prospective students are strongly encouraged to open an email dialog with those faculty whose research is most of interest.

Admission

The Department assumes that students entering the program have had an undergraduate concentration in a physical or natural science, mathematics, or engineering discipline. Information about the Department and applications for admission can be obtained from our web page http://www.wm.edu/as/appliedscience/.

Each applicant must submit the results of the general test from the Graduate Record Examinations. Students from non-English speaking countries must submit TOEFL scores and are strongly encouraged to make a Skype appointment with department admissions staff. Applications must be completed by 5:00 p.m. the first Friday of February for entrance into the Department Fall semester. Spring semester applications must be completed by 5:00 p.m. the second Friday in October.

Concentrations

In coordination with their advisor, Applied Science graduate students may choose one of the following research fields to be listed on the final transcript as their concentration area.

Accelerator Science
Applied Mathematics
Applied Mechanics
Applied Robotics
Atmospheric and Environmental Science
Computational Neuroscience
Interface, Thin Film, and Surface Science
Lasers and Optics
Magnetic Resonance
Materials Science & Engineering
Mathematical and Computational Biology
Medical Imaging
Nanotechnology
Neuroscience
Non-Destructive Evaluation
Polymer Chemistry
Remote Sensing

Department Requirements for the Degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy

(See general College requirements in the section entitled ‘Graduate Regulations ’.)

The student and his or her advisory committee will plan a coherent degree program, including required coursework that best suits the student’s educational goals. For most students this will include the department’s core sequence APSC 603 , APSC 604 , APSC 607 , APSC 608 . Due to the different backgrounds, previous preparation, and career goals, not all Applied Science students will take the full core sequence. However, unless otherwise exempted by the department, students will be responsible for the material covered in the entire core. The Applied Science Faculty must approve thesis and dissertation programs. A student in the Department must maintain a B average in order to remain in good standing.

Programs and Course Descriptions

Description of Courses

(See Explanation of Course Descriptions )
Many of the courses for Applied Science are described in Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, and Physics sections of this catalog. Wherever a William and Mary course is specified as a prerequisite or corequisite, it is understood that an equivalent course, taken at another institution, may be substituted. Typically, Readings in Applied Science differs from Topics in Applied Science in that a topic implies regular meetings in a course/lecture format.

Unless otherwise noted, all courses are graded using standard grading [A, B, C, D, F] scheme (See Grading and Academic Progress in the section entitled ‘Graduate Regulations ’) and may not be repeated for credit (See Repeated Courses requirements in the section entitled ‘Graduate Regulations ’).

Programs

Courses

Applied Science