Physics (MS in Physics)
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Course Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Requirements | ||
| PHYS 601 | Classical Mechanics | 4 |
| PHYS 603 | Mathematical Physics | 4 |
| PHYS 610 | Classical Electricity and Magnetism I | 4 |
| PHYS 621 | Quantum Mechanics I | 4 |
| PHYS 622 | Quantum Mechanics II | 4 |
| PHYS 623 | Statistical Physics and Thermodynamics | 4 |
| PHYS 651 | Teaching Physics (2 credit course taken twice) | 4 |
| Elective courses at the 500 level or above. | 4 | |
| Total Hours | 32 | |
Thesis Requirement
There is no thesis requirement.
Colloquium Requirement
Students must take two semesters of PHYS 685 - Colloquium for a total of 0 required credits.
Comprehensive Exam Requirement
The candidate must take the Ph.D. qualifying exam. This exam deals with the undergraduate material, the content of the first-year graduate courses and colloquia. There are two possible outcomes of the qualifying exam: pass or not pass at the Ph.D. level. Passing at the Ph.D. level satisfies the exam requirement for an M.S. degree. Otherwise, the Physics faculty will consider the qualifying exam score, along with academic performance in course work and research performance (if any), in order to determine whether the standards for a Master of Science degree are met. A student is granted two attempts to pass the qualifying examination; further attempts may be allowed by the Departmental Graduate Studies Committee on the basis of a petition by the candidate.
Language Requirement
There is no foreign language requirement.
Satisfactory Progress
To be eligible to graduate, all students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all courses undertaken for graduate credit at William & Mary after admission to a degree program. No credit toward a degree will be allowed for a course in which a student receives a grade below C (grade point = 2.0). Before taking the qualifying exam, satisfactory progress consists of achieving at least a B (3.0/4.0) average in course work and satisfactory teaching (or, if appropriate, research) evaluations.