Physics, Computational Physics Option, M.S.

The Option in Computational Physics provides a master’s degree program that emphasizes the use of computers to solve problems in physics. It is primarily intended for students who engage in theoretical and applied physics and aims at developing their problem-solving skills with a computer. The option is for graduate students who enter PhD programs in all fields of physics or the workforce in the sciences and engineering.

Admission Requirements

A bachelor’s degree with a major in physics; or
A bachelor’s degree with at least 24 units of upper division physics. Students deficient in undergraduate preparation must take courses to remove these deficiencies without credit toward the degree at the discretion of the graduate advisor.

Course Requirements

Take all of the following:

PHYS 510 - Graduate Mechanics (3 units)
PHYS 522 - Statistical Physics (3 units)
PHYS 540A - Graduate Electrodynamics (3 units)
PHYS 550A - Quantum Mechanics I (3 units)
PHYS 550B - Quantum Mechanics II (3 units)
PHYS 560A - Mathematical Methods of Physics (3 units)
PHYS 562 - Advanced Computational Methods in Physics (3 units) or PHYS 590 - Selected Topics in Physics (3 units)
PHYS 697C - Directed Research in Computational Physics (1 - 3 units)
PHYS 595 - Colloquium (1 unit)

Take one of the following:

Take 6 units of the following:

PHYS 698 - Thesis (1-6 units)
A written thesis in computational physics approved by the student’s thesis committee consisting of a thesis chair (a Physics & Astronomy faculty member) and at least two more members, one of which must be a member of the Department.

An oral defense of the thesis research.

(Students must be advanced to candidacy before enrolling in PHYS 698)

Culminating Activity

The required culminating experience is a research-based thesis in computational physics. The research is performed in one of the theoretical computational physics groups of the department led by tenure and tenure track faculty members; about half of the faculty in the department have an expertise in computational physics. Students engage in a research project that aims at solving a physics problem and mainly uses the computer as a tool to achieve this goal. The completed research work culminates in the writing of a thesis that is followed by a public oral defense.