Graduate Programs
Financial aid is available for students pursuing a doctorate. Fellowships, scholarships, teaching assistantships, and graduate research assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis.The Aptitude Test of the Graduate Record Examination is required of candidatesfor admission to the department and for financial aid; the Advanced Tests are recommended.
M.S. Program in Applied Physics
The program of study leading to the degree of Master of Science, while emphasizing continued work in basic physics, permits many options in several applied physics specialties. The program may be considered simply as additional education in areas beyond the bachelor’s level, or as preparatory to doctoral studies in the applied physics fields of plasma physics, laser physics, solid-state physics, and applied mathematics. Specific course requirements for the master’s degree are determined in consultation with the program adviser.
M.S. Program in Applied Physics / Concentration in applied mathematics
This 30-point program leads to a professional M.S. degree. Students must complete five core courses and five electives. The core courses provide a student with a foundation in the fundamentals of applied mathematics and contribute 15 points of graduate credit toward the degree. Students must complete five of the following seven courses:
APMA E4001: Principles of applied mathematics
APMA E4001: Introduction to nonlinear dynamical systems
APMA E4150: Applied functional analysis
APMA E4200: Partial differential equations
APMA E4204: Functions of a complex variable
APMA E4300: Introduction to numerical methods
APMA E6301: Analytic methods for partial differential equations
APMA E6302: Numerical methods for partial differential equations
A student must select five elective courses from those listed below (or any of those not used to satisfy the core requirements from the list above) for a total of 15 points of graduate credit. Additional courses not listed below can be applied toward the elective requirements, subject to the approval of the faculty adviser. Computer science elective courses include:
CS0R W4231: Analysis of algorithms
C0MS W4236: Introduction to computational complexity
C0MS W4241: Numerical algorithms and complexity
C0MS W4252: Computational learning theory
Industrial engineering/operations research elective courses include:
IEOR E4003: Industrial economics
IEOR E4004: Introduction to operations research: deterministic models
IEOR E4007: Optimization: models and methods
IEOR E4106: Introduction to operations research: stochastic models
SIE0 W4150: Introduction to probability and statistics
IEOR E4403: Advanced engineering and corporate economics
IEOR E4407: Game theoretic models of operations
SIE0 W4606: Elementary stochastic processes,
IEOR E4700: Introduction to financial engineering
Other elective courses include:
MECE E4100: Mechanics of fluids
MSAE E4215: Mechanical behavior of structural materials
EEME E6601: Introduction to control theory
M.S. Program in Medical Physics
This 35-point program in medical physics leads to the M.S. degree. It is administered by faculty from the School of Engineering and Applied Science in collaboration with faculty from the College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Mailman School of Public Health. It provides preparation toward certification by the American Board of Radiology. The program consists of a core curriculum of medical physics courses, anatomy, lab, seminar, and two practicums. A passing grade on a comprehensive examination is required for graduation. This examination, on subjects covered in the curriculum, is taken at the end of the program of study. Specific course requirements are APPH E4010, E4710/11, E4500, E4550, E4600, and APBM E4650, and, in the Mailman School of Public Health, EHSC P6330, P9319, P9330, and P9335. Some opportunities for specialization exist.
Certificate of Professional Achievement in Medical Physics
A graduate program of instruction leading to the Certificate of Professional Achievement and requiring satisfactory completion of at least four of the following courses:
APPH E4500: Health physics
APPH E4600: Dosimetry
EHSC P6330: Radiation science
EHSC P9319: Clinical nuclear medicine physics
EHSC P9330: Diagnostic radiological physics
EHSC P9335: Radiation therapy physics
APBM E4650: Anatomy for physicists and engineers
This is a two-semester nondegree program. Students are admitted to the department as special certificate-track students.
Ph.D. and Eng.Sc.D. Programs
After completing the M.S. program in applied physics, doctoral students spcialize in one applied physics field. Some programs have specific course requirements for the doctorate; elective courses are determined in consultation with the program adviser. Successful completion of an approved 30-point program of study is required in addition to successful completion of a written qualifying examination taken after two semesters of graduate study. An oral examination, taken within one year after the written qualifying examination, and a thesis proposal examination, taken within two years after the written qualifying examination, are required of all doctoral candidates.
M.S., Eng.Sc.D., and Ph.D. Programs in Materials Science and Engineering
See here.
Applied Mathematics
This academic program, for students registered in the Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, emphasizes applied mathematics research in nonlinear dynamics, fluid mechanics, and scientific computation with a current emphasis on geophysical, biophysical, and plasma physics applications.
Applied mathematics deals with the use of mathematical concepts and techniques in various fields of science and engineering. Historically, mathematics was first applied with great success in astronomy and mechanics. Then it developed into a main tool of physics, other physical sciences, and engineering. It is now important in the biological, geological, and social sciences. With the coming of age of the computer, applied mathematics has transcended its traditional style and now assumes an even greater importance and a new vitality.
Compared with the pure mathematician, the applied mathematician is more interested in problems coming from other fields. Compared with the engineer and the physical scientist, he or she is more concerned with the formulation of problems and the nature of solutions. Compared with the computer scientist, he or she is more concerned with the accuracy of approximations and the interpretation of results. Needless to say, even in this age of specialization, the work of mathematicians, scientists, and engineers frequently overlaps. Applied mathematics, by its very nature, has occupied a central position in this interplay and has remained a field of fascination and excitement for active minds.