Under Plan I, a minimum of 24 credit hours of graduate work in physics and mathematics (exclusive of thesis) is required. Under Plan II, 32 credit hours of graduate work in and mathematics are to be taken. Included in this 32 credit hours must be at least 4 credit hours in research problems courses (551, 552, 650).

Plan I - Thesis Option:

• The Preliminary Examination is not required for the thesis option.
• At least 24 semester hours of graduate coursework in physics and mathematics are required, together with at least 6 hours of Master's Thesis (Physics 599).
• Defense of a written thesis serves as a final examination. Announcement of Exam is due a minimum of 2 weeks prior to exam date. See Academic Program Coordinator for further details.

Plan II - Non-Thesis Option:

• Applicants who achieve a score of 800 or higher on the Physics GRE Subject Test are excused from Preliminary Exams. Students already enrolled in the PhD program will not be granted a waiver from one or more sections of the Preliminary Examination based on retaking the GRE subject test and achieving a score above 800. Students who are not required to take the Preliminary Exams due to passing the Physics subject GRE with a score of 800 or higher, must use a graded Problems course (PHYC 552) or graded Research (PHYC 650) as the "project" on the Announcement of Exam/Report of Exam for a Master's degree.
• A non-thesis Master's student must pass 1 section of the Preliminary Examination by the second sitting after entry into the program, must pass 2 sections by the third sitting, and must pass 3 sections by the fourth sitting. The Master's level of passing on each section is a grade of 50%.
• 32 semester hours of graduate coursework in physics and mathematics must be taken. At least 4 of the 32 hours must be in graded problems or research courses (Physics 552 or 650). These requirements also apply to those graduate students in the PhD program who are seeking a "MS 'on the way' to PhD".