The program descriptions and requirements outlined below are for informational purposes
only. Please consult the most recent catalog for the current official documentation.
If you have any further questions regarding the department or any of the information
below, email the physics department here: physics@nmt.edu
Master of Science Program
The Master of Science degree in Physics may be earned with thesis or independent study:
With Thesis: The student’s course of study and thesis topic must be approved by the student’s advisory
committee. A thesis consists of directed research, and a write-up of the research.
An oral defense of the thesis is required. The thesis is an archival document published
electronically and kept in the NMT Library.
Without Thesis: The student’s course of study must be approved by the student’s advisory committee.
The student’s committee may require additional coursework beyond that listed below.
A student who elects to not write a thesis may or may not participate in research,
but they typically write a paper on a topic selected with guidance by the advisory
committee. Unlike a thesis, this paper is not archived electronically by the NMT Library.
General Requirements
In addition to the general master’s degree requirements, all students enrolled in
the Master of Science degree in Physics must satisfy the following course requirements:
All students must complete PHYS 501 (2) and 502 (2) in their first two semesters.
PHYS 509 (3)
PHYS 505 (3) or 521 (3)
PHYS 579 (1),
Graduate-Faculty seminar must be taken for the first four semesters. 6 credit hours
chosen from PHYS 508 (3), PHYS 510 (3), PHYS 518 (3)
Master of Science in Physics with Concentration in Instrumentation
In addition to the general master’s degree requirements, all students enrolled in
the Master of Science degree in Physics must satisfy the following course requirements:
All students must complete PHYS 501 (2) and 502 (2) in their first two semesters.
PHYS 509 (3)
PHYS 505 (3) or 521 (3)
PHYS 579 (1),
Graduate-Faculty seminar must be taken for the first four semesters. 6 credit hours
chosen from PHYS 508 (3), PHYS 510 (3), PHYS 518 (3)
In addition, the student must take an additional 9 credit hours to be approved by
their committee. Potential topics include advanced undergraduate or graduate courses
in digital or analog electronics, control theory, optics, optical engineering, spectroscopy,
NMR, laser physics, shop techniques, Materials (metals, ceramics, polymers), explosives,
mechanical design, robotics, vacuum and cryogenic techniques. Students are reminded
that it is possible to pursue a limited number of credits at other approved higher
education institutions, and so this course work might also be pursued as part of an
internship. PHYS 579 (1), Graduate-Faculty seminar, must be taken for the first four
semesters.
Accelerated B.S./M.S. in Physics
A candidate for the program should apply for admission no later than the end of his/her
5th regular semester of study through the regular graduate admissions process. The
student must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, and also specifically an average
minimum GPA of 3.0 in all physics and mathematics courses to be eligible to apply
for the program. Meeting the GPA criterion does not automatically guarantee admission
to the program. Upon successful admission, during the student’s 7th semester, the
candidate should select an advisory committee and research topic for the M.S. Students
may apply Phys 509 (3 cr) to both the B.S. and M.S. degrees, however, all other courses
must be counted toward either the B.S. or the M.S. exclusively. Phys 579 (1 cr) should
be taken during semesters 7 through 10 (see sample curriculum online on the Department
web pages). For the M.S. portion of the degree, the 6 credit-hours of required electives
must be non-Physics courses at the 300-level or above and not explicitly counted toward
the B.S. degree. The curriculum of study must be approved by the candidate’s committee,
ideally in the 7th or 8th semester. The candidate M.S. student may take the department’s
preliminary examination as soon as the 8th semester of study and must pass the examination
at the M.S. level by the beginning of the 10th semester to remain in the program.
A student may pursue either a M.S. with Thesis (6 cr) or a M.S. with Independent Study
(3 cr), normally taken during the 9th and/or 10th regular semesters of study. The
student is strongly encouraged to pursue research or take courses to apply toward
the M.S. during the summer between the 8th and 9th semesters.
Doctor of Philosophy Programs
PhD in Physics - General Requirements
In addition to the general doctoral degree requirements, the following course requirements
apply to all curricula:
All students must complete PHYS 501 (2) and 502 (2) in their first two semesters.
PHYS 505 (3), 508 (3), 509 (3), 510 (3), 518 (3), and 521 (3). While the listed courses
are the simplest route to achieving this credit, a student may petition their committee
and the department chair either with proposed substitute course work or other prior
experience that demonstrates equivalent competence in any of these areas. Further,
New Mexico Tech students who took one of the listed courses as part of a prior degree
program at Tech and passed it with a grade of B- or higher are not required to retake
the course.
PhD in Physics with Dissertation in Astrophysics
In addition to the degree requirements specified above, students completing their
dissertation in astrophysics must also complete:
6 credit hours chosen from PHYS 426 (3), 564 (3), 565 (3), 566 (3). PHYS 426 must
be completed unless the student has had equivalent material in previous courses.
PhD in Physics with Dissertation in Atmospheric Physics
In addition to the degree requirements specified above, students completing their
dissertation in atmospheric physics must also complete:
PHYS 427 (3), 428 (3)
An additional 6 credit hours must be taken in areas pertinent to the student’s program.
This can be achieved by taking PHYS 527 (3), 532 (3), 533 (3), 535 (3), 536 (3), and/or
other courses approved by the student’s advisory committee.
PhD in Physics with Concentration in Instrumentation
The concentration in instrumentation teaches graduate physics with an additional focus
on laboratory work and practical applications of physics concepts and technologies.
The program aims to produce an experimental physicist with broad skills and background
in one or more areas of scientific instrumentation. A graduate of this program should
be able to create their own custom instrumentation for the study of new areas. The
skills of such a graduate are explicitly transferable to industrial design and employment
in national labs. In addition to the degree requirements specified above, students
completing their Doctor of Philosophy in Physics with concentration in instrumentation
must also complete:
Instrumentation Core: Physics 301, 536L, 545 and 580.
Specialized Math Requirement: Of the required 9- credit hours in advanced mathematics,
3 credit hours should be from either Math 587 OR Math 519 OR Math 588.
Instrumentation Breadth Requirement: 9 additional units (assumed to be 3 courses), at least 6 of which are in an Engineering
or Science area outside the Physics department for courses rated 300-level or above.
Courses may be taken at another institution in consultation with the student's committee
as appropriate to the area of study. Additional courses in the Physics department
may include graduate level disciplinary courses beyond the Physics core.
PhD in Physics with Dissertation in Mathematical Physics
In addition to the degree requirements specified above, students completing their
dissertation in mathematical physics must also complete:
MATH 435 (3), 438 (3), 442 (3), 471 (3), 535 (3). These may be used to satisfy the
9 credit hours in mathematics required for all curricula.
An additional 6 credits in mathematics and 6 credits in physics, approved by the student’s
advisory committee.
Preliminary Examination
All graduate candidates must pass a preliminary examination, within a timeline dependent
upon their undergraduate preparation and the degree being sought.
The main purpose of the candidacy examination is to evaluate the student's ability
to complete dissertation research. The process of petitioning to PhD candidacy, and
the logistics of the candidacy examination are described below.