BS/MS in Physics

The accelerated BS/MS program in Physics enables well-qualified undergraduate students in Physics to complete both the Bachelor of Science and the Master of Science degrees in five years. Students take up to three graduate-level (500+) physics courses during their senior year (9 credits) to be double-counted toward their MS degree requirements and can also have up to two 400-level courses (6 credits) not used for the BS degree counted toward the MS degree.

BS/MS Advantages

The accelerated, combined BS/MS program in physics is designed for highly motivated and qualified undergraduate students who wish to pursue an advanced degree. The accelerated BS/MS program offers:

Greater flexibility to schedule courses to complete the prerequisites for advanced study,
A seamless transition to the Master’s Degree,
The opportunity to complete the requirements for the MS degree within a year of completing the BS, and
The ability to improve the efficiency and lower the cost of your college studies and experiences.

Admission Requirements

Interested Physics undergraduate students (including transfer students) should indicate their intension to pursue the BS/MS program in the Fall semester of their junior year. They will be considered for eligibility during the following Spring semester if they:

• Have completed at least 75 credit-hours of coursework toward the Physics BS degree.
• Have a GPA of at least 3.0 in all physics courses completed to date.

Those students interested in the BS/MS program should consult the Physics Graduate Program Director about their eligibility.

Application Process

Students apply for admission to the BS/MS program through the Office of Graduate Studies by submitting an application at http://www.umassd.edu/graduate/graduateapplication/, but without GRE or TOEFL scores or letters of recommendation. Applications are reviewed by the Physics Graduate Committee and will follow the following schedule during students’ junior year:

•   Graduate Committee identifies qualified students: February
•   Graduate Committee informs qualified students: March
•   Students/advisors develop MS program of study: March/April
•   Graduate School application filing deadline: May 1.

Presently, application fees are waived if the student meets eligibility requirements.

Degree Requirements

The requirements for the BS-PHY degree and MS-PHY degree stay the same as for students pursuing the degrees separately. All BS/MS students must complete a total of 30 credit hours as described in the MS program. BS/MS students may elect any option supported by the MS degree, including thesis, project, or examination. The BS degree must be awarded before the student can be considered a graduate student. Students can double count up to nine (9) credit hours (three 500‐level or higher graduate courses) from the list of PHY graduate courses. Upon fulfillment of all BS degree requirements, students’ status changes from undergraduate to graduate level, at which time they may be considered for graduate assistantships.

Note a grade of ‘B’ or better (not B minus) is required in any graduate course to be double counted toward both degrees and that only 400-level courses in which the student receives a grade of B or better may be accepted towards graduate degree requirements.

The department monitors BS/MS students’ performance and progression towards their BS and then MS degrees. Any BS/MS student dismissed from the MS level for inadequate academic performance will be transferred back to the BS level program.