Program Overview

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Introduction to the M.S. in Applied Physics Program

The Master of Science in Applied Physics promotes workforce development in Connecticut by providing an educational pathway for individuals seeking applied research and management positions in the state's high-tech industries, while providing a source of trained professionals for technology employers.

Program Tracks

The M.S. program in applied physics has two tracks:

• Materials science
  anotechnology
• Optics/optical instrumentation

These tracks are intended to develop the state's workforce in the established optics industry, as well as in the emerging nanotechnology sector.

Program Development

The M.S. in Applied Physics program was initially developed in consultation with an industrial advisory committee that will continue to guide the program as it matures. Companies represented on the Advisory Board include:

• Smiths Detection
• Phonon Corp.
• Nights Inc.
• Sikorsky
• Zygo Corp.

Research Collaborations

The Department of Physics at SCSU has a good working relationship with the state's businesses and several externally-funded research projects on campus, including a major collaboration with Yale University funded by the National Science Foundation. Yale and SCSU jointly run a Center of Excellence for Materials Research and Innovation, also known as a Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC). Professor Christine Broadbridge is the leader of these activities at SCSU.

Graduate Program Coordinator

Professor Binlin Wu is the Graduate Program Coordinator for the Applied Physics program.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the standard SCSU graduate application form, all applicants must provide:

• A one-page statement of purpose
• Two recommendation letters Scores from the general aptitude test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are recommended but not required. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the program, a subject test of the GRE is not required.

Candidate Expectations

Candidates seeking admission are expected to have a Baccalaureate degree in physics, engineering, or another related field. A GPA of 3.0 (out of 4.0) is required. Students who do not have a degree in physics or engineering will be considered for conditional admission. Conditional admission will require the student to take the appropriate background courses prior to starting the normal course sequence in applied physics. Upon completion of the additional courses with a final grade of a B or better, the admission shall be changed to full admission.

International Student Requirements

International students seeking to be admitted must submit a TOEFL score of 550 or higher if English is not their first language, unless they have received a degree from a U.S. institution. A telephone interview with the Graduate Program Coordinator or Chairperson of the Physics Department may be used in place of a TOEFL score in cases where the TOEFL score is not available.

Application Review Process

The Graduate Program Coordinator shall review all applications to the program and make a recommendation to the Graduate Committee concerning the admission or rejection of the student. The Graduate Committee shall vote on each application, and the student's admission status shall be determined by a majority vote.

M.S. Thesis and Project Archive

Examples of past theses and projects include:

• Master's Theses, 2016
  • János Löbb, May 2016, Speckle Image Enhancement Using Recorded Shack-Hartmann Wavefront Sensor Data
  • Justin Rupert, Dec 2016, Observational Techniques with a Wireless Stellar Intensity Interferometer
• Graduate Special Projects, 2016
  • Kevin Dahlberg, May 2016, Meat Spoilage Analysis of Native Fluorophore Levels in Grocery Store Meat Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy
  • Ryan LaRue, Dec 2016, Performance of an 8-Channel Timing Correlator for Photon Counting