Physics, MA
Master's Candidacy
To earn a master’s degree at Washington University, a student must complete all courses required by their department; maintain satisfactory academic progress; fulfill all academic and residence requirements; and apply to graduate via Workday Student. For the details of master’s degree general requirements in Arts & Sciences, including an explanation of Satisfactory Academic Progress, students should review the Master’s Degree Academic Information page of the Arts & Sciences Bulletin.
Program Requirements
- Total Units Required: 36
- Degree Length: Two years
- Students are required to obtain 36 credits including 4 core courses (12 credits) and 8 elective courses (24 credits).
- Note: Students must be enrolled in 9 graduate credits each semester to retain full-time status. As students complete their coursework, if enrolled in fewer than 9 graduate credits, they must enroll in a specific Arts & Sciences graduate course that will show 0 units but does count as full-time status. Students should connect with their department to ensure proper enrollment prior to Add/Drop.
- Grade Requirement: A master's student must maintain an average of a B (a grade-point average of 3.0), with no more than one grade lower than B-.
Master of Arts in Physics
36-Unit Academic Credit Course Requirement
Courses that count toward academic credit are as follows:
- Any regular 5000-level lecture courses in the physics department, including PHYSICS 5820 Research Seminar.
- Courses outside of the physics department, if approved by the master’s program director
- Selected Topics courses, for which students should register: PHYSICS 5890 Selected Topics in Physics I / PHYSICS 5900 Selected Topics in Physics II.
- Supervised research, for which students should register: PHYSICS 5930 Introduction to Methods in Physics / PHYSICS 5940 Introductory Methods in Physics (Supervised research may be used for a maximum of 6 units of academic credit.)
Core Course Requirements
For qualification, students must pass four core 5000-level physics courses. The core courses must be passed with a minimum average grade of B-. Core courses may be taken only once. If more than four core courses are taken, the GPA will be determined from the best four course grades.
Students must take the following three courses:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHYSICS 5050 | Classical Electrodynamics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 5230 | Quantum Mechanics I | 3 |
| PHYSICS 5290 | Statistical Mechanics | 3 |
| Total Units | 9 | |
They must also take at least one of the following:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHYSICS 5010 | Theoretical Physics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 5020 | Methods of Theoretical Physics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 5060 | Classical Electrodynamics II | 3 |
| PHYSICS 5070 | Classical Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 5090 | Nonlinear Dynamics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 5240 | Quantum Mechanics | 3 |
Master's Degree Along the Way to a PhD
- Complete 36 units of academic credit as required to earn a PhD and maintain an average grade of at least a B (3.0 GPA).
- Pass the PhD qualification procedure.
Contact Info
| Website: | http://physics.wustl.edu/graduate |