Graduate Studies

Program Description

Many students enroll in the M.S. program in physics in order to test their ability to do doctoral work in the field. In this respect, the course work and research experiences that are offered at Bowling Green provide an excellent opportunity to do this. Any student wishing to pursue a doctoral degree upon receiving the Master of Science degree here is strongly advised to enroll in the Plan I (thesis) option. It has been the experience of many M.S. graduates of this program that the experience gained in completing the thesis research is invaluable in their future doctoral program.

Graduate Degrees Offered

The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers programs leading to the degrees of Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Science and a cooperative Ph.D. in collaboration with the University of Toledo. The curriculum of the programs emphasizes applications as well as a solid foundation for pre-doctoral training. Course work focuses on developing skills in several areas of emphasis: astrophysics, computational physics, theoretical physics, solid state physics and materials science. All graduate students are involved in research as part of the degree program.

The Master of Arts in Teaching degree program is designed to prepare students for a physics teaching career or to provide enrichment for practicing teachers.

The cooperative Ph.D. program enables qualifying students to take courses at BGSU and the University of Toledo and to earn their Ph.D. from UT under the direction of either BGSU or UT faculty in physics or astronomy.

Prerequisites to Graduate Work

Applicants should have the equivalent of a bachelor's degree with a major in physics, or a minor in physics and a major in a cognate field from an accredited institution. Applicants should also have taken a minimum of one year of undergraduate chemistry. Applicants with prerequisite deficiencies may be required to take undergraduate course work or satisfactorily complete an examination as a condition of admission.

Master of Arts in Teaching applicants must have at least one year's teaching experience and hold a valid teaching certificate from the state in which they are teaching.

Cooperative Ph.D. Program

For students wishing to obtain a Ph.D. in Physics, the cooperative program with the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Toledo is an option. Graduate students at BGSU complete requirements of the Master of Science at BGSU and then take the Ph.D. qualifying exam offered by the University of Toledo. After successfully passing that examination, the student is admitted to the University of Toledo's program and can take courses at the University of Toledo and at BGSU. After being admitted to candidacy, students may engage in dissertation research with BGSU, UT, or faculty from both BGSU and UT.

Admission Procedure

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