Information for Graduate Students

• Why study physics at SDSU?

We offer the following physics-based Graduate degrees:

• Master of Science degree in physics,
• Master of Arts degree in physics (non-thesis),
• Master of Science degree in radiological health physics.

We also offer graduate degrees with coursework and research specialisation in physics:

• Master of Science degree in computational science,
• Master of Science degree in bioinformatics and medical informatics,
• Doctor of Philosophy degree in mathematics and science education,
• Doctor of Philosophy degree in computational science.

The official SDSU Graduate Bulletin covers Admission, Fees, Financial aid, Scholarships, Courses and Graduation information:

1. You can order a copy,
2. View the Graduate Bulletin online,
3. View the 2009/2010 Physics Graduate Courses section.

• View the latest Academic Calender
• Graduate teaching assistantships in physics are available to a limited number of qualified students. There are occasionally research assistantships available. See here for more info.
• There are a wide-range of Scholarships available for physics students.
• See below for the Physics Graduate Application FAQ

For any further information, please contact the Graduate Advisor:

Prof. Fridolin Weber gradadv@physics.sdsu.edu +1 (619) 594-0239

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FAQ for Graduate Students

1. How do I apply to the Department of Physics Graduate Program?
   You must apply online through the CSU mentor system. You will be required to pay a $55 application fee. You will also have to send transcripts, GRE scores, and, if international, TOEFL scores (you will be given this information during the application process). You will also be asked to submit a personal essay. All of these will go to the Graduate Division, not to the Physics Department.
   Have 2 or 3 letters of recommendation sent directly to the Department of Physics: Graduate Advisor, Dept of Physics, SDSU, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego CA 92182-1233 or by email to the Graduate Advisor.
   General SDSU FAQs are answered at admissions.
2. What are the requirements? First, you must have a 2.85 GPA for your last 60 semester-hours of credit, or the equivalent thereof. You must also submit official GRE scores. We do not have a specific required score on the GRE, although we do take them into consideration, particularly for students with low GPAs and/or a non-physics background. You do not need to take the physics subject GRE.
3. I really want to come to SDSU, but my GPA is lower than 2.85. Can I still be admitted? Yes, it is possible, if you have some other factors to balance your low GPA, such as outstanding GRE scores or outstanding letters of recommendation. Please keep in mind that University rules allow us to admit no more than 10% of our incoming students to have less than a 2.85 GPA, so even if we want you, the University may not admit you.
4. What are the requirements for a student from outside the U.S.? The requirements are the same as for U.S. students. If your undergraduate institution uses a different grading system from the U.S., the Graduate Division will convert your transcript to the U.S. system. In this case your undergraduate institution must have either a web page or an official document that states the equivalence between your grades and U.S. grades.
5. Do I have to take the TOEFL? If you have a degree from a University in the U.S., or a University whose primary language of instruction is English, you do not need to take the TOEFL.
6. What TOEFL score is required? XXXX.
7. When is the deadline to apply? The deadline for Fall semester is August 1st (for physics; other departments have other deadlines) You must have all materials to the graduate division before this date, so do not delay. The deadline for Spring semester is XXX.
8. I missed the deadline but really really want to start this semester anyway. Can you make an exception for me? Sorry, August 1st is the latest deadline the University allows.
9. Can I apply mid-year? Yes. The deadline is XXX.
10. I was accepted but could not start in September. Can I show up a semester late? Sorry, the University requires you to reapply (see above for how to apply), including sending another application fee. You do not need to resubmit your transcripts, GRE scores, personal statement, or letters of recommendation, as long as they are still up-to-date. If you have been accepted once, there is no real reason why you wouldn't be accepted again.
11. I don't have an undergraduate degree in physics. Can I still be accepted into your program? Our graduate courses assume you have the background of a student with a bachelor's degree in physics. Without such a background, you will fail the required courses and everyone will be unhappy. Students with a closely related background, such as physical chemistry or astronomy, can be accepted but will need to take some upper-division undergraduate physics courses to make sure you have the requisite background. Students who have only taken lower-division physics will have to take the entire suite of upper division courses; you also will need to take the necessary math courses. In short, nothing is impossible, but if you don't have the equivalent of a bachelor's degree in physics it may take a long time.
12. How do I apply for a teaching assistantship? Click here.
13. How do I apply for the Radiological Health Physics/Medical Physics program? At this time we are restaffing the medical physics program. Students can apply for the physics M.S. degree and do their research in radiological/medical physics. Past students who have done this have been as successful in getting employment as those with RHP degrees. (The main difference is there are a few courses required by RHP that we do not currently have sufficient staff to teach. We are in the process of hiring more professors and plan to offer these courses in the future.)
14. Do I need a physics background for Radiological Health Physics/Medical Physics? Yes. The radiological/medical physics program is primarily a physics program. If you do not have a sufficient physics background, you will not pass the required courses. At this time we recommend students apply for the physics M.S. degree and do their research in radiological/medical physics.

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Graduate program courses

15. What classes do I need to take? The master's degree requires 30 units, 12 Units of core courses from the physics department:
    604A: E & M (3 units)
    606: Statistical Mechanics (3 units)
    608: Classical Mechanics (3 units)
    610A: Quantum mechanics (3 units)
    You must also take 12 units of electives. These must be 500, 600, or 700 level courses. They may either be from the Physics department or, with the permission of the graduate advisor, from a closely allied discipline. (In most cases, where the relation to your study is obvious, this is not a problem. Most courses in math, astronomy, chemistry, and many in engineering, are acceptable.)
    Finally, you must take 3 units of research (physics 797) and 3 units of thesis (799A). (You may take up to 3 additional units of 797 as elective).
    For the Masters of Arts (MA) you take a comprehensive exam rather than write a thesis. You must take 18 units of elective (which may include up to 6 units of 797, but 797 is not required). Contact the graduate advisor for details.
16. How many units should I take this semester? XXXX
17. I took some graduate courses at another university. Can I transfer the units? How do I do this? You can, at least in principle, transfer up to 9 semester-hours of credit, but no more. This is at the discretion of the graduate advisor. This will be credited at the time of submitting the Plan of Study (see below).
18. Can I take courses in other departments? Courses numbered 500, 600, or 700 can, with the approval of the graduate advisor, be used towards electives. Generally courses in closely related departments such as math, chemistry, or astronomy, are readily acceptable. Please check with the graduate advisor before taking such a course.
19. Can I substitute some other courses for one of the core courses? If you have taken a very similar graduate course at another university (within the 7 year limit) for at least 3 semester-hours of credit, and if you have the approval of the graduate advisor, it can be used as a transfer credit (up to 9 semester-hours total). Otherwise, no.
20. My GPA is X.X. Am I in trouble? The University has rather complicated rules on your GPA.
21. I think I signed up for too many classes this semester. How do I drop a class after the deadline? You can't. The absolute deadline for dropping classes is three weeks into the semester. Beyond that date it is nearly impossible to drop or withdraw from a class, or change it to an audit, or change to Credit/No Credit. Sorry, these are the University rules. As far as I know, the only way to be allowed to withdraw retroactively is due to either a medical condition, for which you will need documentation from your physician, or an unanticipated change in your work situation, for which you will also need documentation from your employer. Maybe a death in your immediate family as well. The Department has very little power in these situations; you must go to the Graduate Division for a petition, and keep in mind most such petitions get turned down.

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Finishing up

22. How long should it take to do a thesis? In principle, you can do it in two semesters. In practice, however, we find it often takes three semesters: one semester to learn the ropes of your lab, one semester to do your actual experiments, and one full semester to write your thesis. This assumes you are spending at least 20 hours per week on your research; if you aren't, it will take even longer. Keep in mind that writing up your thesis also always takes longer than you expect.
23. Where can i get a copy of the Dissertation and Thesis Manual Either from the Aztec Shops, or download the pdf online.
24. I want to graduate in June/December. What do I need to do? What are the deadlines? XXXX
25. My thesis research isn't going anywhere. Do I have other options? You can switch from an MS to an MA (also known as 'Plan B'). The MA requires the same amount of coursework, as well as a long (12 hours) and fiendishly difficult series of exams in the course subjects: Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Electromagnetism, and Quantum Mechanics. See the Graduate Advisor for details.