Graduate School Bulletin

General Description of the Graduate Program

The Department of Physics and Astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences offers courses of study and research that normally lead to the Ph.D. degree. The M.A degree is awarded either as a terminal degree, or to students on the way to the Ph.D. degree. The Master of Science in Scientific Instrumentation (MSI) program is provided for those interested in instrumentation for physical research. The Master of Science in Quantum Information Science and Technology (MSQIST) prepares students to work in this rapidly growing area. A Master of Arts in Teaching program, from the School of Professional Development, is available for students seeking to teach physics in high schools.  An Advanced Graduate Certificate in Accelerator Science is offered, which can be taken concurrently with a PhD or Masters degree.

Students may find opportunities in various areas of physics not found in the department or in related disciplines at Stony Brook in such programs as Medical Physics, Chemical Physics, Atmospheric and Climate Modeling, Materials Science and at Brookhaven National Laboratory or Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

The entire faculty participates in teaching a rich curriculum of undergraduate, graduate, and professional development courses, including many courses on special topics of current interest. PhD and MSI students must fulfill one year of teaching. PhD students are encouraged to participate in research as early as possible and to begin their thesis research no later than the beginning of their third year. The typical length of time to the Ph.D. is four to six years. The Master's in Scientific Instrumentation is a two-year program that involves a thesis project in instrumentation design or development. The minimum time to earn the M.A. or MSQIST degrees is two semesters and one Summer, but will more usually take two years.

The Stony Brook Physics graduate program has been highly ranked in national surveys for the quality of its graduate program, its faculty, and the impact of its published research. It strives to make a graduate education in physics intellectually stimulating and educationally rewarding.

Degrees

Doctoral Program in Physics

This is the generic Ph.D. degree which may specialize in any area of Physics research. This course of study is pursued by most students in the Ph.D. program. See below for a description of the degree requirements.

Doctoral Program with Concentration in Astronomy

The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers a Ph.D. degree with concentration in astronomy when the thesis work is carried out in the area of astronomy or astrophysics. Some of the requirement for the Ph.D. degree are substituted by astronomy courses.

Doctoral Program with Concentration in Physical Biology

This is an interdisciplinary concentration connected with the Laufer Center for Quantitative Biology. Students usually declare their interest in this concentration not later than the end of the first semester. Postponing this decision will result in a loss of time. There are several differences with the default physics concentration. The number of core courses is reduced by one course while several physical biology courses are required. Instead of the graduate lab students do rotations with faculty associated with the Laufer Center. Also the Graduate Seminar is substituted by the Laufer Center Journal Club.

Doctoral Programs with Concentration in Chemical Physics

The basic degree requirements for a student enrolled in this program are the same as those for other students in physics. Students will usually be advised to take one or more courses in chemical physics. The written part of the preliminary (comprehensive) examination is the same as for other physics students; the oral part will ordinarily be on topics in chemical physics. The student’s research advisor may be chosen from faculty working in chemical physics.

Master of Science Program with Concentration in Instrumentation

This is a two year Master of Science Program in which students focus on the study of modern research instrumentation.

Master of Arts Degree in Physics

This program which can be completed in three or four semesters prepares you either of admission to a Ph.D. program or for a physics related job in a national lab or in the private sector.

Master of Science in Quantum Information Science and Technology

This degree prepares students to work in the rapidly growing area of Quantum Information Science and Technology. The degree features several customized courses in QIST and also allows students to take a number of  relevant courses that are already offered in Physics and other departments across our campus. It also features a research component that may be satisfied through research on-campus or at Brookhaven National Laboratory, or through a internship with an industrial partner.

Advanced Graduate Certificate in Accelerator Science

The goal of this program is to educate the next generation of accelerator scientists and engineers to maintain US’s leadership in this important area of science and industry.