Graduate

Introduction: The goal of the M.S. program in Physics is to provide innovative, high quality education and training opportunities for students interested in continuing their education beyond the undergraduate level.  The program aims to provide students with strong academic and research foundations in order to prepare them for further study at the doctoral level in Physics or related fields, for scientific careers in industry, or for teaching at secondary and post-secondary institutions. The small size of the graduate program keeps class sizes low and allows faculty to work closely with students in the classroom and the laboratory.  The Department of Physics maintains an active research program, hosting major research centers with long term support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).  The wide range of research activities supported by these two research centers, along with individual faculty research grants, provides opportunities for students to work on research currently at the frontiers of physics. 

Research Areas: The Department of Physics offers research opportunities with specializations in:

• Nuclear Physics
  • Low energy experimental nuclear physics
  • Intermediate energy experimental nuclear physics
  • Theoretical high energy nuclear physics
  • Few - body nuclear theory
• Condensed Matter Physics
  • Theoretical study of carbon nanostructures
  • Calculation of the optoelectronic properties of semiconductor nanostructures
  • Formation and characterization of semiconductor and metal nanostructures
  • Characterization of materials with GHz and THz radiation
  • Development of optoelectronic devices based on nanoscale materials
• Experimental Neutrino Physics

A student may select one of the areas of specialization for research towards fulfillment of the requirement of a thesis or non-thesis research project.   Regional collaborative projects include:

• Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Duke University (experimental nuclear physics)
• Free Electron LaserLaboratory, Duke University (experimental condensed matter physics)
• Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Virginia (experimental nuclear physics)

Active national and international collaborations also exist between department faculty and scientists at Cornell University, Oak Ridge National Laborator, NASA Glenn Research Center, NASA Ames Research Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and academic institutions in Japan, Korea, Russia, Croatia and Western Europe.

Teaching & Research Facilities: There are many laboratories that are available for research and teaching, including:

• Nanomaterial Characterization Laboratory - Field emission environmental scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope
• Ultrafast Laser Spectroscopy Laboratory - Regeneratively amplified Ti:Al2O3 laser system, optical spectroscopy equipment
• Electrical Characterization Laboratory - Hall effect system, Deep level transient spectroscopy system
• Nculear Spectroscopy Laboratory - Gamma ray detector
• Electronics Data Acquisition and Signal Processing Laboratory
• Giganhertz to Terahertz Laboratory
• Laboratories and office space at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility
• Collaborative laboratory at the Duke Free Electron Laser Laboratory (DFELL)
• Laboratories and office space at the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL) located on the campus of Duke University

Graduate Student Support & Fellowships: The department offers fellowship support (tuition and monthly stipend) for all graduate students in the MS degree program. 

Admission Requirements: A minimum of 30 credit hours in Physics at the undergraduate level, with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the Physics courses, is required for unconditional admission to the M.S. program. Offers of conditional admission may require correction of physics topic deficiencies by taking undergraduate courses in the core topics (see below) at NCCU. Undergraduate physics course deficiencies need to be removed, usually within one semester, prior to admission to candidacy status. 

Academic Requirements for the M.S. Degree: A minimum of 30 credit hours, including 6 research credit hours, are needed to satisfy the requirements of the M.S. program in Physics. Five core graduate courses (15 credit hours -  Classical Mechanics, Electromagnetic Theory, Quantum Mechanics, Statistical Mechanics and Mathematical Methods of Physics) are required. The remaining 9 credits may be chosen from elective graduate courses, or from course offerings in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics & Computer Science, that have been approved by the Physics Department. Students planning to continue their studies for a Ph.D degree are strongly advised to complete additional credit hours to increase their competetiveness for graduate school admission and job placement.  

Additional Information: 

Dr. Benjamin Crowe
Interim Chair
Department of Physics
1801 Fayetteville Street
Room 1202 Mary Townes Science Complex Building
Phone: 919-530-6217
Fax: 919-530-7472
E-mail: bcrowe@nccu.edu