Admission Requirements• TheapplicantshouldapplytotheSchoolofGraduateStudiesforadmissiontoanintegrateddegreeprograminPhysics.

• TheapplicantmusthaveacumulativeGPAof3.25orhigherandamajorGPAof3.25orhigher.

• Theapplicantshouldrequestthreelettersofrecommendationfromfaculty.

• Theapplicantshouldsubmitastatementofpurposeandcareergoals.

• OfficialtranscriptswillbeobtainedfromShermanHallbyGraduateOfficestaff.

Degree RequirementsTheIntegratedBaccalaureateandMaster’sdegreeprogram(IBMP)inPhysicsoffersinterestedandseriousstudentsoneofthefollowingtwotracks:

1. Theexperimentaltrackwillfocusondevelopingthestudents’skillsinexperimentaland/orinappliedphysicstoagreaterdegree.Studentswillbetrainedintheuseofstate-of-the-artequipmentinamodernphysicsresearchlabandtheconcomitantskillsinvolvedindatacollection,analysis,andpresentationinameaningfulfashion.

2. Thetheoreticaltrackwillfocusondevelopingagreaterdegreeofskillinmasteringtheoreticalphysics.Studentswillbetaughtthemostadvancedmathematicaltechniquesastheyapplytotheanalysisofphysicalsystems,emphasizingbothanalyticalandnumericalapproaches.

BothtrackswillincludesignificantportionsofresearchworkcarriedoutbystudentsundertheguidanceofPhysicsfacultymentors.Thisworkwillculminateinthecompletionofamaster’sthesisinthelastsemesteroftheprogram.Hence,theIBMPinPhysicswillbe

availableonlythroughthemaster’sthesisoptionplan.Thethesisshoulddemonstratethestudent’smasteryofthebasicareasofphysicsaswellasthecompletionofasignificantresearchproject.

Studentswillberequiredtocomplete120semesterhours(sh)fortheBachelorofScience(BS)degree.Nineofthesehoursmaybetakenas“bridge”courses,whichwillalsocounttowardthe34shrequiredforthemaster’sdegree.Coursestakenforbridgecreditwillrequirestudentstocompleteextraprojectsanddemonstrateahigherlevelofunderstandingofclassmaterials.AstudentmustbeaseniorandacceptedintotheIBMPinPhysicsbeforebridgecoursesmaybetaken.

The Integrated Baccalaureate and Master’s degree program (IBMP) in Physics provides an opportunity for academically strong undergraduate Physics majors with a commitment to pursuing a career in physics or applied physics research to complete both the bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in Physics in five years.

Macomb Campus

Integrated Baccalaureate and Master’s degree In PhysIcs

Higher Values in Higher EducationAcademicExcellence•EducationalOpportunityPersonalGrowth•SocialResponsibility

Career OpportunitiesTherearevarietiesofopportunitiesavailable,includingjobsinacademiaandindustryaswellasopportunitiesinpursuingdoctoratestudiesatvariousinstitutionsnationwide.

Integrated Degree Course RequirementsStudentsmustcompleteaminimumof120shofcreditstomeettheBSdegreerequirements,includingthefollowing:

University General Education Requirements ........... 55 sh

Core Courses ............................................................. 17 sh

PHYS211,212,213,214,490

Additional CoursesSpecial CoursesPHYS311,354,420,427,428,430,461,462,470,andanyoneofthefollowing:PHYS410,421,431.........24shAnyminor........................................................16-18shOtherMATH133,134,231,333........................................15shCHEM201,202...................................................... 8sh

Studentsmustcomplete34shofgraduatecreditsinthethesisoptionofthemaster’sdegreeprogram.

Core CoursesPHYS510ClassicalMechanicsI................................... 3shPHYS520ElectromagneticTheoryI.............................. 3shPHYS530QuantumMechanicsI.................................. 3sh

Thesis PlanPHYS571IntroductiontoThesis.................................. 1shPHYS601Thesis/ThesisResearch................................ 3shPHYS577SpecialProblemsinPhysics........................... 4shDirectedelectives(PHYS577nottoexceed4shandincludesupto9shofbridgecourses).........................17sh

Total Program ........................................................... 34 sh

Upto9shofthefollowingbridgeundergraduate/graduatecoursescanbecountedtowardthe34shrequirement:PHYS410GComputationalMethods(3),PHYS421GElectricityandMagnetismII(3),PHYS431GIntroductoryQuantumMechanicsII(3),PHYS461GAstrophysicsI(3),PHYS462GAstrophysicsII(3),PHYS468GMathematicalMethodsofPhysicsII(3),orPHYS477GSpecialProblemsinExperimentalandTheoreticalPhysics(3).

Contact InformationForadmissionsprocessandgeneralprograminformation,contacttheSchoolofGraduateStudies,WesternIllinoisUniversity,1UniversityCircle,Macomb,IL61455,(309)298-1806,Grad-Office@wiu.edu,wiu.edu/grad.

Forspecificprogramquestions,contacttheDepartmentofPhysics,WesternIllinoisUniversity,1UniversityCircle,Macomb,IL61455,(309)298-1596,physics@wiu.edu,wiu.edu/physics.

WIU.EDU/PHYSICS

“I chose to enter the integrated bachelor’s/master’s program to further my education. The program will enable me to start working on my PhD a year earlier. It is a great program! All of the faculty

are knowledgeable, want you to succeed, and work like crazy to help you reach your goals.”

– Jacob Brown MS Physics, May 2011

Jacob Brown