Deadlines:
If you are seeking a Teaching Assistantship or Research Assistantship
(TA
/ RA), please note that the deadlines for applications are January 15th
(for fall admission) and August 1st (for spring admission).
GRADUATE ADMISSION
REQUIREMENTS
To be eligible
for graduate
study at the University of New Mexico, graduate applicants must satisfy
the following requirements:
Have earned
a degree that is equivalent to the American
bachelor's degree.
For example: some bachelor's degrees from India, Pakistan, and
Bangladesh
are based on three-year programs and are not considered equivalent to
the
U.S. bachelor's degree. Also, a Bachillerato in Mexico marks completion
of upper secondary or high school education and is not equivalent to a
U.S. bachelor's degree.
Have earned
a minimum of a 3.0 GPA (on a U.S. 4.0
scale) or comparable
grade point average in upper-division (junior and senior level) work
and
in any graduate work already completed.
Have earned
a satisfactory score on the General GRE, the subject test (Physics) is encouraged, but can not replace the General GRE.
Demonstrate
proficiency in English. If English is not your first language or if English is not the official language spoken in your country, you must submit results of either the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the University of Cambridge Examinations Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE), or Certificate of Advanced English (CAE). The minimum acceptable score for the IELTS is 7; and for the TOEFL is 550 on the paper test, 213 on the computerized test, or 79-80 on the internet-based test. For the CPE or CAE the minimum score is a C. International students whose native language is not English and are seeking graduate teaching assistantships, may also be required to submit an acceptable score on the Test of Spoken English (TSE). Applicants who have received a bachelor's or graduate degree from an accredited institution in the United States, English-speaking Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, or New Zealand are exempt from submitting IELTS, TOEFL, CPE, or CAE scores.
Have
completed adequate subject preparation for your
proposed graduate
major (the academic requirements for both Physics and Optical Sciences
are outlined below).
M.S./Ph.D.
in Physics (with concentrations in astrophysics, atomic physics,
cosmic
radiation,
general relativity,
infrared astronomy, high and intermediate energy physics, laser
physics,
medical
physics, molecular
physics, nonlinear optics, nuclear physics, particle physics, quantum
optics,
radio astronomy,
scattering theory, solar energy physics, and space physics):
Assumed Undergraduate Preparation (and typical textbooks used) is as
follows:
1
- semester
course in Thermo/Stat Mech (Reif; Stowe)
2
- semester
courses in: Mechanics (Symon; Marion/Thornton)
E & M (Reitz/Milford/Christy; Lorrain/Corson/Lorrain;
Griffiths)
Quantum Mech. (Liboff; Gasiorowicz; Goswami; Park)
Pre-requisites
to M.S./Ph.D. in Optical Sciences & Engineering
The minimum
entrance requirements are....
- General Physics (3 semesters) consisting of the equivalent of:
Physics 160
(Mechanics, sound, fluid mechanics), Physics 161(Thermodynamics, E
&
M),
Physics 262 (E & M waves, light, special relativity, atoms,
molecules,
nuclei,
and elementary particles).
- Chemistry (two semesters) equivalent to: Chemistry 121L and
122L,
introduction
to the chemical and physical behavior of matter.
- Electromagnetism (2 semesters) chosen from Physics 405 and
406
or EECE 361 and 362.
Topics must include: Electrostatics, solution of electrostatic problems
(Laplace and Poisson
equations), dielectric media, microscopic theory of dielectrics,
electric
energy, current, magnetic
field (Biot-Savart and Ampere Laws), magnetic materials,
electromagnetic
induction, magnetic
energy, slowly varying (AC) currents, Maxwell’s equations, EM waves,
waves
at boundaries,
waveguides, and resonators, optical dispersion, emission from dipoles
and
antenna, and
electrodynamics of moving charges.
- A reasonable knowledge of elementary Quantum Mechanics (at
the
level of Physics 491) is
expected. This knowledge should include Thermal radiation and Planck’s
Postulate, photons
(photoelectric and Compton effects, pair production and annihilation),
de Broglie principle, and
the Bohr model.
- 3 semesters of calculus: Math 162, 163, and 264;
- 1 semester of vector analysis: Math 311;
- 1 semester of Ordinary Differential Equations: Math 316;
- 1 semester of Partial Differential Equations: Math 312.
- Knowledge of elementary optics at the level of Physics 302 or
EECE 474 is not required for
entrance, but is a pre-requisite for the core course, Advanced Optics I
(Physics/EECE 463).
APPLICATION FORMS AND INSTRUCTIONS
a) Application Form: Complete and sign the Application for Graduate Admission. The ‘Graduate Unit’ refers to the Department of Physics & Astronomy. The ‘major code’ is either (081) for the M.S./Ph.D program in Physics/Astrophysics, or (452) for the M.S./Ph.D. program in Optical Science & Engineering. If you complete the form online, please make a copy and include it with your application pkg. for the department.
b) Application Fee: All applicants must pay a nonrefundable application fee of $50.00 in U.S. currency. The fee, made payable to the University of New Mexico, can be paid by personal check, International Postal Money Order, Travelers Check(s), or by a certified check drawn on a U.S. bank. Application fees cannot be waived nor transferred to future expenses or enrollment. Applications will not be reviewed until the fee is received.
c) Transcripts / Academic Records: One official copy of your academic record from each college and university that you have attended is required. All documents submitted in support of your application must be official; that is, the transcript (grade report or individual mark sheets) must bear the original seal, stamp, or signature of the institution's designated administrator. If the documents are in a language other than English, an official certified English translation must be submitted along with each original record. All official copies should arrive here as part of your package in sealed envelopes.
d) Letters of Recommendation: A minimum of three letters of recommendation are also required. Your recommenders may choose to return sealed recommendations for inclusion in your SMA packet, or they may want to send their forms and letters directly to the department (e-mail attachments in MS-Word or plain text format are also acceptible). You are responsible for completing the top portion of the Letter of Recommendation form. We suggest you provide your recommenders with stamped, addressed envelopes if they elect to send their recommendations directly to the department.
e) Financial Documents: Complete and return the UNM Certification of Financial Responsibility form along with required supporting documentation. If you are applying for a Teaching or Research Assistantship you should simply write that on the UNM Certification of Financial Responsibility form, sign and date the form.
f) GRE scores are required (the institution code is 4845).
g) A letter of intent / personal statement: This is your opportunity to tell the program faculty about yourself. It does not need to be extremely detailed, but should provide information about your areas of research interest, previous experience, and your goals.
h) The Application for Teaching/Research Assistantship can be completed online and submitted, or downloaded and mailed with the other application materials.
Send
your
application materials (preferably in one package) directly to:
The University of New Mexico
Department of Physics & Astronomy
attn: Coordinator of Program Advisement
800 Yale Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87131-1156 (U.S.A.)
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