Accelerated Master's in Physics
Eligibility
Juniors and seniors currently working towards B.A. or B.S. degrees with a major in physics at UMass Amherst may apply to the Accelerated Master of Science program, also called a 4+1 program. This program provides a route for motivated students to obtain both their bachelor's and master's degree in 5 years.
Application Process
The standard application procedures for admission to graduate programs apply to the accelerated master's degree option. Students are encouraged to apply by November 30 of their junior year and receive a conditional admission to the accelerated option for the semester after they complete their baccalaureate degree. Students may opt to apply later, with alternate deadlines of April 1 in their junior year or November 30 of their senior year. Students are strongly encouraged to use the earlier deadline because of rules around transfer credit noted below. To apply to the program, students must have completed at least two 400-level courses by the end of the semester in which they apply. Decision for the November deadline will be made in late January. Decision for the April deadline will be made in late May. Admission to the graduate program remains conditional until the applicant completes the baccalaureate degree and fulfills the requirements of the Graduate School and the graduate physics program for admissions.
Program Requirements
The M.S. program in physics is course-based. Sample plans of study that target different outcomes are published in the Physics Graduate Handbook, available through the physics department's website. The requirements for the M.S. degree in physics consists of the following:
- A minimum of 30 graduate credits taken (course number 500 or higher)
- At least 12 credits shall be at 600-level or higher
- At least 21 of the credits must be in physics
- At least 21 of the total credits must be for a letter grade, and the GPA must be at least 3.0
Permission to take courses on a Pass/Fail basis, or to take Independent Study shall be approved by the Graduate Program Director. Details of this process are published in the Physics Graduate Handbook.
Please note: A maximum of nine credits of graduate work taken while enrolled as an undergraduate may be counted toward the master's degree. These must not have been used to satisfy the requirements for the baccalaureate degree. Students are therefore encouraged to apply early, before they have taken graduate level courses, to be sure that the maximum number of credits is transferrable to the master's program. Note that taking advanced classes before finishing the undergraduate degree may work against students if they wish to transfer more than 9 credits.