This option combines courses from the Physics and other Departments to provide training in physics and materials science, an area that has proven industrial demand. In addition to the core courses in classical and modern physics, the students will take six courses in which they will study materials synthesis and properties and get hands-on training in materials characterization techniques, such as diffraction, electron microscopy, scanning probe microscopy, and photoelectron spectroscopy. Two semesters of Thesis work in a research lab complement the training in the class room. Students completing this program will have a wide variety of career opportunities to pursue, for example, in microelectronics, advanced materials synthesis and design, and thin film engineering. Alternatively, they are qualified for postgraduate programs in condensed matter physics or materials science at UNH or other universities.

Requirements

1. Satisfy the General Education Requirements. This includes 10 courses, four of which (Math 425, Chem 403-404, and English 401) are also Physics B.S. degree requirements.
2. Satisfy the Writing Requirements. This requirement includes 4 courses, two of which (English 401 and Physics 705) are also Physics B.S. degree requirements.
3. Satisfy the Bachelor of Science Requirements
4. One course in English is required in addition to the University requirement.
5. Physics: 407-408, 505, 508, 605, 615-616, 701, 703, 705, 799 (8 credit hours),
6. Mechanical Engineering: 561, 730, 760.
7. Math: 425-426, 527, 528.
8. Computer Science: CS 410.
9. Electives in Option: Three courses selected from MATH 646, ME 731, ME 761, ME 762, ME 763, ME 795, MS 760, PHYS 718.
10. Chemistry: 403 - 404 or 405 (although 405 may not be offered much longer).
11. By the end of the spring semester of the sophomore year, a student must have a minimum grade of C in each 400- or 500- level course specifically required for the B.S. degree and an overall grade-point average of 2.33 in these courses in order to continue in the B.S. program.

Suggested Curriculum for Materials Science Option, B.S. in Physics

The following gives a typical schedule. Please note that most courses numbered 500 and higher are offered only once a year, and several elective 700 level courses in Physics and Engineering are offered only every other year. Only 400 level physics courses are offered in the summer (and even these are not guaranteed to be offered at that time). Also, most courses above 600 have several physics and mathematics prerequisites. All this means that the schedule given below is fairly rigid. If you feel you need to deviate for one reason or another, it is best to do so in consultation with your Physics advisor.

There are spaces for seven electives. With an appropriate choice of courses, six of these spaces are sufficient to meet all the following requirements:
1) the two writing intensive requirements (in addition to ENG 401 and PHYS 705),
2) the six general education requirements (in addition to ENG 401, CHE 403, CHE 404 and MATH 425), and
3) the one additional English course that is required by the Physics Department.
Your seventh elective can then be any course, from any department.

Two schedules are given below. The first one assumes that you join this option by the middle of your sophmore year and take ME 561 in the spring semester. The second one is applicable if you choose the Option at the end of your sophomore year. In any case, you should frequently consult with your Physics Advisor to work out scheduling problems or changes.

Schedule One

Choosing the option before your 4th semester (preferred).

Schedule Two

Choosing the Option after your 4th semester

The freshman year is the same as in Schedule One.