×ÊÔ´ÃèÊö: The Department of Physics at the University of New Orleans awards a Bachelor of Science in Physics, a Bachelor of Science in Geophysics, a Master of Science in Applied Physics, a Master of Science in Physics, and is a major participant in an interdisciplinary Ph. D. in Engineering and Applied Science. Undergraduate students may design and select option programs (which involve course work in at least one other science or engineering discipline) built around a physics core. Students pursuing a B. S. in Physics can choose from among 27 credit hours of electives which emphasize other disciplines such as Mathematics, Geology, Engineering, and Computer Science. Other options in Business, Chemistry, Education, and the Life Sciences are also possible. B. S. students in Geophysics have 21 credit hours of electives, of which 15 must be in the sciences. Although all M. S. in Physics students concentrate in the area of their thesis (original research), they are required to attain a minimum level of proficiency in the fundamental physics areas of electromagnetic theory, advanced mechanics, and quantum mechanics. In addition, they must earn at least 6 credit hours of mathematics above the level of differential equations. M. S. students in Applied Physics must earn at least 24 hours of course work in the thesis option or 33 hours in the non-thesis option. For both options, the graduate work must include a minimum of 18 hours of physics. Physics­based students enrolling in the interdisciplinary Ph. D. program in Engineering and Applied Science must have a Masters degree from an accredited college or university in engineering, physics, mathematics, geophysics, computer science, or other closely related field, or be willing to complete course work required in the existing Masters' programs in the Department of Physics while pursuing the Ph.D.. Admission decisions will be based primarily on grade-point average, Graduate Record Examination scores, and letters of recommendation. Foreign applicants (non-English speaking countries) must also have a satisfactory TOEFL score. Optimally, Physics­based students in Engineering and Applied Science should satisfy core course requirements at the doctoral level in broadly-based areas involving mechanics and electricity and magnetism, and minimally (outside of those two broad areas) at the masters level in course work in areas (for example) such as acoustics, applied group theory, computational physics, condensed matter physics, geophysics, mathematical methods of physics, molecular structure, non-linear dynamics, optics, quantum mechanics, signal processing, solid state physics, or statistical mechanics. The program of the Department of Physics has the following objectives: Provide students who seek undergraduate or graduate training in physics or geophysics with a high quality, broadly based education which will allow them competitively to obtain jobs in industry, in government (local, state, or federal), or in academe, or which will allow them to continue their education at the M. S. or Ph. D. level; Provide a source of well-trained, professional physicists and geophysicists; Provide quality undergraduate and graduate level training to physics teachers in the pre-college school systems; Provide a focal point for physics research of the highest caliber, thereby resulting in a permanent group of research-oriented, innovative personnel whose expertise contributes positively not only to physics in general, but also to the infrastructure of industry and city, state, and federal agencies. The basic rationale for our Masters programs may be summarized in the following manner: A student should complete all requirements for the Masters degree in a time span as close to two years as possible; The thesis (for programs of study requiring a thesis) should be a mutually productive and satisfying experience for both the student and faculty. The thesis should reflect the interests of the student and contribute to the body of original research in physics; Courses form a coherent program of study, while reflecting specific interests of the student. Departmental Research Areas: Acoustics; Astrophysics Computational Physics ; Condensed Matter and Materials Physics ; Elementary Particle Theory and Phenomenology ; Geophysics ; Geophysical Fluid Dynamics ; Magnetism ; Mathematical Physics ; Non-linear Dynamics ; Nuclear Physics ; Optics & Lasers ; Physics Education Research ; Shock Wave Physics ; Signal Processing ; Spintronics ; Surface Physics .