Program Revision Guidelines
EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
DIVISION OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
OUTLINE FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS TO REVISE PROGRAMS
Use this outline to prepare proposals to revise existing programs, including undergraduate majors and minors
and graduate degree programs and certificates. Proposals for revising programs should be submitted in
narrative form, using the following outline. Guidelines are on the following page.
PROGRAM NAME AND SUBJECT CODE:
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN PHYSICS (PHY)
REVISED PROGRAM NAME AND SUBJECT CODE (IF APPLICABLE):
DEGREE:
MASTER OF SCIENCE
DEPARTMENT(S)/SCHOOL(S):
CONTACT PERSON:
PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY
MARSHALL THOMSEN
REQUESTED START DATE: TERM FALL
YEAR
COLLEGE(S):
ARTS AND SCIENCES
CONTACT PHONE:
487-8794
CONTACT EMAIL:
JTHOMSEN@EMICH.EDU
2016
I. Rationale
As part of our effort to help students progress through this program in a more timely way and
to provide them with a set of skills that are valuable to them in the marketplace, we are
changing the research component of the program from a required research project for all
students to two required laboratory research courses that may be replaced by a research
project, if the student so chooses. We have also found that students, particularly graduate
assistants, have a hard time keeping up with a workload of more than seven semester hours
during Fall and Winter terms. We will offer the two new lab courses during alternating
Summer I terms in order to improve student success in their other courses, while at the same
time keeping students on track to complete their degree in two years. We will also
restructure PHY 530/531 and make a supporting change to PHY 662, primarily in the
interests of evening out the workload from one term to the next.
II. Description of Current Program
Required Courses: 28-30 hours
•
•
PHY 510 - Proposal Writing in Physics 1 hr
PHY 530 - Topics in Computational and Advanced Physics I 4 hrs
Miller, Program Revision Guidelines
Sept. 09
Program Revision Guidelines
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
PHY 531 - Topics in Computational and Advanced Physics II 2 hrs
PHY 541 - Modern Optics 4 hrs
* PHY 581 - Mathematical Physics 3 hrs
PHY 662 - Advanced Mechanics I 3 hrs
PHY 671 - Electromagnetic Theory 4 hrs
PHY 675 - Quantum Mechanics 4 hrs
Three to six hours from the following:
PHY 690 - Thesis/Final Project 1 hr
PHY 691 - Thesis/Final Project 2 hrs
PHY 692 - Thesis/Final Project 3 hrs
Elective Courses in Physics: 0-5 hours
Zero to five hours will be filled through electives within the department, selected with the approval of a department advisor. Up to
five hours only if PHY 581 is waived.
Note:
* PHY 581 requirement may be waived in exceptional cases upon department approval.
III. Proposed Revision
Required Courses: 29 hours
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
PHY 510 - Proposal Writing in Physics 1 hr
PHY 517 Experimental Project in Physics 2 hrs (taught during Summer I)
PHY 529 Topics in computational and Advanced Physics I 2 hrs
PHY 530 - Topics in Computational and Advanced Physics II 2 hrs
PHY 531 - Topics in Computational and Advanced Physics III 1 hr
PHY 558 Advanced Experimental Techniques in Physics 2 hrs (taught during Summer I)
* PHY 581 - Mathematical Physics 3 hrs
PHY 641 Modern Optics 4 hrs
PHY 662 - Advanced Mechanics I 4 hrs
PHY 671 - Electromagnetic Theory 4 hrs
PHY 675 - Quantum Mechanics 4 hrs
Elective Courses in Physics: 1-4 hours
One or four hours will be filled through electives within the department, selected with the approval of a department advisor ( four
hours only if PHY 581 is waived).
Notes:
Miller, Program Revision Guidelines
Sept. 09
Program Revision Guidelines
•
PHY 581 requirement may be waived in exceptional cases upon department approval.
•
The requirements for PHY 517 and PHY 558 may be waived if a student instead chooses to complete a research project,
culminating in either a written and oral research report or in a thesis and oral defense. In the case of a research report,
the student may receive credit for up to three hours from the following courses, and in the case of a thesis the student may
receive credit for up to six hours from the following courses:
•
•
•
PHY 690 - Thesis/Final Project 1 hr
PHY 691 - Thesis/Final Project 2 hrs
PHY 692 - Thesis/Final Project 3 hrs
IV. Impact
The courses involved with the proposed change are designed exclusively for this program, so
there should be no impact on other programs in the University.
V. Budget
The new laboratory courses that are being developed (PHY 517 and PHY 558) will require
the purchase of new equipment of approximately $10,000 from the College with ongoing
annual costs of $1000 from the Department. We will need to assign faculty members to a 3credit hour load to teach PHY 517 and PHY 558 during alternate Summer I terms.
VI. Action of the Department/College
1. Department/School:
Vote of faculty:
For
9
Against
0
(Enter the number of votes cast in each category.)
I support this proposal. The proposed revision can
cannot
Department(s)/School(s) without additional College or University resources.
Abstentions
0
be implemented within the affected
March 31 2016
Date
Department Head/School Director Signature
2. College/Graduate School:
A. College
I support this proposal. The proposed program can
College without additional University resources.
College Dean Signature
Miller, Program Revision Guidelines
Sept. 09
cannot
be implemented within the affected
Date
Program Revision Guidelines
B. Graduate School (Graduate Program Revisions ONLY)
Graduate Dean Signature
Date
VII. Approval
Associate Vice-President for Academic Programming Signature
Date
VIII. Appendices
A. Market Analysis/Needs Assessment
The needs assessment comes primarily from an analysis of recent graduates from this program. In particular, we found
that the average time for a degree significantly exceeded two years, which is both a University target and what the
department feels is appropriate for a Masters degree. The primary impetus for the most significant changes we propose is
to bring down the average time to completion while continuing to provide students with marketable skills.
B. Mandates
None
C. Request for New/Revised Course Forms
Miller, Program Revision Guidelines
Sept. 09