- Department of Physics
- Academics
- Graduate
- Master of Science
Master of Science
We offer a program leading to a Master of Science. Over the course of the past 20 years, NIU's master's program has been highly ranked by the American Institute of Physics, and about half of our current graduate students are master’s students. We offer four specializations:
- Basic Physics
- Applied Physics
- Quantum Science and Technology
- Physics Teaching/Secondary Education
Department faculty conduct research in the following areas:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Elementary Particles and Fields
- Accelerator Physics
- Physics Education Research
We make special efforts to accommodate the needs of students such as employees of nearby industrial or government laboratories and teachers employed in the region who wish to gain M.S. degrees in physics on either a part-time or a full-time basis. The department also tries to meet the needs of students whose undergraduate degree is not physics or who are returning to school after a prolonged absence. Theses may be written in absentia.
Master's Qualifying Exam
The master's qualifying (proficiency) examination is required for students in the physics M.S. and Ph.D. programs. It will be waived based upon a physics GRE score of more than 50%. Also, students entering with a M.S. degree in physics are not required to take this exam.
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