5 Year B.S./M.S. Program
5 Year B.S./M.S. Program
The five-year combined B.S./M.S. in physics program provides undergraduate students the opportunity to earn a M.S. degree in five years. Students are able to start their graduate coursework in their Junior year and can use up to two elective requirements between degrees. This program is designed for students who intend to go into private industry upon graduation and is not well-suited for those that ultimately want a Ph.D. in Physics. The Combined BS/MS has two applications, one at the Departmental Level (due second quarter of Junior year) and then another at the Graduate Program level (due first quarter of Senior year). Upon successful completion of their undergraduate requirements students are awarded their B.S. in Physics and, assuming that they still meet the relevant criteria, may continue into the M.S. program. In order to be awarded the M.S. students finish any remaining M.S. coursework and then defend their M.S. Thesis.
| Combined B.S./M.S. Timeline | |
| Junior | Departmental Application due by end of second quarter Start Graduate Coursework (S/U) |
| Senior | Graduate Program Application due by end of first quarter Continue Graduate Coursework (S/U) Finish B.S. Coursework & Senior Thesis B.S. Graduation |
| M.S. Year | Complete Graduate Coursework Finish and Defend M.S. Thesis M.S. Graduation |
Requirements for taking graduate courses:
Students must perform at a B+ or better in the related undergraduate course. For example, for a student to take PHYS 210 in their senior year they must acquire a grade of B+ or better in PHYS 105.
Departmental Admission Requirements:
- Click yellow button to submit application form (above)
- Send 2 letters of recommendation (at least one from a Physics faculty member) to the Physics Graduate Coordinator (physgradadvising@ucsc.edu)
- Maintain 3.3 GPA overall and within Physics
- Due by the end of the second quarter of junior year (Covid impacted students can request an extension to Spring 2022)
Graduate Program Requirements:
- 3.0 GPA overall and within Physics
- streamlined Graduate Program application
- 3 letters of recommendation (2 from Physics faculty, one from research advisor)
- no GRE test scores are required
- due by the end of the first quarter of their senior year.
M.S. Program Requirements
Research, write, and defend M.S. Thesis.
Required Coursework:
- PHYS 210 Classical Mechanics (Offered every Fall)
- PHYS 212 Electromagnetism I (Offered every Fall)
- PHYS 215 Introduction to Non‐Relativistic Quantum Mechanics (Offered every Winter)
- PHYS 219 Statistical Physics (Offered every Spring)
- Plus four additional graduate elective courses
For further information please contact Professor Jairo Velasco, Jr. jvelasc5@ucsc.edu or Jeremy Parker physgradadvising@ucsc.edu or Christian Sanchez physicsadvising@ucsc.edu.