Overview
Temple University's Physics Graduates Have a Wide Range of Prospects for Employment in Schools and Laboratories
Temple University is a large university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The main campus offers students a location close to urban resources while welcoming them with its trees, landscaped gardens, and plazas. Near central Philadelphia, the main campus offers proximity to the artistic, musical, and cultural venues of the sixth-largest city in the U.S. Students can enjoy museums, galleries, libraries, dining, and historic tours. Philadelphia is a city of sports with professional baseball, football, basketball, and hockey teams. When it's time for recreation, students can also go to the Atlantic beaches or Pocono Mountains.
Graduates of the Master of Arts in physics program are well-trained scientists prepared to pursue a range of technical careers not directly involving research. In addition to having laid a strong foundation for a doctoral program in physics, they are well qualified to seek employment high school science teachers, technical writers, or technical support staff. Graduates of the Ph.D. program are well-trained physicists with prospects for employment as research scientists in government and industrial laboratories or as university faculty members. Alumni have obtained employment with top-ranked academic institutions, respected laboratories, and major corporations.
Scientific scholarship is enhanced by a weekly departmental colloquium presented by a guest physicist who works at another institution. Lectures and seminars are given by faculty members, visiting physicists, research associates, and graduate students. Temple University's dynamic, urban environment blends well with small, graduate-level classes, weekly departmental colloquiums, and special lectures to create a comprehensive academic experience.
Ph.D. and Master of Arts in Physics Programs Provide Graduates with Broad Foundations in the Science
The Department of Physics offers graduate programs leading to the Doctor of Philosophy or Master of Arts in physics degree. The primary goal of the 24-credit master's program is to provide a broad range of knowledge in physics. The three-year program is primarily theoretical. Students in the program master the foundational areas of physics: classical mechanics; statistical mechanics and thermodynamics; electrodynamics; and quantum mechanics/quantum field theory. Students may focus on areas of specialization, such as particle physics; condensed matter physics; statistical mechanics; or atomic, molecular, and optical physics, with faculty members specializing in and providing significant course work in these areas. Graduate students selecting experimental career plans become knowledgeable in modern experimental techniques.
The Department of Physics offers graduate programs leading to the Doctor of Philosophy or Master of Arts in physics degree. The primary goal of the 24-credit master's program is to provide a broad range of knowledge in physics. The three-year program is primarily theoretical. Students in the program master the foundational areas of physics: classical mechanics; statistical mechanics and thermodynamics; electrodynamics; and quantum mechanics/quantum field theory. Students may focus on areas of specialization, such as particle physics; condensed matter physics; statistical mechanics; or atomic, molecular, and optical physics, with faculty members specializing in and providing significant course work in these areas. Graduate students selecting experimental career plans become knowledgeable in modern experimental techniques.
Faculty Interests Include Cutting-Edge Research Initiatives Supported by Advanced Research Facilities
The Department of Physics is committed to supporting its illustrious faculty members who, in turn, provide a high level of instruction and conduct cutting-edge research. The principal areas of current departmental research are in statistical mechanics; theoretical and experimental elementary particle physics; relativity; theoretical and experimental condensed matter physics; and theoretical and experimental atomic, molecular, and optical physics. The large portion of this work is conducted at Temple using advanced research facilities available within the department. Several of the department's research groups also utilize outside laboratories, including the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, and Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility.
Barton Hall, the Department of Physics' home, is a large, modern air-conditioned building that contains lecture halls, classrooms, faculty and graduate student offices, and departmental library. In addition, Barton Hall contains a computing room, machine shop, and electronics shop and provides researchers with access to a materials preparation laboratory, extensive research facilities, and a student shop. A vast reading collection is available in Temple University's main Paley Library, and the departmental library with a large collection of physics books and current and back issues of more than 200 of the most frequently used physics journals. Computing facilities with networking capabilities are part of the department's computing room and physics research groups.
