MSI Program
Masters Degree in Modern Research Instrumentation
The Department of Physics & Astronomy at the Stony Brook University offers a Masters degree to students who have completed a program of study of modern research instrumentation. The curriculum includes both a sequence of courses and a thesis describing a state-of-the-art instrument built by the student in one of our research laboratories. The program features close faculty supervision in our modern facilities equipped with sophisticated instrumentation that includes analog and digital data acquisition systems, radio frequency, optical and microwave apparatus, microcircuit fabrication facilities, automated measurement and control systems, high power pulsed and CW lasers, and more.
There are also opportunities for work on instrumentation in other departments including those at Brookhaven National Laboratory and the up-to-date University Hospital and Health Sciences Center.
Today's Needs
This special course of study is open to students holding a Bachelor's degree in physical science or engineering who wish to pursue a career in today's high technology research and development laboratories. It is designed to meet the needs of modern industry, hospitals, and research laboratories for technically trained people with very thorough scientific background. Such jobs are often filled by over-qualified or under-qualified people whose education is not directed toward this particular need. Many of these people presently take on-the-job training in precisely the topics this program teaches. Its graduates are therefore highly desirable in almost every technologically oriented industry in the country.
Holders of MSI Degree
Holders of the MSI degree are neither highly specialized physicists with Ph.D. degrees, nor are they technicians with limited potential for diversification and growth. Instead, they are professional scientists whose understanding of fundamental physical phenomena enables them to adapt to a wide variety of challenges in modern technical institutions. The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of students learning about the design, construction, testing, and operation of sophisticated instrument systems. Candidates are required to demonstrate a knowledge of physics (by written and/or oral examination), to spend at least one semester as a teaching assistant in an undergraduate laboratory, to take required and elective courses, and to complete both a major and minor project [see sample program below].
Hands On
MSI students are drawn from a very large pool of Bachelor degree holders in physical science or engineering who wish further training toward a scientific or technical profession, but not to become Ph.D.'s. At first, students are supported by the department as teaching assistants in undergraduate courses. Later, they work in well-equipped research laboratories such as the laser spectroscopy labs, low temperature facility, electron micro-lithography facility, x-ray microscopy apparatus, surface and associated ultrahigh vacuum facility, helium liquefier, high energy research labs at Brookhaven National Lab and elsewhere, and our beam lines at the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven.
Common to all of these facilities are sophisticated analog and digital supporting electronic instruments too numerous to list. Many possess high vacuum equipment and computerized data acquisition systems. The department has a Laser Teaching Center that is particularly well-suited for MSI projects in this rapidly expanding technology. In addition, the students receive training in our modern machine shop, welding facility, electronics center, and advanced technology laboratory.
Department of Physics and Astronomy
The Department has a faculty of about 60, some 30 of whom conduct research in experimental physics and participate in this program. Many of the faculty eagerly seek MSI students for their laboratories because of the utility of the instrumentation systems developed by the students. There are about 175 graduate students in the Ph.D. program, and the MSI students have a strong symbiotic relationship with them. The considerable overlap of interests of these two groups provides motivation and stimulus for each of them while the diversity of viewpoints and skills enables mutual enrichment. Many of the projects are directed toward the Ph.D. work of students who therefore help, encourage, and instruct their MSI counterparts. Similarly, the MSI students help in laboratories with a large number of instrumentation and electronic projects.
Connected to Industry
The Stony Brook area has a large number of scientific and technologically oriented enterprises. The campus has Ph.D. granting departments in all the major scientific disciplines, a modern and comprehensive health sciences center offering undergraduate and graduate degrees, and a large number of science-oriented professors. It is expected that strong ties will develop with a variety of local industrial concerns that will result in a cooperative effort with the university. Such relationships need to be developed over a period of several years. This institution is therefore ideally suited for the education and training of capable scientists whose specialty is the modern instrumentation associated with scientific research and modern industry.
Sample Program total = 44 credits
(Semester 1)
PHY 514 Current Research Instruments (3 credits)
PHY 515 Methods of Experimental Research (3 credits)
PHY 599 Graduate Seminar I (1 credit)
Electives, make-up, or minor project (6 credits)
(Semester 2)
PHY 516 Methods of Experimental Research (3 credits)
PHY 599 Graduate Seminar II (1 credit)
PHY 585 Minor Project (3-6 credits)
Electives (3-6 credits)
Sample Second Year, Both Semesters PHY 595 Thesis Research (9 credits each semester)
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Masters Degree in Modern Research Instrumentation
The Department of Physics & Astronomy at the Stony Brook University offers a Masters degree to students who have completed a program of study of modern research instrumentation. The curriculum includes both a sequence of courses and a thesis describing a state-of-the-art instrument built by the student in one of our research laboratories. The program features close faculty supervision in our modern facilities equipped with sophisticated instrumentation that includes analog and digital data acquisition systems, radio frequency, optical and microwave apparatus, microcircuit fabrication facilities, automated measurement and control systems, high power pulsed and CW lasers, and more.
There are also opportunities for work on instrumentation in other departments including those at Brookhaven National Laboratory and the up-to-date University Hospital and Health Sciences Center.
Today's Needs
This special course of study is open to students holding a Bachelor's degree in physical science or engineering who wish to pursue a career in today's high technology research and development laboratories. It is designed to meet the needs of modern industry, hospitals, and research laboratories for technically trained people with very thorough scientific background. Such jobs are often filled by over-qualified or under-qualified people whose education is not directed toward this particular need. Many of these people presently take on-the-job training in precisely the topics this program teaches. Its graduates are therefore highly desirable in almost every technologically oriented industry in the country.
Holders of MSI Degree
Holders of the MSI degree are neither highly specialized physicists with Ph.D. degrees, nor are they technicians with limited potential for diversification and growth. Instead, they are professional scientists whose understanding of fundamental physical phenomena enables them to adapt to a wide variety of challenges in modern technical institutions. The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of students learning about the design, construction, testing, and operation of sophisticated instrument systems. Candidates are required to demonstrate a knowledge of physics (by written and/or oral examination), to spend at least one semester as a teaching assistant in an undergraduate laboratory, to take required and elective courses, and to complete both a major and minor project [see sample program below].
Hands On
MSI students are drawn from a very large pool of Bachelor degree holders in physical science or engineering who wish further training toward a scientific or technical profession, but not to become Ph.D.'s. At first, students are supported by the department as teaching assistants in undergraduate courses. Later, they work in well-equipped research laboratories such as the laser spectroscopy labs, low temperature facility, electron micro-lithography facility, x-ray microscopy apparatus, surface and associated ultrahigh vacuum facility, helium liquefier, high energy research labs at Brookhaven National Lab and elsewhere, and our beam lines at the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven.
Common to all of these facilities are sophisticated analog and digital supporting electronic instruments too numerous to list. Many possess high vacuum equipment and computerized data acquisition systems. The department has a Laser Teaching Center that is particularly well-suited for MSI projects in this rapidly expanding technology. In addition, the students receive training in our modern machine shop, welding facility, electronics center, and advanced technology laboratory.
Department of Physics and Astronomy
The Department has a faculty of about 60, some 30 of whom conduct research in experimental physics and participate in this program. Many of the faculty eagerly seek MSI students for their laboratories because of the utility of the instrumentation systems developed by the students. There are about 175 graduate students in the Ph.D. program, and the MSI students have a strong symbiotic relationship with them. The considerable overlap of interests of these two groups provides motivation and stimulus for each of them while the diversity of viewpoints and skills enables mutual enrichment. Many of the projects are directed toward the Ph.D. work of students who therefore help, encourage, and instruct their MSI counterparts. Similarly, the MSI students help in laboratories with a large number of instrumentation and electronic projects.
Connected to Industry
The Stony Brook area has a large number of scientific and technologically oriented enterprises. The campus has Ph.D. granting departments in all the major scientific disciplines, a modern and comprehensive health sciences center offering undergraduate and graduate degrees, and a large number of science-oriented professors. It is expected that strong ties will develop with a variety of local industrial concerns that will result in a cooperative effort with the university. Such relationships need to be developed over a period of several years. This institution is therefore ideally suited for the education and training of capable scientists whose specialty is the modern instrumentation associated with scientific research and modern industry.
Sample Program total = 44 credits
(Semester 1)
PHY 514 Current Research Instruments (3 credits)
PHY 515 Methods of Experimental Research (3 credits)
PHY 599 Graduate Seminar I (1 credit)
Electives, make-up, or minor project (6 credits)
(Semester 2)
PHY 516 Methods of Experimental Research (3 credits)
PHY 599 Graduate Seminar II (1 credit)
PHY 585 Minor Project (3-6 credits)
Electives (3-6 credits)
Sample Second Year, Both Semesters PHY 595 Thesis Research (9 credits each semester)