Physics

This is a traditional master’s-level program covering a full spectrum of courses in theoretical and experimental physics and is designed to serve students interested in teaching physics at the high school level, filling gaps in their undergraduate education before applying to a doctoral program in physics, as well as students interested in other career opportunities such as technical writing, finance, and patent law. 

The Physics Department offers two master’s-level programs of study leading to the Master of Arts degree in physics and the Master of Science degree in photonics. The former is a traditional master’s-level program covering a full spectrum of courses in theoretical and experimental physics and is designed to serve students interested in teaching physics at the high school level, filling gaps in their undergraduate education before applying to a doctoral program in physics, as well as students interested in other career opportunities such as technical writing, finance, and patent law. The program leading to the Master of Science degree in photonics is an innovative program certified by the Council of Graduate Studies as a Professional Science Master’s (PSM) program. Its thrust is to prepare students for immediate employment in the optics, photonics, and semiconductor industries. This program emphasizes hands-on experience in laboratories enhanced by industrial internships and combines rigorous studies of fundamental modern physics with developing critical communication skills and strategic business learning. The department also participates in the doctoral program in physics via the CUNY Graduate Center and offers doctoral and master’s students a range of research activities in cutting-edge areas of modern physics. Members of the department are engaged in experimental and theoretical research in such fields as light propagation, localization and emission in photonic periodic, quasiperiodic, and disordered materials, including random lasers; optical micro resonators and their applications in sensing optical logic elements.

and new types of lasers, optics, and magneto-optics of semiconductor nanostructures such as quantum dots, quantum wires, and quantum wells; photonic nanostructures for biosensing and solar cell applications; application of methods of condensed matter physics to biophysical problems, and nanoelectromechanical systems; metamaterials and nonlinear optics. The research activity of the department is supported by funding from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense among other agencies