Two master's degree programs are offered. Plan I requires 32 quarter hours of graduate and upper division coursework and a master's thesis. Plan II requires 36 quarter hours of graduate and upper division course work of which at least 18 hours must be at the graduate level and passing of the Preliminary Exam. The Preliminary Exam is described below. Both plans require course work in classical physics, quantum mechanics and mathematical methods. There is no foreign language requirement for the master's degree.

The Preliminary Exam is given every year in the fall before the start of classes. Normally students are expected to take the Preliminary Exam at the beginning of their second year. The exam covers senior undergraduate and first year graduate level physics. A syllabus outlining the material to be covered and copies of past exams are provided to first-year graduate students. Students entering with deficiencies in their undergraduate preparation may receive a one year deferment of the exam. Students whose first time performance on the exam is unsatisfactory can retake the exam the next year.

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