UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE FORMS

 

Academic Program Approval

 

This form is a routing document for the approval of new and revised academic programs.  Proposing department should complete this form.  For more information, call the Faculty Senate Office at 831-2921.

 

 

Submitted by: Norbert Mulders______________________phone number_X3517___

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                             

 

Action:   Revision of the degree requirements of the M.S. in Physics and Astronomy

(Example:  add major/minor/concentration, delete major/minor/concentration,  revise major/minor/concentration,  academic unit name change, request for permanent status, policy change, etc.)

 

Effective term_06F___________________________________________________________________________

                                                (use format 04F, 05W)

 

Current degree     M.S. in Physics and Astronomy_______________________________

                                    (Example:  BA, BACH, BACJ, HBA, EDD, MA, MBA, etc.)

 

Proposed change leads to the degree of: M.S. in Physics and Astronomy ____________

                                                                                             (Example:  BA, BACH, BACJ, HBA, EDD, MA, MBA, etc.)

 

 

Proposed name:__________________________________________________________

                                            Proposed new name for revised or new major / minor / concentration / academic unit

                                                                                (if applicable)

 

Revising or Deleting: 

 

Undergraduate major / Concentration:_________________________________

                                                                                    (Example:  Applied Music – Instrumental  degree BMAS)

 

Undergraduate minor:_______________________________________________

                                   (Example:  African Studies,  Business Administration,  English, Leadership, etc.)            

 

Graduate Program Policy statement change: See attached statement___

                                                                        (Attach your Graduate Program Policy Statement)

 

            Graduate Program of Study: M.S. in Physics and Astronomy _______________

                                 (Example:  Animal Science: MS  Animal Science:  PHD  Economics: MA Economics: PHD)

 

 

                Graduate minor / concentration:______________________________________

 

 

List program changes for curriculum revisions:

 

            The curriculum revision introduces an option to obtain an M.S. degree based on course             work only, without research/thesis work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

List new courses required for the new or revised curriculum:

 (Be aware that approval of the curriculum is dependent upon these courses successfully passing through the Course Challenge list. If there are no new courses enter “None”)

 

            None

 

 

 

 

Other affected units:

(List other departments affected by this new or revised curriculum.  Attach permission from the affected units.  If no other unit is affected, enter “None”)

 

            None

 

 

 

Rationale:

(Explain your reasons for creating, revising, or deleting the curriculum or program.)

 

            At one time, the M.S. degree was the main research degree of the physics and astronomy program at UD. This has not been the case for a long time as this role has been taken over by the Ph.D. degree. At this point there is a need for a degree that has content appropriate for an M.S. but does not require the commitment to research. In first instance this will serve those students who entered the Ph.D. program but do come to the conclusion that they do not want to pursue a research career. Another group are those who in the end cannot meet Ph.D. program requirements such as passing the Ph.D. candidacy exam, but do meat expectations for an M.S. degree.

 

            It should be noted that this would also bring our graduate program in line with current practice in most other physics or astronomy graduate programs

 

 

 

 

Program Requirements: 

(Show the new or revised curriculum as it should appear in the Course Catalog.  If this is a revision, be sure to indicate the changes being made to the present curriculum.)

 

Proposed requirements:

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE M.S. DEGREE

The M.S. degree requires 30 credits hours in PHYS courses, including at most 3 credits of research (PHYS 868). Of those 30 credits at least 6 must be classroom course work at the PHYS 800 level. Approval of the department review committee is required if more than 6 credits are from departments other than physics or if any are in a discipline unrelated to physic

                Students may choose to obtain an MS degree with or without thesis. In the former case, of the required 30 credits, 6 credits will be thesis work (PHYS 869). After the M.S. thesis is completed, the candidate defends the thesis in an oral examination administered by the thesis committee.

 

 

Current version (from the course catalog):

Twenty-four credit hours of course work are required for the M.S. degree; at least 6 must be in 800-level courses in physics. Approval of the department review committee is required if more than 6 of these 24 are from departments other than physics or if any are in a discipline unrelated to physics. In addition, 6 credit hours of thesis (PHYS 869) must be completed. After the M.S. thesis is completed, the candidate defends the thesis in an oral examination administered by the thesis committee.

 

 

 

 ROUTING AND AUTHORIZATION:        (Please do not remove supporting documentation.)

 

Department Chairperson                                                                                                        Date                                       

 

Dean of College                                                                                                                       Date                                       

 

Chairperson, College Curriculum Committee___________________________________Date_____________________

 

Chairperson, Senate Com. on UG or GR Studies                                                                   Date                                       

 

Chairperson, Senate Coordinating Com.                                                                 Date                                       

 

Secretary, Faculty Senate                                                                                                       Date                                       

 

Date of Senate Resolution                                                                                                      Date to be Effective               

 

Registrar                                                                  Program Code                                         Date                                       

 

Vice Provost for Academic Programs & Planning                                                                  Date                                       

 

Provost                                                                                                                                   Date                                       

 

Board of Trustee Notification                                                                                                                Date                                       

 

Revised 11/03/04   /khs