How Hard is a Master's in Physics at SJSU?

[Fernando Rios]

I want to know how hard is to get a Master's in Physics from SJSU. I am not a Physics major and I want to know if by attending this program will I be able to do other personal activities or is it likw I will just be studying all the time.

 

[berkeman]

I want to know how hard is to get a Master's in Physics from SJSU. I am not a Physics major and I want to know if by attending this program will I be able to do other personal activities or is it likw I will just be studying all the time.

Wait, I thought you were already accepted to San Jose State University in California:

https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/phd-in-physics-after-getting-my-ms-physics-in-the-us.1050810/

 

[Fernando Rios]

Wait, I thought you were already accepted to San Jose State University in California:

https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/phd-in-physics-after-getting-my-ms-physics-in-the-us.10

I haven't been accepeted to SJSU, but I already applied and the advisor told me I have pretty good chances of getting into the program based on my background.

 

[berkeman]

What is your background? Even though it is not in Physics, it must be closely related? Is your BS in EE for example?

 

[Fernando Rios]

I got and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from SJSU and I am almost done with a PhD in Nanoscience and Nanotechnoogy from another country.

 

[berkeman]

Okay, but just to clarify, by SJSU you mean San Jose State University in Northern California:

https://sjsu.edu/physics/

and not a different university?

And if you already have a degree from SJSU, can't you just ask around the Physics department to see how MS students there feel about how difficult their studies are?

EDIT -- Well I guess you aren't physically there right now, since your current degree work is at a different university. I could walk over to the SJSU Physics department and ask a few graduate students for you if you like...

 

[Vanadium 50]

A couple things to think about.

• You haven't been accepted yet, and until you are, the question is moot.
• It is late in the cycle not to have heard that you have been accepted.
• You are asking us to compare the amount of free time your abilities will leave available, which we cannot know, with the amount of time needed for various unspecified activities, which we don't know either.
• In your last thread, you got pretty much unanimous advice to contact the department. Presumably you followed it, So what did they say was the answer? And why do you think ours will be better?

 

[Choppy]

At the risk of offering some rather generic advice, it's fairly safe to assume that an MSc in physics is going to be quite demanding on your time. The specifics will lie in the details... how many courses you take each semester, how strong your background is in each course, what your teaching responsibilities are, if it's a research MSc what's expected of you in relation to your project, how good you are at managing your time, etc. As a general rule I think you can expect to treat it like a full time job. The majority of your days will be filled with classes or work related to them, but you won't be without down time. Academic programs are not designed to eat up every waking minute of a student's time (if they are, that's not a healthy program to be in).

 

[jedishrfu]

On the SJSU websote you can get the details of the Physics MS. Its a 30 credit hour program with two options a thesis + coursework or project+coursework meaing you'll be taking a fair share of courses that will be harder than your previous;y taken undergrad courses.

https://catalog.sjsu.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=13&poid=7886&returnto=4973

They list some of the courses too and their requirements.

 

[CrysPhys]

I haven't been accepeted to SJSU, but I already applied and the advisor told me I have pretty good chances of getting into the program based on my background.

I got and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from SJSU and I am almost done with a PhD in Nanoscience and Nanotechnoogy from another country.

Given the confusion caused by your previous thread, the subsequent correction here, the additional information about your education, and your concern for free time, perhaps it would be helpful if you would clarify what your goals are. The PhD you are now completing isn't sufficient?

 

[gwnorth]

Op just to clarify you were able to transition directly from a B.S in Mech Eng to a PhD in Nanoscience/Technology without a master's first? I would have thought that that would have given you a pretty good idea of how much work would be involved in a Physics master's.

How did you find the transition and the work load? Did you have to balance taking classes with your research?