Is Quantum Mechanics Essential for Graduate School Admission?

[joel6690]

Hello,

Next year will be my third year in college, and I was just wondering if taking Quantum Mechanics is REQUIRED to get into graduate school. The reason I'm asking is because QM 1 and 2 are only offered every other year and under my current situation I will be in undergraduate school for 5 years if I absolutely have to take the course. Can you please give me your input?

Much appreciated,

Joel

 

[daveb]

Most graduate programs do require it (though some don't), and you would at least want to get a good handle on the concepts since a solid portion of the GRE Subject test in Physics (which is also required by a lot, though not all programs). If you can manage to do the 5 years, I would recommend it.

 

[Vanadium 50]

If by "required" you mean "listed on the requirements", maybe not. But I can tell you that without QM, your odds of being accepted go way down, and your odds of making it through the first year go down farther still, and your odds of passing the qual are close to zero.

 

[ZapperZ]

Hello,

Next year will be my third year in college, and I was just wondering if taking Quantum Mechanics is REQUIRED to get into graduate school. The reason I'm asking is because QM 1 and 2 are only offered every other year and under my current situation I will be in undergraduate school for 5 years if I absolutely have to take the course. Can you please give me your input?

Much appreciated,

Joel

Quantum mechanics is REQUIRED. In fact, if your school does NOT make it a requirement for graduation with a physics degree, I would seriously investigate if your program is even accredited. You could get by without Thermo, Statistical Mech., etc. But without Classical Mechanics, E&M, and QM, you should not have a degree in physics.

Zz.

 

[G01]

You would be ill prepared for graduate school without quantum mechanics. To be prepared for graduate programs, by the end of your undergraduate studies you should have taken :

1. Classical Mechanics (At the level of Marion and Thorton)

2. E&M (At the level of Griffiths)

3. Quantum Mechanics (At the level of Griffiths (at least) or Gasiorowicz or Shankar)

4 Stat Mech/Thermo (At the level of Shroeder)

 

[Monocles]

Try to see if you can do it as a reading course. Don't be discouraged if your school does not officially offer reading courses - mine does not unless you are a graduate student. But, I was still able to take a couple of reading courses by just registering for them as 'research'. You just need to find a professor who is willing to mentor you.

 

[George Jones]

Your school (I'm a mind reader ) recommends that physics students take these quantum mechanics courses. It suggests that students take these course either in third year or in fourth year. Probably the second year course about atoms, nuclei, and solid state is a prerequisite (and maybe other second year courses), but you should have already have taken this, so do as your school suggests and take quantum mechanics in the coming fall.

 

[Shackleford]

1. Classical Mechanics (Marion and Thorton)

2. E&M (may take as a post-bac)

3. Quantum Mechanics (Gasiorowicz - pitiful book)

4 Stat Mech/Thermo (Kittel and Kroemer)

For my minor, I have taken the above.

 

[G01]

To shackleford:

Gasiorowicz is a book that grows on you. I think, combined with Griffiths, you get a pretty good background for a graduate quantum class.

I definitely like Gasiorowicz more than Kittel and Kroemer!

And yes, most of these courses will be required even for a physics minor at many schools. A minor at my school required thermo, classical mechanics and 1 semester of quantum mechanics. Majors had to take two semesters of QM and a year of E&M as well.

 

[Shackleford]

To shackleford:

Gasiorowicz is a book that grows on you. I think, combined with Griffiths, you get a pretty good background for a graduate quantum class.

I definitely like Gasiorowicz more than Kittel and Kroemer!

And yes, most of these courses will be required even for a physics minor at many schools. A minor at my school required thermo, classical mechanics and 1 semester of quantum mechanics. Majors had to take two semesters of QM and a year of E&M as well.

Haha! Why didn't you like Kittel and Kroemer?

Unfortunately, I did not have have access to Griffiths when I took QM, only Gasiorowicz. I blame my "C" on that. I thought Thornton and Marion was a bit advanced with very challenging homework problems. I was thrilled to get a "B" in CM. I enjoyed the abstract concepts in Thermal Physics. I got a "B+" in there this past Spring. To be honest, I'm probably not cut out for graduate physics. I could be wrong, though. However, the exceptional students truly had a passion for physics and of course will pursue graduate school physics. I'm strongly considering mathematics for graduate school.