Physics Program

Program Director: Christina Keller, Ph.D.
Graduate Director: Yongchen Sun, Ph.D.

Physics Program
Akeley-Lawrence Science Center, Room 201
414 East Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57069
Phone: (605) 677-5649
physics@usd.edu
www.usd.edu/physics 

FACULTY

Professor:

Christina Keller, Program Director of Physics, Ph.D., North Dakota State University. Specialization: Condensed Matter Physics and Physics Education.

Associate Professors:

Dongming Mei, Ph.D., University of Alabama. Specialization: Particle Physics, Nuclear Physics and Astroparticle Physics.
Yongchen Sun, Ph.D., Montana State University-Bozeman. Specialization: Laser Spectroscopy and Condensed Matter Physics.

 Assistant Professors:

Jing Liu, Ph.D., Technical University of Munich. Specialization: Nuclear and Particle Physics.
Ryan MacLellan, Ph.D., Queen’s University. Specialization: Particle Physics.
Ryan Martin, Ph.D., Queens University. Specialization: Nuclear and Particle Physics
Joel Sander, Ph.D., University of California-Santa Barbara. Specialization: Nuclear and Particle Physics

Research Assistant Professor:

Chao Zhang, Ph.D., Institute of High Energy Physics, Beijing. Specialization: Nuclear and Particle Physics

DEGREE

Master of Science   
Doctor of Philosophy   

Program Description

The graduate programs in physics will prepare students for a variety of career paths, including positions in academia, industry and at national labs. While degree candidates may pursue specialized research foci based on the research expertise of individual faculty members, the most significant goal of the program is to focus on research areas germane to the needs and special resources of the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF). Examples of specialized research areas connected to SURF include nuclear/particle physics and particle astrophysics involving next-generation neutrino detection; double beta-decay, dark matter searches and gravitational wave detection experiments, as well as condensed matter physics concentrating on novel low background radiation materials and devices.  

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

• Three letters of recommendation from parent institution instructors
• The General GRE is required for the master’s program and the Physics Subject GRE is required for the doctoral program.
• Official transcripts from all universities attended (Applicants must have at least a 3.0 (B) grade point average in their undergraduate work.)
• Additional requirements exist for international students and applicants with degrees from other countries.

Applicants to the master’s program must have completed a baccalaureate in physics. Applicants to the doctoral program will be considered with either an undergraduate or master’s degree in physics. However, with permission of the graduate program, those who have not completed an undergraduate or master’s degree in physics may be admitted on a provisional basis. Students must complete the non-elective required courses for the undergraduate physics major (a year of calculus-based physics and PHYS 421, PHYS 431, PHYS 441, PHYS 451, and PHYS 471) at USD or demonstrate competence in those areas through some other mechanism prior to beginning graduate coursework.

SCHOLARSHIPS

A limited number of graduate assistantships are awarded each year on a competitive basis to fully admitted, full-time, on-campus MS and PhD students. Applications for graduate assistantships are due on February 1.