For short descriptions of classes, go to Physics Graduate Classes

Phys 5001. Quantum Mechanics I.
Phys 5002. Quantum Mechanics II.
Phys 5011. Classical Physics I (Mechanics + begin Electrodynamics).
Phys 5012. Classical Physics II (finish Electrodynamics).
Phys 5201. Thermal and Statistical Physics.
Phys 5072. Best Practices in College Physics Teaching. Two semesters required if you are a physics TA in MN for the first time.

Seminars:
Phys 5980. Graduate Research Seminar: you must attend, even if not for credit, so that you get to know research activities in the department which will help you identify your research adviser.
Phys 5950. Colloquium (even if you don't take it for credit, you should attend).

Phys 4211. Introduction to Solid-State Physics.
Phys 4511. Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics.
Phys 4611. Introduction to Space Physics.
Phys 4621. Introduction to Plasma Physics.
Phys 5022. Relativity, Cosmology, and the Universe. (Ast 5022 is the same course)
Phys 5041. Mathematical Methods for Physics.
Phys 5042. Analytical and Numerical Methods of Physics II.
Phys 5081. Introduction to Biopolymer Physics.
Phys 5401. Physiological Physics. (may not be offered very often)
Phys 5402. Radiological Physics. (may not be offered very often)

2 semesters of seminar in respective field 8100 (education), 8200 (cosmology/astrophysics), 8600 (space), 8700 (CM), 8800 (Nuclear) and 8900 (HEP)

For biophysics majors, take either the CM seminar, or seminars in related departments (see examples below).

After you read sub-field specific information, make sure to check the last section about thesis credits, etc.

PHYS 4211. Introduction to Solid-State Physics. (usually taken in the spring of the 1st year)
Phys 8702. Statistical Mechanics and Transport Theory II.
Phys 8711. Solid-State Physics I.
Phys 8712. Solid-State Physics II.
Phys 8001. Advanced Quantum Mechanics.

For theory students, the following may be suggested.
Phys 8011. Quantum Field Theory I.
Phys 8012. Quantum Field Theory II.

Additional suggestions offered in other departments:

• Chem 5210 Materials Characterization. (4 cr; A-F only. Prereq–Grad student or #)
  Modern tools/techniques for both bulk- and thin-film characterization. Topics may include ion-solid interactions, Rutherford back scattering, secondary ion mass spectrometry, solid-state NMR, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, small-angle x-ray/neutron scattering, transmission/scanning electron/probe microscopy, near-field scanning optical microscopy, porosimetry, adsorption techniques, and ellipsometry.
  
  
• EE 5163 Semiconductor Properties and Devices I. (3 cr. Prereq–3161, 3601 or #)
  Principles and properties of semiconductor devices. Selected topics in semiconductor materials, statistics, and transport. Aspects of transport in p-n junctions, heterojunctions.
  
  
• EE 5621 Physical Optics. (3 cr. Prereq–3015 or #)
  Physical optics principles, including Fourier analysis of optical systems and images, scalar diffraction theory, interferometry, and coherence theory. Applications discussed include diffractive optical elements, holography, astronomical imaging, optical information processing, and microoptics.
  
  
• EE 5653 Physical Principles of Magnetic Materials. (3 cr. Prereq–IT grad or #)
  Physics of diamagnetism, paramagnetism, ferromagnetism, antiferromagnetism, ferrimagnetism; ferromagnetic phenomena; static and dynamic theory of micromagnetics, magneto-optics, and magnetization dynamics; magnetic material applications.
  
  
• EE 5655 Magnetic Recording. (3 cr. Prereq–IT grad or #)
  Magnetic fundamentals, recording materials, idealized models of magnetic records/reproduction, analytic models of magnetic record heads, sinusoidal magnetic recording, digital magnetic recording, magnetic recording heads/media, digital recording systems.
  
  
• EE 5657 Physical Principles of Thin Film Technology. (4 cr. Prereq–IT grad student or #)
  Physical principles of deposition, characterization, and processing of thin film materials. Materials science, vacuum science, and technology. Physical vapor deposition techniques. Properties of thin films and metallurgical/protective coatings. Modification of surface films. Emerging thin film materials/applications. Lab. Demonstration experiments.
  
  
• MATS 8001 Structure and Symmetry of Materials. (3 cr; A-F only)
  Comprehensive description of structure of materials, including metals, semiconductors, organic crystals, polymers, and liquid crystals. Atomic and molecular ordering, influence of intermolecular forces on symmetry and structure. Principles of scattering and use of X-ray, neutron, and electron diffraction.
  
  
• MATS 8003 Electronic Properties. (3 cr; A-F only. Prereq–#)
  Basic physical theory of bonding in metals, alloys, and semiconductors. Review of modern physics, statistical physics, and solid state physics. Structure of matter emphasizing electronic processes. Techniques for predicting and understanding electronic structure of solids. Transport theory, elementary theory of magnetism, and superconductivity.
  
  
• NPSE 8001 Introduction to Nanoparticle Science and Engineering. (3 cr; A-F only)
  A broad, interdisciplinary overview of the emerging field of nanoparticle science and engineering. This introductory course, designed for students with diverse backgrounds in science and engineering, covers a wide spectrum of topics—from the synthesis of nanoparticles, to nanoparticle growth and transport, to characterization methods for nanoparticles, to novel nanoparticle-based materials and devices.
  
  

PHYS 4511. Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics. (usually taken in the spring of the 1st year)
Phys 8901. Elementary Particle Physics I.
Phys 8902. Elementary Particle Physics II.
Phys 8001. Advanced Quantum Mechanics.
Phys 8011. Quantum Field Theory I.
less frequently taken:
Phys 8501. General Relativity and Cosmology I. (offered every other year)
Phys 8502. General Relativity and Cosmology II. (offered every other year)
Phys 8611. Cosmic Ray and Space Physics.

For theory students, the following may be good to take.
Phys 8012. Quantum Field Theory II.
Phys 8911. Introduction to Supersymmetry.
Phys 8702. Statistical Mechanics and Transport Theory II.
Phys 8950. Advanced Topics in Elementary Particle Physics. (not offered every year)

Phys 8311. Biological Physics of Single Molecules
Phys 8312. Biological Physics of Macroscopic Systems

From other departments:

• BIOL 4003 Genetics. (3 cr. §GCD 3022. Prereq–BIOC 3021 or BIOC 4331)
  Introduction to the nature of genetic information, its transmission from parents to offspring, its expression in cells and organisms, and its course in populations.
  
  
• BIOL Cell Biology. (3 cr. Prereq–Biol/BIOC 3021 or BIOC 5331, BIOL 4003 or BIOC 4332)
  Processes fundamental to cells emphasizing eukaryotic cells. Assembly and function of membranes and organelles. Cell division, cell form and movement, intercellular communication, transport, and secretion pathways. Some discussion of specialized cells including cancer cells and differentiated cells.
  
  
• BIOC 3021-Biochemistry (not for graduate credits) (3 cr. §BIOC 6021. Prereq–[BIOL 1002 or 1009], CHEM 2301)
  Fundamentals of biochemistry including structure and function of proteins, nucleic acids, lipids and carbohydrates; metabolism and regulation of metabolism; quantitative treatments of chemical equilibria, enzyme catalysis and bioenergetics; the chemical basis of genetic information flow.
  
  
• BIOC 4332 Biochemistry II: Molecular Mechanisms of Signal Transduction and Gene Expression. (4 cr. Prereq–4331 or #)
  Advanced survey of molecular biology, mechanisms of gene action, and biological regulation.
  
  
• BIOC 4521-Introduction to Physical Biochemistry. (3 cr. Prereq–CHEM 1022, MATH 1272, PHYS 1202)
  Introduction to physical chemical principles and their applications in biochemistry. Thermodynamics, kinetics, spectroscopy, and solution dynamics as applied to biochemical reactions and biopolymers.
  
  
• BIOC 5444-Muscle. (3 cr. §Phsl 5444. Prereq–Biol/BioC 3021 or 4331 or Phsl 3061 or #)
  Muscle structure/function: molecular mechanism by which force is generated.
  
  
• BIOC 5527 Introduction to Modern Structural Biology. (4 cr. Prereq–[intro biochemistry, intro physics] or physical chemistry or #)
  Methods employed in modern structural biology to elucidate macromolecular structures. Primary focus on X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Principles underlying structural biology and structure/function relationships.
  
  
• BIOC 5528-Spectroscopy and Kinetics. (4 cr. Prereq–Intro physical chemistry or equiv; intro biochemistry recommended)
  Biochemical dynamics from perspectives of kinetics and spectroscopy. Influence of structure, molecular interactions, and chemical transformations on biochemical reactions. Focuses on computational, spectroscopic, and physical methods. Steady-state and transient kinetics. Optical and magnetic resonance spectroscopies.
  
  
• BIOC 6021 Biochemistry. No graduate Credits (3.0 cr; BIOC 3021]; Prereq-general biology, organic chemistry, #; intended for MBS students; fall, spring, summer, every year)
  Fundamentals of biochemistry. Structure/function of proteins, nucleic acids, lipids and carbohydrates. Metabolism, regulation of metabolism. Quantitative treatments of chemical equilibria, enzyme catalysis, and bioenergetics. Chemical basis of genetic information flow.
  
  
• BMEN 5311-Advanced Biomedical Transport Processes. (3-4 cr [max 4 cr]. §ChEn 5753, ME 5381. Prereq–IT upper div or grad student or #; [ChEn 5103 or ME 5342] recommended)
  Introduction to biological fluid, mass, and heat transport. Mass transferacross membranes. Fluid flow in vessels/interstitium. Heat transfer in cells, tissues, and body. Applications to blood oxygenation, respiration, drug delivery, and tissue engineering.
  
  
• BMEN 5920 Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering. (2-4 cr [max 4 cr])
  
• BPHY 8147-Advanced Physics of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). (3 cr. Prereq–5174 or #)
  NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) and MRI physics, spatial selection and encoding, imaging hardware and system engineering. Imaging sequences, associated contrast/resolution. Recent developments in MRI.
  
  
• CHEM 5021-Computational Chemistry. (3 cr. Prereq–3502 or equiv)
  Theoretical methods for study of molecular structure, bonding, and reactivity. Ab initio and semi-empirical calculations of molecular electronic structure. Theoretical determination of molecular electronic structure and spectra; relation to experimental techniques. Molecular mechanics. Structure determination for large systems. Molecular properties and reactivity. Computational tools. Critical assessment of methods and theoretical work in the literature. Lab.
  
  
• CHEM 8021-Computational Chemistry. (4 cr. Prereq–3502 or equiv)
  Modern theoretical (classical and quantum) methods used in study of molecular structure, bonding, and reactivity. Concepts and practical applications. Determination of spectra; relationship to experimental techniques. Molecular mechanics. Critical assessment of reliability of methods with emphasis on understanding the literature.
  
  
• CSCI 5481-Computational Techniques for Genomics. (3 cr. Prereq–4041 or #)
  Techniques to analyze biological data generated by genome sequencing, proteomics, cell-wide measurements of gene expression changes. Algorithms for single/multiple sequence alignments/assembly. Search algorithms for sequence databases, phylogenetic tree construction algorithms. Algorithms for gene/promoter and protein structure prediction. Data mining for micro array expression analysis. Reverse engineering of regulatory networks.
  
  
• EE 5629-Optical System Design. (2 cr. Prereq–IT sr or grad)
  Elementary or paraxial optics. Non-paraxial, exact ray tracing. Energy considerations in instrument design. Fourier optics and image quality. Design examples: telescopes, microscopes, diffraction-limited lenses, projectors, and scientific instruments.
  
  
• MATH 4428-Mathematical Modeling. (4 cr. Prereq–2243 or 2373 or 2573)
  Modeling techniques for analysis/decision-making in industry. Optimization (sensitivity analysis, Lagrange multipliers, linear programming). Dynamical modeling (steady-states, stability analysis, eigenvalue methods, phase portraits, simulation). Probabilistic methods (probability/statistical models, Markov chains, linear regression, simulation).
  
  
• MATH 5535-Dynamical Systems and Chaos. (4 cr. Prereq–[2243 or 2373 or 2573], [2263 or 2374 or 2574])
  Dynamical systems theory. Emphasizes iteration of one-dimensional mappings. Fixed points, periodic points, stability, bifurcations, symbolic dynamics, chaos, fractals, Julia/Mandelbrot sets.
  
  
• MATH 5445 Mathematical Analysis of Biological Networks. (4 cr. Prereq–Linear algebra, differential equations)
  Development/analysis of models for complex biological networks. Examples taken from signal transduction networks, metabolic networks, gene control networks, and ecological networks.
  
  
• MATH 8506-Applied Dynamical Systems and Bifurcation Theory II. (3 cr; A-F only. Prereq–5587 or #)
  Background on analysis in Banach spaces, linear operator theory. Lyapunov-Schmidt reduction, static bifurcation, stability at a simple eigenvalue, Hopf bifurcation in infinite dimensions invariant manifold theory. Applications to hydrodynamic stability problems, reaction-diffusion equations, pattern formation, and elasticity.
  
  
• MATS 8204-Computational Methods and Applications to Problems in Materials Science and Engineering. (2 cr; A-F only. Prereq–Grad student, knowledge of programming languages such as Fortran)
  Implementation of computational methods/applications to numerical problems in materials science and engineering. Emphasizes implementation to applications.
  
  
• ME 5351-Computational Heat Transfer. (4 cr; A-F only. Prereq–IT upper div or grad student, 3322)
  Numerical solution of heat conduction and analogous physical processes. Develop and use a computer program to solve complex problems involving steady and unsteady heat conduction, flow and heat transfer in ducts, flow in porous media, and other special applications.
  
  
• MICA 8006-Protein Sequence Analysis. (3 cr. Prereq–Biochem course, knowledge of UNIX operating system recommended)
  DNA and protein sequence and protein structure databases; protein sequence analysis; methods for display of sequence comparison and prediction results; Genetics Computer Group (GCG) sequence analysis programs; and current literature and research problems.
  
  
• PUBH 5450-Biostatistics I
  
• SCIC 8001-Parallel High-Performance Computing. (3 cr. Prereq–Undergrad degree in field using sci comp or #)
  Interdisciplinary overview of computer science aspects of scientific computation, both hardware and techniques. Parallel computing, architectures, programming, and algorithms; restructuring compilers and data structures.
  
  
• SCIC 8021-Advanced Numerical Methods. (3 cr. Prereq–Undergrad degree in field using sci comp or #)
  Interdisciplinary overview of advanced numerical methods of scientific computation, emphasizing computational aspects. Approximation methods for partial differential equations, numerical linear algebra, sparse matrix techniques, iterative methods, solution of eigenvalue problems, and case studies.
  
  
• STAT 5021-Statistical Analysis. (4 cr. §AnSc 2211, Stat 3011. Prereq–§: 3011; College algebra or #; Stat course recommended
  Intensive introduction to statistical methods for graduate students needing statistics as a research technique.
  
  

Seminar alternatives:

• BIOC 8184-Grad Sem
  
• BMEN 8601 BMEn seminar
  
• BPHY 5138 Research Seminar
  
• SST 8000-Colloquium
  

Since the following courses are not offered often, you may have to rely on “Directed Studies” to teach yourself by working with a faculty member.
PHYS 4611. Introduction to Space Physics. (not offered very often)
PHYS 4621. Introduction to Plasma Physics. (not offered very often)
Phys 8601. Plasma Physics I. (not offered very often)
Phys 8611. Cosmic Ray and Space Physics. (not offered very often)

From other departments:

• AST 8001 Radiative Processes in Astrophysics. (4 cr. Prereq–#)
  Introduction to classical/quantum physics of electromagnetic radiation as it applies to astro-physics. Emphasizes radiative processes (e.g., emission, absorption, scattering) in astrophysical contexts (e.g., ordinary stars, ISM, neutron stars, active galaxies).
  
  
• AST 8031 Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics. (4 cr. Prereq–#)
  Contemporary topics. Numerical techniques for modeling astrophysical fluids and plasmas. Supernovae shocks, convection, astrophysical jets, and cloud dynamics.
  
  

PHYS 4511. Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics. (usually taken in the spring of the 1st year)
Phys 8001. Advanced Quantum Mechanics.
Phys 8011. Quantum Field Theory I.
Phys 8012. Quantum Field Theory II.
Phys 8801. Nuclear Physics I. (it has not been offered for awhile)
Phys 8802. Nuclear Physics II. (it has not been offered for awhile)
Phys 8850. Advanced Topics in Nuclear Physics. (every few years)
Phys 8901. Elementary Particle Physics I. (alternative to 8801)
Phys 8902. Elementary Particle Physics II. (alternative to 8802)
Phys 8702. Statistical Mechanics and Transport Theory II.
Phys 8501. General Relativity and Cosmology I. (offered every other year)
Phys 8502. General Relativity and Cosmology II. (offered every other year)

Less frequently taken:

Phys 8911. Introduction to Supersymmetry.
Phys 8611. Cosmic Ray and Space Physics.
Phys 8950. Advanced Topics in Elementary Particle Physics. (not offered every year)

• Phys 8994 Independent research - if you are doing research (before your prelim oral) and you don't have many classes you need to take, you should register for this to show that you are putting a significant amount of time and energy into research. You need to fill out a form which is available in the front office (148) and write what you will do, and get your adviser's signature so that it's clear to both of you what you are trying to accomplish at the end of the semester. You will get a permission number when you turn the form in.
• Phys 5994 Independent research - similar to 8994, but if your research is at a basic level. You need to fill out the same form as 8994 to get a permission number.
• Phys 5993 Independent study - Studying some subject instead of doing research. Otherwise the same as 5994
• Phys 8888 Thesis credits for PhD students.
• Phys 8777 Thesis credits for Plan A MS students.
• Phys 8500 Plan B project for Plan B MS students
• Phys 8666 You are doing research with your PhD adviser, but have not pass the preliminary oral and as a result, are not allowed to take 8888. You should not have to take this for more than one semester - you should take the oral soon if you are in this situation. Also, when you consider taking this, most likely, you should be taking 8994 or 5994 (independent research) instead.

• GRAD 8101-Teaching in Higher Education.
  This course is designed to help you become a stronger, more reflective college teacher. Co-teachers along with course participants will model a variety of active learning strategies (e.g. cooperative learning, collaborative learning, problem-posing, case study, interactive lecture, discussion, critical thinking, role-playing) and will facilitate discussions addressing educational theory and practice. For more details
• GRAD 8102-Practicum for Future Faculty.
  This course is designed to give participants opportunities to apply the theories and methods learned in GRAD 8101, “Teaching in Higher Education” (or in a PFF-approved departmental pedagogy course), and to further enhance understandings of the faculty role in higher education. For more details

• GRAD 999
  A course to register if you just need to maintain “active” status. Cannot be used if you have an RA or TA appointment. Cannot be useful to maintain legal visa status. See for more details about Grad 999. It says, “Do not register for Grad 999 if you must be registered to hold an assistantship, maintain legal visa status, defer loans, receive financial aid, or for any reason other than to meet the Graduate School's registration requirement.”
• Phys 8333, 8444
  To maintain an “active” student status for an MS (8333) or ABD PhD (8444) student. Does allow assistantship, and good for valid student visa.

If you want to look at the official course catalog, please click here. Specifically, Graduate School course catalog is found here. The undergraduate course catalog is found here.

Note that some 5-level classes are only listed in the Undergraduate course catalog.