The program achieves this with a custom program for each student set up by their advisor and their advising committee. At the M.S. level students will learn to formulate, conduct and report on research, and in the case of Ph.D. the students will be able to conduct these steps independently.

Students who obtain the Masters of Science Degree (M.Sc.) in Physics typically develop critical skills that are very beneficial to a wide array of professions. Such skills include but are not limited to: data analysis, computer modeling, data measurement, high technology awareness/familiarity/expertise, ability to conduct independent scholarship/experimentation, leadership, writing/communication proficiency, mathematical expertise, creativity (“thinking outside of the box”) and critical thinking/analytical reasoning. The level of skills will depend on the nature of their masters thesis project (e.g. experimental or theoretical) but in general, physicists are considered to be deep thinkers and problem solvers. They are thus aggressively sought out for high-level jobs in many areas of human endeavor. As the bedrock of all science, mastery in physics (which by necessity includes mastery in mathematics) gives students confidence and ability to solve a wide variety of problems that are critically and widely relevant to society.