Physics: Master of Science (MSc) is a master's degree in Physics & Astronomy programme taught at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, Canada. The programme runs for 2 years, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition is CAD 2,193 per semester for local students.
A two-year, six-term MSc requiring 15 graduate units, including a student seminar, an introduction-to-graduate-studies course, and at least one core physics course such as advanced quantum mechanics or statistical mechanics. Students follow a term-by-term milestone schedule - confirming a supervisor and committee in year one, then drafting and defending a thesis in year two - and may apply to transfer into the PhD program within their first six semesters if their coursework and grades qualify.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:3.50 / 4.33
Admission Requirements: The department's admission-requirements page states this MSc directly: applicants need a bachelor's degree in physics or a related subject (or a BSc in another discipline with strong upper-level coursework in quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, electromagnetic theory, and advanced mechanics), and a cumulative GPA equivalent to SFU 3.5 or higher calculated after 80% of the bachelor's degree is complete; candidates below this threshold may still be admitted conditionally if they show potential, subject to extra undergraduate coursework. English-language proof follows SFU's general standard: IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no section below 6.0, TOEFL iBT 90 overall with no section below 20, Duolingo English Test 125 overall with no section below 105, PTE Academic 65 overall with no section below 60, or CAEL 70 overall with no section below 60, with an exemption for applicants whose prior degree was taught and examined in English in a country where English is the primary language. No GRE is required.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants apply through EducationPlannerBC, with one set of dates per applicant type rather than by citizenship. Fall 2027 entry: high-school-route applications open 1 October 2026 and close 31 January 2027, while transfer applications open 1 March 2027 and close 15 April 2027 (Education and Contemporary Arts transfer applicants may apply from 1 October 2026). Spring 2027 entry runs 1 July to 15 September 2026, and Summer 2027 entry runs 1 December 2026 to 15 January 2027. Admission documents are generally due 28 February 2027 (Fall) and offers must be accepted by 1 May. International applicants use the same EducationPlannerBC dates and portal; SFU publishes no separate international deadline. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
