Applied Physics of Combat Systems - Curriculum 533
Combat Systems Web Page:
https://www.nps.edu/web/physics
Program Officer
CDR Pamela Tellado
Spanagel Hall, Room 304
(831) 656-2045, DSN 756-2045
pamela.tellado@nps.edu
Associate Chairman, Instruction and Administration
Christopher Smithtro, Ph.D.
Code PH/Sc, Spanagel Hall, Room 206A
(831) 656-3939, DSN 756-3939
cgsmitht@nps.edu
Brief Overview
This program is designed to meet the needs of the military services for an officer having a broad-based advanced technical education applicable to combat systems design, development, test and evaluation, acquisition, operation, and support. The majority of students earn a degree in Applied Physics; degrees in Engineering Acoustics and Combat Systems Technology are also available. Included in the core of the program are courses on electromagnetic radiation, applied optics, optoelectronics, explosives and warheads, fluid dynamics of weapons, combat simulation, underwater acoustics, semiconductor devices, detection and engagement elements, combat systems integration, and computing resources for advanced combat systems. The officer will also conduct thesis research on a military-relevant technical problem.
Requirements for Entry
A baccalaureate degree with mathematics through differential and integral calculus and a calculus-based basic physics sequence are required for direct input. Courses in the physical sciences and engineering are highly desirable. An APC of 323 is required.
Convenes
Winter, Summer
Program Length
24 Months
Subspecialty
The Applied Physics of Combat Systems curriculum has options ranging from an accelerated four-quarter program for students ready to commence graduate-level courses, to a standard eight-quarter course of study for students who require a review of undergraduate coursework. Completion of the full eight-quarter curriculum qualifies an officer as an Applied Physics of Combat Systems sub-specialist with a subspecialty code of 5701-5705P depending on specialization track. U.S. Navy students entering the curriculum through the one-year Immediate Graduate Education Program (IGEP) receive a sub-specialty code of 5701-5704I. The curriculum sponsor is the Program Executive Officer, Integrated Weapons Systems (PEO-IWS).
Typical Subspecialty Assignments
Combat Systems, Weapons, Plans and Tactics, or Operations Officer
Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Los Alamos, NM
DOE National Nuclear Security Agency, Washington, DC
Fleet and Type Commander Combat Systems Officers
Missile Defense Agency, Washington, DC
Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC
Naval Surface Warfare Center - White Sands, NM, Dahlgren, VA, or Port Hueneme, CA
Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, CA
OPNAV N95/96/97/98 - Resource Sponsor / Requirements Officer
Program Executive Officer Carriers, Washington, DC
Strategic Weapons Facility Atlantic or Pacific
Supervisor Shipbuilding - Groton, Newport News, Bath, or Pascagoula
United States Naval Academy or United States Military Academy (military faculty)
Warfare Tactics Instructor
Typical Course of Study - Applied Physics Option
Quarter 1
Quarter 2
Quarter 3
Quarter 4
| PH3352 | Electromagnetic Waves | | 4 | 0 |
| PH3655 | Semiconductor Device Physics | | 4 | 0 |
| PH3011 | Thesis Proposal Preparation | | 1 | 0 |
| Track Course | | | |
| Track Course | | | |
Quarter 5
| PH0810 | Thesis Research | | 0 | 8 |
| PH4656 | Quantum Mechanics | | 4 | 1 |
| PH0999 | Physics Colloquium | | 0 | 1 |
| Track Course | | | |
| Track Course | | | |
Quarter 6
| PC3800 | Survey of Weapons and their Effects | | 4 | 0 |
| PC4860 | Modern Missile Systems | | 4 | 1 |
| PH0999 | Physics Colloquium | | 0 | 1 |
| Track Course | | | |
| Track Course | | | |
Quarter 7
| PH0810 | Thesis Research | | 0 | 8 |
| PH0810 | Thesis Research | | 0 | 8 |
| PH0999 | Physics Colloquium | | 0 | 1 |
| Track Course | | | |
| Track Course | | | |
Quarter 8
| PH0810 | Thesis Research | | 0 | 8 |
| PH0810 | Thesis Research | | 0 | 8 |
| PC3400 | Survey of Underwater Acoustics | | 4 | 0 |
| PH4001 | Physics Thesis Presentation | | 1 | 0 |
Joint Professional Military Education (JPME):
All Unrestricted Line Naval Officers are required to take the following four courses for JPME; these courses are normally added to the matrix in the first 4 quarters:
| NW3230 | Strategy and War | | 4 | 2 |
| NW3275 | Joint Maritime Operations - part 1 | | 4 | 0 |
| NW3276 | Joint Maritime Operations - part 2 | | 2 | 2 |
| NW3285 | Theater Security Decision Making | | 4 | 0 |
Engineering Duty Officers and students from other services are not required to take JPME courses.
Concentration Areas
The Physics department offers three concentration areas: Acoustics, Sensors, and Weapons. Each concentration consists of four or five "track" courses. The approved track courses are:
- Acoustics - PH3119, PH3451, PH3452, PH4454, PH4455
- Sensors - PH3280, PH3292, PH3655, PH4272, PH4274
- Weapons - ME4700, PH4171, PH4857, PH4858
U.S. Navy students pursuing the 570X subspecialty code will complete two tracks.
Note: Final approval of a student's degree program rests with the department Chair.