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The Department of Physics and Astronomy within the College of Arts and Sciences provides academic programs and research opportunities primarily leading to a Ph.D. Students can earn an M.A. either as a final degree or while progressing toward their Ph.D. For those focused on research instrumentation, the Master of Science in Scientific Instrumentation program is available. Aspiring high school physics teachers can pursue a Master of Arts in Teaching through the School of Professional Development. Additional opportunities exist in specialized physics fields and related disciplines at Stony Brook, including Medical Physics, Chemical Physics, Atmospheric and Climate Modeling, Materials Science, and collaborations with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Faculty members teach a diverse range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional development courses, including timely special topics. Graduate students complete one year of teaching, with minimal course requirements to enable flexible scheduling. Early research involvement is encouraged, with thesis work typically starting by the third year. The Ph.D. program usually takes four to six years, while the Master's in Scientific Instrumentation is a two-year program requiring a thesis on instrumentation design. An M.A. can be finished in two semesters and one summer.