Physics (BS)
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Variable Credit Min
Variable Credit Max
Major Academic Plan
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Learning Outcome
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Learning Outcome
Program Requirements
No more than 3 hours of D credit is allowed in major courses.
Requirement 1 —Complete 19 Courses
Note: Phscs 191 should be taken the first semester as a freshman. Phscs 291 should be taken the first semester as a sophomore.
course - Intro to Computer Science 3.0
course - Calculus 2 4.0
course - Intro to Newtonian Mechanics 3.0
course - Intro to Waves, Optics, Thermo 3.0
course - Intro Phscs Careers & Rsrch 1 0.5
course - Intro Electricity & Magnetism 3.0
course - Modern Physics 3.0
course - Intro to Experimental Physics 2.0
course - Computational Physics Lab 1 1.0
course - Dsgn, Fabricatn, Sci Apparatus 2.0
course - Experiments in Contemp Phscs 2.0
course - Intro Phscs Careers & Rsrch 2 0.5
course - Intro Math Physics 3.0
course - Mechanics 3.0
course - Computational Physics Lab 2 1.0
course - Statistical & Thermal Physics 3.0
course - Computational Physics Lab 3 1.0
course - Electricity & Magnetism 3.0
course - Quantum Mechanics 3.0
Requirement 2 —Complete 2 of 3 Courses
course - Electrodynamics 3.0
course - Appl Quantum Mechanics 3.0
course - Principles of Optics 3.0
Requirement 3 —Complete 1 of 6 Courses
course - Electrodynamics 3.0
course - Appl Quantum Mechanics 3.0
course - Introduction to Acoustics 3.0
course - Principles of Optics 3.0
course - Intro to Elementary Particles 3.0
course - Computational Physics 3.0
course - Solid State Physics 3.0
Requirement 4 —Complete 1 of 2 Options
Option 4.1 —Complete 2 Courses
course - Math for Engr 1 4.0
course - Math for Engineering 2 4.0
Option 4.2 —Complete 4 Courses
course - Elementary Linear Algebra 2.0
course - Computational Linear Algebra 1.0
course - Calculus of Several Variables 3.0
course - Ordinary Differential Equation 3.0
Requirement 5 —Complete 1 Requirement
Senior thesis:
Complete a senior thesis, including the following:
A. Choose a research mentor and group as early as possible, starting with information in Phscs 191 and 291, and discussion with faculty, your advisor and senior thesis coordinator. It is best to start as a freshman or sophomore. Interdisciplinary work in other departments or in internships is possible.
Requirement 5.1 —Complete 2 hours
B.
course - Senior Thesis - You may take up to 2.0 credit hours 0.5v
Requirement 6 — Obtain confirmation from your advisement center that you have completed the following:
Students are required to take the Physics "Major Field Test" the last semester before they graduate. The test is a standardized assessment of undergraduate physics written by ETS (Educational Testing Service). The ETS website contains a description of the exam and sample problems: http://www.ets.org/mft/about/content/physics. Results of the exam do not appear on the transcript or affect the GPA. Students should contact the Physics undergraduate secretary to make arrangements for taking the exam; typically it's done in the Testing Center before mid-semester.
Note 1: Students planning careers in experimental, applied, or industrial physics should complete Stat 201.
Note 2: All students will benefit, through courses or individual study, by learning programming skills and numerical methods beyond what you are taught in C S 111 and our computational physics courses. Consider the following: C S courses, Math 410, Me En 373.
Note 3: Students planning graduate school in physics should learn complex analysis. Consider the following: Math 332, Phscs 601, 602.
