B.S. In Physics

This program prepares students for professional work as a physicist, and is the first step to graduate work in physics. It is also excellent preparation for graduate programs in medicine, law or engineering, as well as for technical jobs in industry. This is the most rigorous and rigid of the programs that we offer.

Options

We offer B.S. options in materials science, chemical physics and astronomy, which require fewer physics courses combined with a concentration in another area.

1. Satisfy the General Education Requirements. This includes 10 courses, four of which (Math 425, Chem 403-404, and English 401) are also Physics B.S. degree requirements.
   Note that no physics course can satisfy the general education requirement for a physics major. The rationale behind this is that a course in physics does not broaden the education of a physics major. CS 401 is also disallowed as a group 3 Gen Ed for physics majors.
2. Satisfy the Writing Requirements. This requirement includes 4 courses, two of which (English 401 and Physics 705) are also Physics B.S. degree requirements. A list of approved writing intensive courses appears on the web.
3. Satisfy the Bachelor of Science Requirements: a minimum of 128 credits at the 400-799 level and at a GPA of at least 2.00.
4. Minimum Physics requirements: 407-408, 505/506, 508, 605, 615-616, 701, 702, 703, 704, 705; two courses selected from 708, 710, 712, 718, 720,764, Math 747, 753, 754
5. Chemistry: 403 - 404. Students who had chemistry at High School may just take Chem 405, a condensed course, in the Fall. Note that if you take CHEM 405, you will need to take another Group 3 General Education course.
6. Math: 425-426, 525-526 (or alternatively Math 527 and 528).
7. Computer Science: CS 410.
8. By the end of the spring semester of the sophomore year, a student must have a minimum grade of C in each 400- or 500- level course specifically required for the B.S. degree and an overall grade-point average of 2.33 in these courses in order to continue in the B.S. program.

1. Physics Electives. Additional physics courses may be selected from the following: 791 Special Topics; 795 Independent Study, 799 Thesis.
2. Students planning to apply to graduate programs in physics are strongly encourged to take Phys 799 Thesis in their senior year.
3. Math 646, Analysis for Applications is recommended, but not required.

Year 1		Year 2		Year 3		Year 4
Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring
Phys 407S1	Phys 408S1	Phys 505	Phys 615	Phys 616	Phys 701	Phys 702	Phys 705
Math 425S1	Math 426S1	Math 5253	Math 5263	Phys 605	Phys 703	Phys 704
Chem 4032	Chem 4042	CS 410	Phys 508
Phys 400	Eng 401

Year 1		Year 2		Year 3		Year 4
Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring	Fall	Spring
Phys 407	Phys 408	Phys 505	Phys 615	Phys 616	Phys 701	Phys 702	Phys 705
Math 425	Math 426	Math 5273	Math 5283	Phys 605	Phys 703	Phys 704
Chem 4032	Chem 4042	CS 410	Phys 508
Phys 400	Eng 401

Required Courses:		Physics Electives (take two):
CS 410 Chem 403/404 Eng 401 Math 425/426 Math 525/526 Phys 407/408 Phys 505 Phys 508 Phys 605 Phys 615 Phys 616 Phys 701/702 Phys 703/704 Phys 705	Intro Scientific Programming General Chemistry Freshman English Calculus Linearity General Physics + Lab Modern Physics + Lab Thermodyn/Statistical Mech. Exp Physics I (Lab) Intro to Math Physics Physical Mechanics Quantum Physics Electricity & Magnetism Exp Physics II (Lab)	Phys 708 Phys 710 Phys 712 Phys 718 Phys 720 Phys 795 Phys 795 Math 747 Math 753 Math 754	Optics Astrophysics Physics of the Ionosphere Solid State Physics Nuclear & Particle Physics Intro to BioPhysics Independent Study Nonlin. Dynamics & Chaos Numerical Methods I Numerical Methods II

1. GPA 3.2;
2. Any three 700-level courses listed above taken for honors;
3. Senior Thesis (Phys 799)

1. Phys 407S & Math 425S (Studio) have to be taken together, same for Phys 408S & Math 426S. Incoming freshmen who do not pass the math placement test will take Math 418 in the fall, regular (lecture-style) Phys 407 & Math 425 in the spring, and Math 426 & Phys 408 in the summer following their freshmen year.
2. Students who had Chemistry at High School may just take Chem 405, a condensed course, in the fall.
3. Math 525, 526 are 6-credit hours each. Taking Math 527 & Math 528 instead allows for more flexibility in scheduling, but Math 525 & 526 better prepares for upper-level physics courses.