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.

Requirements

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.
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.

Optional courses

1. Physics Electives are usually offered every other year. Students should take this into account when planning their schedules, see Overview. 
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.

Regular Program for BS in Physics

Alternative Program for BS in Physics (Transfers etc...)

Overview

Physics Honors Requirements

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

Notes

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 better prepares for upper-level physics courses.