Physics (B.S.)

Admission Requirements

Mathematics preparation through precalculus is required.

Program Requirements

General Education 23 Requirements
33 credit hours33
Physics Major Requirements (44-45 credit hours)
Required Core Courses (26 credit hours)
PHY 111UNIVERSITY PHYSICS I5
PHY 112UNIVERSITY PHYSICS II5
PHY 213UNIVERSITY PHYSICS III3
PHY 214OPTICS AND HEAT LABORATORY1
PHY 305MODERN PHYSICS I3
PHY 306MODERN PHYSICS II3
PHY 310COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS LABORATORY3
PHY 320INTRODUCTION TO THEORETICAL PHYSICS3
Additional Required Courses for the "Three-Two" Option (9 credit hours)
PHY 324ELECTRIC CIRCUIT ANALYSIS3
PHY 410ADVANCED PHYSICS LABORATORY3
PHY 440ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM I3
Plus 10 credit hours of engineering courses, transferred from engineering school10
Additional Required Courses for Four-Year Physics B.S.-Only Degree (18 credit hours)
PHY 324ELECTRIC CIRCUIT ANALYSIS3
PHY 410ADVANCED PHYSICS LABORATORY3
PHY 425CLASSICAL MECHANICS3
PHY 435INTRODUCTION TO QUANTUM MECHANICS3
PHY 440ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM I3
PHY 441ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM II3
Required Credit Hours Outside the Major (23 credit hours)
CHE 111FUNDAMENTALS OF CHEMISTRY I3
CHE 112FUNDAMENTALS OF CHEMISTRY II3
CHE 113LABORATORY FOR FUNDAMENTALS OF CHEMISTRY I1
CHE 114LABORATORY FOR FUNDAMENTALS OF CHEMISTRY II1
MAT 161CALCULUS I4
MAT 162CALCULUS II4
MAT 263CALCULUS III4
MAT 315DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS3
All College Electives
19-20 credit hours19-20
Total Credit Hours120

Students will demonstrate:

  1. ability to communicate clearly using the vocabulary and concepts of physics.
  2. ability to solve conceptual and quantitative problems in physics at an undergraduate level.
  3. understanding of laboratory skills used in physics laboratory exercises.
  4. ability to write algorithms in a computational language using common software.
  5. an understanding of keeping an accurate and legible laboratory notebook.
  6. ability to analyze and evaluate experimental data.
  7. mastery of the subject matter in Classical Mechanics, Electricity & Magnetism, and Quantum Mechanics.
  8. adequate technical report writing skills.
  9. adequate oral presentation skills.