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Nov 03, 2025
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2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Physics, Applied Physics Concentration, B.S.
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 Return to: Degrees Offered
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Physics Degree and Major Requirements, B.S.
Degree and major requirements for the B.S. program in physics. Required Courses
- General Education 41 Credit Hours 1
- Quantitative requirement (in addition to General Education ) 3 Credit Hours
- Scientific Literacy requirement (in addition to General Education ) 3-4 Credit Hours
- University electives 0-19 Credit Hours
- Major core requirements (listed below) 50 Credit Hours 2
- Major program concentration requirements 13-36 Credit Hours
Footnotes
1 The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary. 2 Some major core courses simultaneously satisfy degree and some General Education requirements so that a student need not take more than 120 credit hours to satisfy graduation requirements. Major Core Requirements
Shared Core Requirements for All B. S. Physics Majors. Choose one of the following pair of introductory courses: 6 Credit Hours
Choose one of the following pair of laboratory courses: 2 Credit Hours
Cognate Disciplines
Courses in related fields required of all B. S. Physics Majors. Total: 50 Credit Hours
Includes the Physics Required Introductory, Laboratory, 200 Level and above, as well as Cognate Required Courses. This is the shared core for the overall Physics B. S. Program Concentrations
Each student, in consultation with their faculty adviser, will choose one of the following program concentrations. Applied Physics Concentration
The applied physics concentration is designed to prepare students for careers in a wide variety of scientific areas including laboratory and industrial settings. Students are strongly encouraged to complete at least one of six areas of interest for completion of degree requirements: applied nuclear physics, computational physics, materials physics, electronics and instrumentation, geophysics and biophysics. All students in the applied physics concentration must complete the following courses: Required Courses (in addition to core requirements)
Additional courses approved by the head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy: 9 Credit Hours
Ideally these courses should form a coherent set of courses for the best possible academic experience. See below for some suggestions. Choose one of the following research courses: 2-6 Credit Hours
At least two credits must come from research courses. Total: 19-23 Credit Hours
Footnote
1 Students completing honors theses should take PHYS 499 in both the fall and spring semesters of their senior year for a total of 6 credit hours. Alternatively students could complete their theses over three semesters (spring of junior year, fall and spring of senior year, with two credits of PHYS 499 each semester, for a total of 6 credit hours).
Suggested Areas of Interest to complete the 9 credit hours required.
To satisfy the requirement of at least 9 additional credit hours approved by the department head, students are strongly encouraged to pursue a coherent set of courses to round out their academic experience. Below are suggested areas of interest. Applied Nuclear Physics Courses
Choose one of the following:
Electronics and Instrumentation Courses
Choose among: 3-4 Credit Hours
Total: 11-12 Credit Hours
Choose one of the following: 3 Credit Hours
Computational Physics Courses
Students pursuing this area of interest should declare a minor in mathematics. Choose one of the following courses: 3-4 Credit Hours
Choose one of the following: 3-4 Credit Hours
Choose one of the following: 3-4 Credit Hours
At least three credits from a field- or geographic-based course: 3-6 Credit Hours
At least six credits from the following: 6 Credit Hours
At least three credits from the following: 3-4 Credit hours
Total: 24-26 Credit Hours
Choose one of the following: 3-4 Credit Hours
Total: 29-30 Credit Hours
Students pursuing the Applied Physics Concentration are encouraged to consider the following minors as being particularly effective at augmenting a degree in physics:
Recommended Schedule for Physics Majors, B.S.
Choose one of the following pair of courses: 6 Credit Hours
Introductory Physics Courses for Majors. Choose one of the following pair of laboratory courses: 2 Credit Hours
The corresponding laboratory courses associated with either PHYS 240 /PHYS 250 or PHYS 140 /PHYS 150 . Total: 34-37 Credit Hours
Total: 31-35 Credit Hours
Third and Fourth Years
During their junior and senior years, students will select courses to complete the specific program concentration which they are following. These course selections will be made with the assistance of a faculty adviser. |
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