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2020-2021 College Catalog

Physics Major

Physics Major Requirements

Minimum of 16* courses in physics, chemistry and mathematics, distributed as follows:

*Number of courses required for the major is reduced by one if CHEM 109 Accelerated General Chemistry is taken instead of CHEM 107 General Chemistry I and CHEM 108 General Chemistry II.

Ten courses in Physics

PHYS 160Light&Relativity-With 3 Hr Lab

4
PHYS 201Gen Physics I With 3 Hr Lab

4
PHYS 202Gen Physics II With 3 Hr Lab

4
PHYS 265Electronics With 3 Hr Lab

4
PHYS 271Mathematics for the Physical Sciences

3
PHYS 305Atomic&Nucl Phys-With 3 Hr Lab

4

PHYS 314Thermo&Stat Phys-With 3 Hr Lab

4
Or
PHYS 318Optics With 3 Hr Lab

4

PHYS 361Classical Mechanics I

3
PHYS 401Electricity & Magnetism I

3
PHYS 410Quantum Mechanics

3
PHYS 489Physics Pre-Senior Thesis

1
PHYS 490Senior Project

3

Four courses in Mathematics

MATH 121Single Variable Calculus

4
MATH 235Adv Single Variable Calculus

3
MATH 233Multivariable Calculus

4
MATH 311Differential Equations

3

Two courses in Chemistry*

CHEM 107General Chemistry

3
And
CHEM 108General Chemistry

3
Or
CHEM 109Acceler Gen Chem-With 3 Hr Lab

4

Recommended for freshman interested in using the observatory:

PHYS 163General Astronomy

3

Recommended for students considering graduate work in Physics:

PHYS 362Classical Mechanics II

3
PHYS 402Electricity & Magnetism II

3

Suggested advanced Mathematics courses

MATH 220Linear Algebra

3
MATH 341Complex Variables

3
MATH 411Partial Differential Eqns

3

Physics Degree Pathway

First Year

Second Year

Third Year

Fourth Year