Physics, B.S. Major (Class of 2026)
Requirements
The program consists of a minimum of 12 major courses and 5 collateral courses:
| PHYS 130 | Relativity, Spacetime and Contemporary Physics | 1 |
| | |
| PHYS 131 | Physics I: Mechanics | 1 |
| Or | |
| PHYS 151 | Accelerated Physics I: Mechanics and Thermodynamics | 1 |
| | |
| PHYS 133 | Physics II: Electricity, Magnetism, and Waves | 1 |
| Or | |
| PHYS 152 | Accelerated Physics II: Electricity, Magnetism, and Optics | 1 |
| | |
| PHYS 215 | Introduction to Quantum Physics | 1 |
| PHYS 218 | Oscillatory and Wave Phenomena | 1 |
| PHYS 327 | Advanced Classical Mechanics | 1 |
| PHYS 335 | Thermal Physics | 1 |
| PHYS 338 | Advanced Physics Laboratory | 1 |
| PHYS 342 | Electromagnetic Fields | 1 |
| PHYS 351 | Quantum Theory | 1 |
| PHYS | Two 200-level or higher PHYS elective credits | |
| MATH 161 | Calculus I | 1 |
| MATH 162 | Calculus II | 1 |
| MATH 263 | Calculus III | 1 |
| MATH 264 | Differential Equations with Linear Algebra | 1 |
| | One approved MATH, CS, CM elective or PHYS 314 | |
In special circumstances, students who have taken advanced electrical and computer engineering or mechanical engineering courses in electromagnetic theory, electronics, dynamics, or thermodynamics may waive certain of these required courses with approval of the head of the physics department and the Student Affairs Committee.
Advanced courses from other science or engineering departments may be substituted for physics elective courses and up to two required physics courses with the approval of the head of the physics department and the Student Affairs Committee, when doing so will produce a coherent program of physics applied to an interdisciplinary field such as material science, biophysics, geophysics, etc.
This page reflects the requirements for completing this major. General graduation requirements for all students can be found here.