BA in Physics

A Physics teaching assistant pointing at the white board while 3 undergraduate students listen in

The Bachelor of Arts in Physics builds a foundation in the field while allowing plenty of flexibility to combine the program with a second major or minor in another course of study.

The 56-credit program includes courses in physics and mathematics as well as electives in physics or astronomy. Students also complete a capstone course.


Declare a Major

All students should visit the undergraduate program director or another physics advisor before submitting the Declaration of Major/Minor Form. Current advisors are listed on the faculty directory.

Declaration of Major/Minor Form


Alexander VanderHorst

"Anywhere you need problem solving, analytical skills or technical expertise, you'll find physics majors."

Alexander van der Horst
Assistant Professor of Astrophysics


Capstone Course

Students majoring in physics complete a required capstone course. Learning objectives for the capstone include:

  • Working in a mentored learning environment to design and conduct physics research in an ethical manner
  • Exploring and preparing for various careers
  • Practicing how to share research findings with different audiences

Course Requirements 

The following requirements must be fulfilled:

The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Programs.

Program-specific curriculum:

Required
Introductory courses (29 credits):
CSCI 1012Introduction to Programming with Python
or MAE 1117 Introduction to Engineering Computations
PHYS 1021University Physics I
or PHYS 1025 University Physics I with Biological Applications
PHYS 1022University Physics II
or PHYS 1026 University Physics II with Biological Applications
PHYS 2023Modern Physics
MATH 1231Single-Variable Calculus I
MATH 1232Single-Variable Calculus II
MATH 2233Multivariable Calculus
MATH 2184Linear Algebra I
MATH 3342Ordinary Differential Equations
Advanced courses (21 credits):
PHYS 2151WIntermediate Laboratory I: Techniques and Methods
PHYS 3161Mechanics
PHYS 3164Thermal and Statistical Physics
PHYS 3165Electromagnetic Theory I
PHYS 4195WPhysics Capstone
Electives
Two courses (6 credits) in Physics (PHYS) numbered 3000 or above and/or Astronomy (ASTR) numbered 2000 or above.