General Education Curriculum (GPAC) Physics Courses

The Department of Physics offers different courses as part of the university’s General Education Curriculum (GPAC). Several of these courses have the GPAC designation “Scientific Reasoning in Natural and/or Physical Lab Sciences”, which include Stars, Planets and Life in the Universe (ASTR 1001), Origins of the Cosmos (ASTR 1002), General Physics I and II (PHYS 1011 and 1012), University Physics I and II (PHYS 1021 and 1022), and University Physics with Biological Applications I and II (PHYS 1025 and 1026). Almost all of these 1000-level courses (except for PHYS 1025 and 1026) are offered every Fall and Spring semester, and some of these courses are also offered in the Summer. The Physics curriculum includes an Oral Communications course (PHYS 4195W) and two Writing in the Disciplines (WID) courses (PHYS 2151W and 4195W), which are both for majors in Physics, Biophysics or Astronomy & Astrophysics.

The two astronomy courses, ASTR 1001 and 1002, are popular GPAC courses, and they can also count towards the Astronomy & Astrophysics minor. In the ASTR 1001 course (Stars, Planets and Life in the Universe) you explore questions like: how do stars and planets form; is there life on other planets; and what tools do astronomers use to observe the Universe? In the ASTR 1002 course (Origins of the Cosmos) you try to find answers to questions like: how did we get here; how do galaxies form and evolve; do black holes exist; and what is the origin and fate of the Universe? These courses are independent of each other, and there are no prerequisites or prior knowledge required. They are offered in different formats: either with lectures and labs, or in the active and collaborative SCALE-UP (Student-Centered Active Learning Environment with Upside-Down Pedagogies) environment.

General Physics and University Physics are both introductory physics courses, with General Physics being algebra based and University Physics has calculus prerequisites. PHYS 1011 (General Physics I) and PHYS 1021 (University Physics I) both cover topics related to classical mechanics and thermodynamics, such as Newton’s laws of motion, force, work and energy, momentum, rotational motion, gravitation, and heat. PHYS 1012 (General Physics II) and PHYS 1022 (University Physics II) both explore electrostatics, magnetism, electric currents, and more. PHYS 1025 and PHYS 1026 are similar in topics to the other University Physics courses, but have a strong focus on applications of these physics concepts in biological systems such as cells and nerves, and more in general in the life sciences. All these General and University Physics courses are offered in the SCALE-UP format in the Fall and Spring semesters.