Two degrees are offered in Physics: a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.). We also offer a minor in Physics. All three routes are described in tables below (see the undergraduate roadmap for details). In each case, the program has three components: a) lower division classes, b) upper division classes and c) research projects.
The minimum number of units for each bachelor degree is 120.
| Class | Course | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS-151 | Mechanics and Heat | 4 |
| PHYS-152 | Electricity and Magnetism | 4 |
| PHYS-254 | Modern Physics and Light | 3 |
| PHYS-255 | Laboratory on Light & Modern Physics | 1 |
| CHEM-111A | General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM-111B | General Chemistry II | 5 |
| MATH-122 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH-123 | Calculus II | 4 |
| MATH-224 | Calculus III | 4 |
| MATH-247 | Linear Algebra | 3 |
| BIOL 200 or BIOL 211 |
General Biology or Evolution and Diversity |
4 |
| Class | Course | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL-317 | Technical Writing (only for B.Sc.) | 3 |
| MATH-364A | Ordinary Differential Equations I (3) | 3 |
| MATH-ELEC | A three unit class has to be chosen among the upper division Mathematics courses. | 3 |
| Take 33 units of upper division physics including: | ||
| PHYS-310 | Analytic Mechanics I | 3 |
| PHYS-320 | Thermodynamics | 3 |
| PHYS-340A | Electricity and Magnetism I | 3 |
| PHYS-340B | Electricity and Magnetism II | 3 |
| PHYS-350 | Modern Physics | 3 |
| PHYS-360 | Physics with Symbolic Algebra Software | 3 |
| PHYS-380 | Electronics | 4 |
| PHYS-450 | Quantum Physics I | 3 |
| Take one laboratory course chosen from: PHYS 445, 446, 447, and 480 |
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| The remaining (up to 8) units are to be chosen from any upper division physics course. |
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The requirements of the BS in Physics are one course short of a minor in Applied Mathematics
| Class | Course | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS-151 | Mechanics and Heat | 4 |
| PHYS-152 | Electricity and Magnetism | 4 |
| PHYS-254 | Modern Physics and Light | 3 |
| MATH-122 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH-123 | Calculus II | 4 |
| MATH-224 | Calculus III | 4 |
| 12 units of upper division physics (PHYS) courses. | ||
| 12 units of science courses from the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (CNSM) or College of Engineering (COE) or EDSS-300c, EDSS-300m (College of Education). |
| Class | Course | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS-151 | Mechanics & Heat | 4 |
| PHYS-152 | Electricity & Magnetism | 4 |
| PHYS-254 | Modern Physics and Light | 3 |
| A minimum of 9 units in physics classes |
We encourage all undergraduate students, irrespective of their career choice, to participate in a project with one of the faculty (see the Research page for a list of faculty and their specializations). These projects generally take place during the semester or the summer. This is an excellent way to obtain hands-on experience through experimental or theoretical physics activities and get a taste of what beyond-the-classroom Physics is about.