Physics Undergraduate Minor
The object of the Physics Minor is to provide a strong physics component to bolster students typically majoring in other STEM areas, such as Chemistry, Mathematics, Cell and Molecular Biology, and the various Engineering fields. In some cases, students from the Liberal Arts and Social Sciences pursue the Physics Minor to add STEM strength to their degrees.
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Curriculum Requirements
The minor requires 20 credit hours: General Physics I and II, plus four additional physics courses at the 2000-level or above, at least one of which must come from a set of upper-level options including Theoretical Physics, Electromagnetic Theory, Optics, Classical Mechanics, Thermal Physics, or Intro Quantum Mechanics. Some upper-level physics courses carry their own math prerequisites.
FAQs
Physics is crucial to understanding the world around us, the world inside us, and the world beyond us. It is the most basic and fundamental science. Physics challenges our imaginations with concepts like relativity and string theory, and it leads to great discoveries, like computers and lasers, that change our lives.
Physics encompasses the study of the universe from the largest galaxies to the smallest subatomic particles. Moreover, it's the basis of many other sciences, including chemistry, oceanography, seismology, and astronomy. All are easily accessible with a bachelor's degree in physics.
The importance of physics isn't limited to the “hard sciences.” Increasingly, physicists are turning their talents to molecular biology, biochemistry, and biology itself. Even medicine has a niche for physicists, and since medical physicists are hard to come by, they are much in demand.
Physics also undergirds many new technologies. Cell phones, the Internet, and MRIs are only a few examples of the physics-based technological developments that have revolutionized our world. Many theoretical and experimental physicists work as engineers, and many electrical and mechanical engineers have physics degrees.
A physics education equips a person to work in many different and interesting places—in industrial and government labs, on college campuses, and in the astronaut corps. In addition, many physics grads leave the lab behind and work at newspapers and magazines, in government, and even on Wall Street—places where their problem-solving abilities and analytical skills are great assets.
So—physics is interesting, relevant, and it can prepare you for great jobs in a wide variety of places. Shouldn't you take a physics course?
—Reprinted with permission from the American Physical Society
1. The student fills out the Major/Minor declaration form (linked below) and contacts the appropriate faculty advisor to arrange a meeting:
- Physics major or minor: Prof. Wayne Reed
- Engineering Physics major (without a minor/certificate or if undecided about optional minor/certificate): Prof. Anoop Rajappan
- Engineering Physics major with Electrical Engineering minor or certificate: Prof. Ryan Gelfand
- Engineering Physics major with Mechanical Engineering minor or certificate: Prof. Matt Barrios
- Engineering Physics major with Materials Engineering minor or certificate: Prof. Doug Chrisey
- Engineering Physics major with Computational Engineering certificate: Prof. Jianwei Sun
Notes for filling out the form: The degree pursued is BS for a Physics major or BSE for the Engineering Physics major. Students declaring a certificate should enter "ENGP + ___ Certificate" in the "primary major" field.
2. After meeting the student, the faculty advisor signs the form and forwards to Prof. Jerry Shakov, Associate Chair, for his signature.
3. Prof. Shakov forwards the form to the student's NTC advisor or returns to the student (in those cases where additional signatures from another department are needed).
Students who are interested in obtaining transfer credits should first obtain the transfer credit request form from their academic advisor. They should then attach a detailed course description and/or a syllabus to the form for departmental approval. Syllabi are preferred for most courses, and they are required for introductory physics courses (e.g. algebra-based or calculus-based Physics I and II).
The forms should be returned to April Sanchez in the Physics & Engineering Physics office in 2001 Percival Stern Hall. The office is open from 8:30 AM until 4:30 PM Monday through Friday, excluding all university holidays. Once forms are approved and signed by Dr. Jiang Wei, students will be contacted to retrieve their forms and return them to Academic Advising.
All forms must be submitted and receive approval prior to taking courses at another institution.
Special note for online coursework: A lecture course that was delivered online may be considered for transfer credit, but any laboratory component must be in-person to receive credit. For this purpose, a student may take the 1-credit lab section separately to complete the requirements for a laboratory science course that was taken elsewhere online.