The curriculum and the expectations of student performance at the university assume that entering freshman have successfully completed a minimum of three-and-a-half years of math, including trigonometry, and three years of science beyond physical science, and have demonstrated strong general verbal-quantitative aptitudes as measured on standardized tests.
Degree Programs
Among the degree plans available:
Recommended course sequence
Below are typical schedules of course work for the degrees listed. Each semester you will be taking between 12 to 17 credit hours. These schedules are flexible and designed to be used as an aid.
Differences between BS and BA degrees
Students in the BS degree program generally will continue their studies in physics or closely related programs in graduate schools attaining the master's or doctorate degrees.
The degree requires 56 hours of physics, 8 hours of chemistry, and 16 hours of math toward a total of 122 credit hours needed to graduate.
Students seeking the BA degree generally use physics as a background for other fields. They may pursue graduate studies in biophysics, biotechnology, medicine, geophysics, aerospace, nano-scale technologies, and patent law, for example. The lower-division course requirements for the BA degree are the same as those for the BS degree. At the upper-division level, 26 hours of physics and 15 hours of science electives are required, making a total of 122 credit hours.
Fast track program
Acceptance into the Fast Track is based on the student's attaining a GPA of at least 3.00 on a minimum of 30 hours of upper-division courses that include PHYS 3311, 3312, 3330, 3416 and 3352. Eligible students may take up to 15 credit hours of selected graduate courses that may be used to complete the baccalaureate degree and also satisfy requirements for the master's degree. These credits will partially satisfy the M.S. degree requirements when the student completes the BS degree. Interested students should contact their advisor during their junior year to apply to the Fast Track program.
- Updated: May 16, 2012
