For students of science and engineering, the study of physics provides the basic foundation needed to understand the complex workings of the material world, from the forces that build atoms to those that build bridges. For students of the liberal arts, the study of physics provides an introduction to modern ideas about the most fundamental and elemental aspects of nature and how those ideas developed in their cultural and historical context. Physics is a basic and indispensable tool in all technical fields, and its development figures prominently in any discussion of the intellectual history of our civilization.

The department offers several programs leading to degrees in physics. A basic physics curriculum in the College of Science stresses the detailed and advanced preparation needed for graduate work or employment in physics.

Options are available within the physics degree program that prepare students for graduate work or employment in an allied field, such as applied physics, biophysics, chemical physics, geophysics, mathematical physics, optical physics, and physics teaching.