Physics and astronomy have long been recognized as constituting the basis for study, research, and understanding in the natural sciences. The undergraduate major program seeks to provide the student with a broad and general background in all areas of physics. With this background, the student should be able to adapt readily to the specialized requirements of a job in industry, as a teacher, or to the specialized graduate study in physics or a number of related fields. Opportunities are provided through electives to sample the concerns of many of these related fields. 

The effort required for a non-scientist to understand our technological society is formidable, but essential if an educated man or woman is to intelligently understand and affect our natural surroundings. Recognizing this, the Department of Physics and Astronomy offers for the non-major, with no prerequisites, courses with an overview of physics as well as special interest courses dealing with topics of immediate concern.

 Its faculty members are involved with students in research in computer simulation and computational physics, biophysics, observational astrophysics and digital image analysis, and science education research. The department uses and administers the Three College Observatory, located in a nearby dark-sky location. This observatory contains the state’s largest (32 inch) reflecting telescope, along with a low light-level image acquisition system.

Degree Outcomes

• Provides a firm basis for a career in medicine, law, business, sales, engineering, Web development, computing, biophysics, environmental science, and physics.
• Through the pre-engineering program, students have entered engineering programs at schools including N.C. State University, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and N.C. Agricultural & Technical State University.
• With teacher licensure, provides preparation as a middle or high school teacher.
• Graduates hold positions as applications software engineer at McDonnell Douglas, NASA branch chief, CEO of Landmark Communication Interests, vice president of Oscom Communications, telecommunications engineer at AlliedSignal, and operations director at Continental Airlines.
• Prepares for advanced degrees; typical graduate schools include Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University, University of California-Santa Barbara, New York University, Duke University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C. State University, and UNCG’s Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering.