• Physics is the foundational science upon which all other natural sciences and most types of engineering are built. This makes physics the most diverse and applicable technical major you can have. Physicists work to deeply understand the smallest things, the biggest things, the oldest things, the newest things and everything in between. People with physics degrees or who worked as physicists invented such major innovations as electric power, the electric battery, the electric motor, radio, X-ray imaging, the mass spectrometer, the electronic digital computer, NMR and MRI, PET scanning, the nuclear reactor, the transistor, the integrated circuit, the laser, the first video game, wireless LAN, and the World-Wide Web. 

  • The Physics Department offers two-degree programs, the bachelor of science (BS) and the bachelor of arts (BA).

  • The bachelor of arts program is ideal for those who desire a solid background in physics but who also want the flexibility to pursue other interests. Students planning to go on to teach at the high school level can enter teacher certification and master's degree programs in education regardless of which physics degree is earned.
  • Learning goals:
    • Students will demonstrate the ability to use appropriate computing tools to solve problems encountered in coursework or in supervised study.
    • Students will demonstrate the ability to synthesize appropriate theoretical physics concepts and mathematical methods from different courses in the solution of problems.
    • Students will successfully progress through a rigorous series of physics major courses comparably equal in scope and challenge to those taken by physics majors at peer institutions.
    • If working on a research project, students will demonstrate the ability to perform a literature search, make use of appropriate computational or laboratory skills, and make an effective written or oral presentation of the results of the project.
    • Students will be able to design and carry out experimental investigations, analyze data with appropriate treatment of errors and uncertainties, and form conclusions based on the data and analysis.
    • Students will be able to discuss orally or in writing ethical issues that relate to physics including issues of environmental sustainability in the physical world.