300 Our courses in physics introduce all of the most important fundamental laws and many of their applications. Equally valuable, however, are the skills that students develop in these courses, from analytical thinking and problem solving to experimental design and interpretation. Majoring in physics can thus prepare a student for a variety of careers in research, education, business, industry, and government. The Department offers three major programs: Physics, Applied Physics, and Physics Teaching. The Physics major places emphasis on understanding nature at the deepest possible level. It also provides a strong foundation for graduate work in pure physics. The Applied Physics major places more emphasis on physical phenomena and hands-on experience. Thus, it is more suitable for those planning to go either directly into industrial employment or into graduate programs in certain applied fields. Since the course requirements for these two majors overlap considerably, students can easily switch from one major to the other any time before their senior year. The Physics Teaching major is designed specifically for those planning to teach physics at the secondary school level. Students who are majoring in other disciplines are encouraged to consider a minor in physics, which includes a year of introductory physics plus eight credit hours of additional physics courses. These electives may be chosen to emphasize basic theory, experimental techniques, or applied subfields such as optics and astrophysics. Physics Major bachelor degree (b.s. or b.a.) » Program Prerequisite: Not required for Physics or Applied Physics. Physics Teaching majors must meet the Teacher Education admission and certification requirements (see Teacher Education Department). » Minor: No minor is required; however, a math minor is automatically satisfied by the requirements for the Physics major, and a math minor may be satisfied with one additional upper division math course beyond the minimum required for the Applied Physics major. » Grade Requirements: An overall GPA of 2.00 is required for Physics and Applied Physics majors. Physics Teaching majors must achieve an overall GPA of 3.00 for admission to the Teacher Education program. Also refer to the general grade requirements for graduation on page 36. » Credit Hour Requirements: A total of 120 semester credit hours is required for graduation - 75 of these are required within the Physics major, 72 within the Applied Physics Major, and 43 hours are required within the Physics Teaching major, plus the credits required by the Teacher Education department. Forty upper-division credit hours are required (courses numbered 3000 and above) - 31 of these are required within the Physics major, 26 to 31 within the Applied Physics major, and 12 upper-division physics hours within the Physics Teaching major (in addition to upper-division hours within Teacher Education). Advisement All Physics, Applied Physics, and Physics Teaching majors are strongly encouraged to meet with the chair at least annually for course and program advisement. Call 801-626-6163 for more information or to schedule an appointment. Physics Teaching majors are encouraged to also meet with a Jerry and Vickie Moyes College of Education advisor (call 801-626-6269). Admissions Requirements Declare your program of study (see page 18). There are no special admission or application requirements for the Physics and Applied Physics majors. Teaching majors must meet the Teacher Education admission and certification requirements (see Teacher Education Department). General Education Refer to pages 36-41 for specific requirements. The following courses required for the Physics and Applied Physics majors will satisfy general education requirements: PHYS PS/SI2210, CHEM PS/SI1210 and MATH SI1210. The following courses required for the Physics Teaching Major will satisfy general education requirements: PHYS PS/SI1010, PS1030, PS/SI2210, and Mathl210. Course Requirements for B.S. or B.A. Degree Physics Major Physics Courses Required (41 credit hours) PHYS PS/SI2210/SI2220 Physics for Scientists & Engineers (10) PHYS 2300 Scientific Computing with C++ and Fortran (3) PHYS 2710 Introductory Modem Physics (3) PHYS 3180 Thermal Physics (3) PHYS 3410 Electronics for Scientists (4) PHYS 3500 Analytical Mechanics (3) PHYS 3510 Electromagnetic Theory (3) PHYS 3540 Mech. & Electromagnetic Waves (3) PHYS 3640 Advanced Physics Lab (2) PHYS 4610 Quantum Mechanics (3) PHYS 4620 Atomic, Nuclear, & Particle Physics (3) PHYS 4990 Seminar in Physics (1) Physics Electives (3 credit hours) Select 3 credit hours from the following 3000 and 4000 level courses. PHYS 3160 Astrophysics (3) PHYS 3190 Applied Optics (3) PHYS 3200 Solid State Physics (3) PHYS 3300 Computational Physics (3) PHYS 3420 Data Acquisition and Analysis () PHYS 4800 Individual Research Problems (1-3) PHYS 4830* Readings in Physics (1-3) * as approved by instructor PHYS 4970 Senior Thesis (2) Support Courses Required (31 credit hours) CHEM PS/SI1210/SI1220Prrnciples of Chemistry (10) MATH SI1210 Calculus I (4) MATH SI1220 Calculus II (4) MATH 2210 Calculus III (4) MATH 2270 Elementary Linear Algebra (3) MATH 2280 Ordinary Differential Equations (3) MATH 3710 Boundary Value Problems (3) Course Requirements for B.S. or B.A. Degree Applied Physics Major Physics PHYS PHYS PHYS PHYS PHYS PHYS PHYS PHYS PHYS PHYS PHYS Courses Required (38 credit hours) PS/SI2210/SI2220 Physics for Scientists & Engineers (10) 2300 Scientific Computing with C++ and Fortran (3) Introductory Modem Physics (3) Applied Optics (3) Electronics for Scientists (4) Analytical Mechanics (3) Electromagnetic Theory (3) Mech. & Electromagnetic Waves (3) Advanced Physics Lab (2) Individual Research Problems (3) Seminar in Physics (1) 2710 3190 3410 3500 3510 3540 3640 4800 Weber State University 2006 - 2007 Catalog