2020-2022 Undergraduate and Graduate Bulletin (with addenda) 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2020-2022 Undergraduate and Graduate Bulletin (with addenda) [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Physics and Mathematics, B.S.


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Dual Major in Physics and Mathematics


Students must complete 128 credits, as defined below, to graduate from the School of Engineering with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics & Physics. Please note that the curriculum that follows applies to students who began classes in the fall of 2020 or later. If you entered the School of Engineering prior to that date, please consult the curriculum and typical course schedule for students entering spring 2020 or earlier.

The Department of Applied Physics also offers a Minor in Applied Physics and a Concentration and Minor in Nuclear Science and Engineering. A full list of the department’s undergraduate offerings is also available.

The core of the program is 32 credits of required physics courses and 31 credits of required math courses. Students pursuing the dual major must also take an additional 8 credits of physics and math electives. 22 credits are reserved for STEM & free electives and independent study courses. The remaining credits are used to satisfy other school, university and state requirements. The curriculum is specified in detail below.

Electives in the Humanities and Social Sciences: 16 Credits


Students must complete 4 humanities or social science courses totaling 16 credits. These 4 courses can be within a single cluster or across multiple clusters. For optimal breadth of experience, students are encouraged to take electives across clusters and/or across disciplines within a cluster. These 4 humanities and social science electives must satisfy the following:

1 must be a 3000/4000 level humanities or social science elective; and

1 must be an Advanced Seminar, identifiable by course number 4504

Please see the General Education Requirements for further details.

STEM and Free Electives, Independent Study and Projects: 22 Credits


22 credits are allocated for STEM & free electives and independent study courses.  8 credits are reserved for a 6 credit physics project plus a 2 credit senior physics seminar course or a 4 credit math project/thesis and an extra 4 credit math elective.  The remaining 14 credits are reserved for two 4 credit STEM electives and two 3 credit free electives. The program adviser must approve electives selected from other disciplines.

Typical Course of Study for the Bachelor of Science in Physics & Mathematics


Freshman Year


Sophomore Year


Junior Year


Fall Semester: 16 Credits


Spring Semester: 17 Credits


Senior Year


Fall Semester: 17 Credits


Spring Semester: 16 Credits


Total Credits Required for the Degree: 128


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