Welcome to UNI Physics! The Physics Department offers students the attention and encouragement typical of a small liberal arts college, yet the department also provides the resources found in much larger research universities.

Physics offers students an individual path to an exciting professional career in math and science. The beginning salaries of our graduates are among the highest of all majors at UNI (ranging from $45,000 to $62,000 over the last six years). As a UNI physics major, you have the option of earning a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in 5 years—we are one of only three universities in the US with this type of “4+1” program.

About 40% of our students are in the “3-2” Applied Physics program, which allows them to earn two degrees: a BS in Applied Physics from UNI and a BS in Engineering from Iowa State or Iowa. Over the last ten years, 100% of our “3-2” students have successfully completed the program, and now have two degrees (making them more employable than other newly minted engineers!). Most are employed in Iowa at companies like John Deere and in engineering firms.

Students who wish to teach high school physics and physical science will learn "best practices" in our physics teaching program. This program is ranked in the top 10 of all programs in the US. Our physics teaching graduates regularly receive multiple job offers from school districts in Iowa and across the nation.

About half of our graduates each year continue on to earn Master’s degrees and/or PhDs. Recent graduates have continued on at major research universities like Stanford, Maryland, Ohio State, Nebraska and Georgia Tech, to name a few.

There are about 80 physics majors at UNI—a small enough group that the Physics faculty know each student—with a student:faculty ratio of 8:1. The Physics faculty enjoy working on research projects with students, and more than 25 physics majors typically complete projects each year on topics like nanotechnology, lasers, astrophysics, robotics, and many other areas. Ten $3000 scholarships are typically awarded to undergraduate research scholars in the department each summer.

I invite you to look through the UNI Physics website, and find out more about physics student activities and scholarships that are offered for incoming students.

Cliff Chancey, PhD
Professor and Head of Physics