Department of Physics

B.S. Applied Physics Major

Purpose and Goals

The B.S. Applied Physics Major provides a strong preparation for work in a variety of applied areas. Examples are manufacturing industries, engineering firms, medical facilities, and government laboratories. It also offers a good background for graduate study in some applied science or engineering programs. Students acquire a broad-based foundation in physics along with the skills for analyzing and solving a variety of practical problems. The same foundation courses as for the B.S. Physics Major are taken but at the upper level there is an emphasis on laboratory courses and an industrial internship rather than on theoretical physics courses and undergraduate research. A student in this major gains experience in applied optics, electronics, vibrating systems and acoustics, and computational physics. Through training and extensive laboratory work on these topics, now greatly enhanced by computer systems, the student gains skills and knowledge valuable in many applied areas. Students in the program are also strongly encouraged to complete minors, or at least substantial course work, in one or more of the following areas: Computer Science, Chemistry, Earth Science, Industrial Technology, Business. Completion of work in such areas, along with the requirements of the Applied Physics Major, enables graduates to be quite varied in their career goals and qualified for many types of employment.

Main Feature of the Program

1. Strong emphasis on advanced level laboratory work in such areas as electronics, optics, acoustics and solid-state physics.
2. Substantial coursework in the related areas of mathematics and chemistry along with the recommendation of the completion of minors in at least two of the following areas: computer science, chemistry, earth science, industrial technology, business.
3. Successful completion of an internship in applied physics.

Outline of Program

Required Physics: 37 hours
880:130 Physics I for Science and Engineering - 4 hrs
880:131 Physics II for Science and Engineering - 4 hrs
880:132 Physics III: Theory and Simulation - 3 hrs
880:137g Modern Physics - 4 hrs
880:138g Modern Physics Laboratory - 2 hrs
880:140g Modern Optics: Holography and Imaging - 3 hrs
or
880:141g Modern Optics: Lasers - 3 hrs
880:145g Vibrations and Sound - 3 hrs
880:150g Computational Physics - 3 hrs;
880:152g Electronics I - 4 hrs
880:154g Electronics II - 4 hrs
880:179* Cooperative Education - 2 hrs
or
880:184 Internship in Applied Physics - 2 hrs
880:187 Physics Seminar - 1 hr

Mathematics:18 hours
800:060 Calculus I - 4 hrs
800:061 Calculus II - 4 hrs
800:062 Calculus III - 4 hrs
800:076 Linear Algebra for Applications - 3 hrs
800:149g Differential Equations - 3 hrs

Chemistry: 5-8 hours
860:044 General Chemistry I - 4 hrs and
860:048 General Chemistry II - 4 hrs or
860:070 General Chemistry I-II - 5 hrs

Computer Science: 3 hours
810:036 C/C++ Programming - 3hrs

Electives:
Physics: 6 hours
100-level (may include 870:130 Crystallography - 2 hrs)

Total 66-69 hours

NOTE: Applied Physics majors are strongly encouraged to complete minors in one or more of the following areas: computer science, chemistry, earth science, industrial technology, business.

*An Applied Physics internship under 880:179 Cooperative Education should be taken during the junior or senior year. If it is not possible to make suitable arrangements for this, the internship may be done under 880:184 with approval of the department. Successful completion of either 880:179 or 880:184 requires both a written and an oral report.