Prospective Physics Students

Welcome, prospective students!

We're glad you're considering the study of Physics and/or Astronomy in our department. We offer several degrees suitable for students interested in a variety of career paths. Our department is large enough to offer abundant resources and opportunities to students, yet small enough to allow students personal attention.

People:

We have 15 full-time faculty, all holding the Ph.D. and active in research. We also have a number of active emeritus faculty, visiting scholars, and adjoint faculty.
We have typically 15-25 graduate students working on their advanced degrees in Physics. Most are supported as Teaching Assistants or Research Assistants.
We have over 60 undergraduate majors in Physics, and many students pursuing minors in Physics.
Faculty, Staff, and Students develop a strong sense of community through numerous activities such as: biweekly departmental teas, departmental fitness walks, weekly sport activities, picnics, and public lectures.

Degrees and Courses

We offer the following degrees:

Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Physics
- Bachelor of Science (BS) in Physics:
  - Applied Optics Track
  - Astronomy and Astrophysics Track
  - Computational Physics Track
  - Materials Science Track
  - Professional Track
- Our Undergraduate Handbook offers help navigating in our Department.
Graduate
- 5 year Accelerated BS/MS degree in Physics
- Master of Science (MS) in Physics
- Ph.D. in Physics, joint with University of Kentucky

Introductory courses typically have large enrollments, but advanced courses in Physics typically have no more than a dozen students.

SPS

The Society of Physics Students is a national origanization with approximately 800 chapters housed at colleges and universities around the country. Each year, some small percentage are named Outstanding chapters. We are proud to say that our chapter has been named an outstanding chapter for the last nine years in a row! Our chapter advisor also received the national Outstanding Chapter Advisor Award for 2004-2005 at a ceremony in January 2006.

Research

Most graduate students and many undergraduates take part in departmental research. Research can be exciting and one of the best learning experiences a student can encounter. We encourage all of our students to get involved. We also have a great record of placing our students in Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and Research Fellowship programs around the country during the summer.

Careers

There are many career options available to Physics majors. Check out the link to the American Physical Society above, or make an appointment with one of our program directors.

Physics Success Stories

Find out about some of the ways in which Physics and Physicists have had positive impacts on society.