Students electing physics as a major have the option of pursuing a program leading to either a bachelor of science (B.S.) or a bachelor of arts (B.A.) degree. The B.S. program is designed for the student who plans a career as a physicist. The B.A. program is pursued by students as preparation for further study and work in such fields as medicine, law, physical chemistry, biophysics, business administration, psychology, education, and many others.

The objective of the B.S. curriculum in physics is to equip the student with those skills (logical reasoning, problem analysis and solution, techniques in experimentation) and knowledge (fundamental concepts) necessary for entry into either graduate study in physics or the work force at the B.S. level. The B.S. curriculum requires the student to take a total of 138 semester hours, with at least 51 in physics and 22 in mathematics. The following courses are required for the B.S. degree:

PHYSICS: 1121, 2111, 2121, 2630, 3010, 3011, 3020, 3030, 3040, 3050, 3210, 3310L, 3320L, 3510S, 4050, 4200, 4210, 4530. Physics 3210 may be replaced with a Special Topics course in Classical Mechanics, when offered.

MATHEMATICS: 1030, 1070, 2030, 2070, 2080, 2530.

The objective of the B.A. curriculum in physics is to enable the student to develop patterns of analytical reasoning and problem-solving which would be useful in the student's chosen area outside of physics -- medicine, law, etc. It is also intended that this curriculum will enable the student to acquire experiences that will serve as a foundation for later study in the chosen area of specialization. The student in the B.A. curriculum takes a total of 132 semester hours, with at least 24 in physics, 19 in mathematics and 24 in the area of specialization. The following courses are required for the B.A. degree:

PHYSICS: 1121, 2111, 2121, 3030, 3210, 3310L, 3510S, 3520S. Physics 3210 may be replaced with a Special Topics course in Classical Mechanics, when offered.

MATHEMATICS: 1030, 1070, 2030, 2070, 2080.