The department offers both a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degree for the major.

B.A. requirements: A minimum of nine physics courses is required for the major. This includes the following six core courses: Physics 111, 112, 211, 255, 310, 324, and three additional courses at the 200-level or higher, at least one of which must be from: Physics 312, 319, 330, and 341 and either Physics 420 or Physics 460. Physics 460 requires departmental approval.

In addition, majors are required to complete mathematics courses through Mathematics 211 or its equivalent. This diverse, flexible major is well suited for a variety of post graduation careers, including secondary school physics teaching, industrial research, and graduate school in such fields as engineering, computer science, law, and medicine.

First-year students who are considering a major should enroll in Physics 111, 112, and Mathematics 111 and 112 if possible. Those planning on attending graduate school in physics should plan to take the additional courses listed under the B.S. requirement below. Those considering graduate work in astronomy, engineering, or related fields are encouraged to augment their physics major with additional courses in mathematics, computer science, and chemistry. Students are not permitted to take more than twelve courses in the department without per-mission of the department, unless the thirteenth course is Physics 460 (Independent Study).

B.S. requirements: In addition to the six core courses mentioned above, the B.S. degree requires Physics 460; at least three courses from Physics 312, 319, 330, and 341; and any two courses at the 200 level or above. Candidates for the B.S. degree must also complete Mathematics 225.

Minor requirements: A minor in physics consists of Physics 111, 112, 211, 255, and two additional courses in physics at the 200-level or above. The minor represents an appropriate complement to a variety of majors, including mathematics and computer science.