Undergraduate Courses
Courses for Physics Majors
Physics majors should see our information about the major, and consult with an advisor before choosing courses. We offer a number of exciting courses which touch on all areas of physics. Students typically begin their studies with one of our introductory sequences: Phys 1112-2213-2214 or Phys 1116-2217-2218. Although less common, it is also possible to enter the major from PHYS 2207-2208. Freshmen interested in the physics major may want to consider taking Phys 1117, a 1 credit survey course which covers a number of exciting topics which they might not otherwise see until later in their careers.
Advanced undergraduate student may also consider our graduate course offerings.
Courses for Non-Physics Majors
Engineering students often take the same courses as physics majors, and may benefit from looking at our advice for physics majors. Students interested in Health Careers often take PHYS 1101-1102 or PHYS 2207-2208. The biggest difference between these courses is that PHYS 1101-1102 uses an auto-tutorial format, while PHYS 2207-2208 is lecture based. A second, typically less significant difference, is that PHYS 2207-2208 uses calculus. Our courses for non-physics majors are summarized as:
- General education courses typically have few or no prerequisites. They include: PHYS 1201, Why the Sky is Blue: Aspects of the Physical World, PHYS 1202, How Physics Works, PHYS 1203, Physics of the Heavens and Earth, PHYS 1204, The Physics of Musical Sound, PHYS 1205, The Art of Physics and PHYS 2206, Weapons of Mass Destruction
- PHYS 1101-1102 is a self-paced auto-tutorial course sequence designed for students who recognize the need for a basic understanding of physics, but who do not have preparation in calculus and who do not intend to take further physics courses. Note that we typically do not allow freshmen to take our auto-tutorial classes.
- PHYS 2207- 2208 and 1112-2213-2214 are introductory physics courses for students who want a solid grounding in physics and a chance to develop their calculus-based problem solving skills. Non-majors considering more advanced work in physics are encouraged to take 1112-2213-2214 or 2207-2213-2214.
- Courses beyond the introductory level that may be of interest to non-majors include PHYS 3316 Modern Physics I, PHYS 3330 Modern Experimental Optics, and PHYS 3360 Electronic Circuits.
Courses with Overlapping Content
The grouped courses listed in the chart below have largely similar content. Students should select courses for their academic program carefully, as they may receive credit for only one course in each group.
PHYS 1101, 1112, 1116, 2207
PHYS 1102, 2208, 2213, 2217
PHYS 2214, 2218
PHYS 3314, 3318
PHYS 3323, 3327
PHYS 1116, 2216
Physics 1201, 1202, 1203, 1204 and 1205 are primarily designed for non-science students. If a student with credit for PHYS 1101, 1112, 1116, or 2207 (or an advanced placement equivalent) wishes to enroll in these courses, they require written permission from the instructor and the Physics Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Undergraduate Courses:
General descriptions of the courses can be found in the course catalog, and scheduling information in the course/time roster. Links to individual course web sites follow.
Please note that for courses using Blackboard, we cannot link directly to the site: you must first create a username and password and log on to Blackboard, then enroll in the specific course you are interested in. After you have done that, each time you log on, all the courses you are enrolled in will be shown on your Blackboard homepage. We have linked Blackboard courses here to the main BB Physics listing page. Some courses are not listed on this page, though, so if you don’t find the course you are looking for, please search using “PhysXXX”.
Inquiries about courses should be directed to the instructor or the director of undergraduate studies.
Physics 1012: PHYS 1112 Supplement (LSC, courses of study,course/time roster)
Physics 1013: PHYS 1113 Supplement (LSC, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 1101: General Physics I (blackboard, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 1102: General Physics 2 (blackboard, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 1112: Physics I: Mechanics (blackboard, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 1116: Physics I: Mechanics and Special Relativity (blackboard, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 1117: Concepts of Modern Physics (blackboard, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 1201: Why is the Sky Blue? (course website, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 1202: How Physics Works (courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 1203: Physics of the Heavens and Earth (courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 1204: Physics of Musical Sound (courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 1205: The Art of Physics (courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 1206: Physics in the News (courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 2207: Fundamentals of Physics (blackboard, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 2208: Fundamentals of Physics (blackboard, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 2213: Physics II: Heat and Electromagnetism (blackboard, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 2214: Physics III: Waves, Optics, and Particles (blackboard, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 2216: Introduction to Special Relativity (blackboard, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 2217: Electricity and Magnetism (blackboard, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 2218: Physics III: Waves and Thermodynamics (blackboard, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 3310: Intermediate Experimental Physics (courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 3314: Intermediate Mechanics (blackboard, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 3316: Basics of Quantum Mechanics (blackboard, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 3317: Applications of Quantum Mechanics (blackboard, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 3318: Analytical Mechanics (course website, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 3323: Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism (blackboard, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 3327: Advanced Electricity and Magnetism (course website, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 3330: Modern Experimental Optics (course website, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 3341: Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics (course website, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 3360: (also A&EP 363) Electronic Circuits (courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 4410: Advanced Experimental Physics (course website)
Physics 4433 (also Astr 4433): Introduction to Cosmology (course website)
Physics 4443: Introductory Quantum Mechanics (courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 4444: Nuclear High-Energy Particle Physics (courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 4445: Introduction to General Relativity (blackboard, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 4446: Biological Applications of Physics (courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 4454: Intro to Solid State Physics (courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 4455: Geometrical Concepts (courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 4456: Introduction to Accelerator Physics and Technology (courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 4480 Computational Physics, (course website, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 4481: Quantum Information Processing (course website, courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 4484: Teaching and Learning Physics (courses of study, course/time roster)
Physics 4488: Advanced Topics in Accelerator Physics (courses of study, course/time roster)
PHYS 4490 Independent Study in Physics (courses of study)
PHYS 4491 Data Analysis in Particle Physics (courses of study)
