BA in Physics
Program Requirements
A minimum total of 120 credit hours is required for the BA in physics. In addition to meeting the requirements of the WSU General Education Program and the requirements of Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, students must meet the following requirements:
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education | ||
| Select courses to meet General Education requirements 1 | 34-35 | |
| College Requirements | ||
| Select courses to complete all LAS Competency Areas 1 | 36 | |
| Major Requirements | ||
| PHYS 313 & PHYS 315 | Physics for Scientists I and University Physics Lab I 2 | 5 |
| PHYS 314 & PHYS 316 | Physics for Scientists II and University Physics Lab II 2 | 5 |
| PHYS 551 | Topics in Modern Physics | 3 |
| PHYS 621 | Analytical Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYS 631 | Electricity and Magnetism | 3 |
| PHYS 641 | Thermophysics | 3 |
| PHYS 651 | Quantum Mechanics I | 3 |
| MATH 555 | Differential Equations I | 3 |
| Select one of the following MATH courses | 3 | |
| Linear Algebra | ||
| Advanced Calculus I | ||
| Partial Differential Equations for Engineers | ||
| Select 5 credit hours in chemistry | 5 | |
| Select 2 additional credit hours from the following | 2 | |
| Advanced Physics Laboratory | ||
| Electronics Laboratory | ||
| Computational Physics Laboratory | ||
| Select 6 credit hours of upper-division physics electives | 6 | |
| Open Electives | ||
| Select enough electives to reach 120 credit hours | 5-6 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
- 1
Required major courses may also count towards General Education and/or LAS Competencies. Students will need to select additional electives to reach 120 credit hours required for graduation with assistance from an advisor.
- 2
PHYS 313/ PHYS 315 and PHYS 314/ PHYS 316 are preferred, but the PHYS 213/ PHYS 214 sequence may be substituted.
Applied Learning
Students in the BA in physics are required to complete an applied learning or research experience to graduate from the program. The requirement can be met in several ways. Students can take PHYS 516 or engage in undergraduate research PHYS 600/ PHYS 601.