Physics

Programs

Courses

MSE 2602: PHY:40% Solution: Light/Sound

Program
Credits 3

Reflection, Refraction, Mirrors, Lenses; Interference and Diffraction; Light and our Atmosphere; Electromagnetic Radiation; Light Waves and Photons; Waves and Sound; Standing Waves; Music and Harmonics; Doppler Effect.

Corequisites

MSE 2652

Corequisite Courses
Last Offered
Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
Effective Term
201410

MSE 2603: PHY:Big Bang: Forces/Particles

Program
Credits 3

The Creation; What is Science?; Heliocentric System; Gravity on Earth; Newton's Laws; Gravity in the Universe; The Atom and Nucleus; Electromagnetic Forces; Strong Nuclear Force; Radioactivity; Elementary Particles; Standard Model; Anthropic Principle.

Corequisites

MSE 2653

Corequisite Courses
Last Offered
Fall 2025, Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Effective Term
201410

MSE 2604: PHY:The Physics of Sports

Program
Credits 3

An examination of the underlying physical principles governing sports, with exploration of such questions as how curve balls curve, why golf balls have dimples, and why sailboats can sail almost directly into the wind.

Corequisites

MSE 2654

Corequisite Courses
Last Offered
Fall 2025, Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024
Effective Term
201720

PHY 1100: General Physics I

Program
Credits 3

Mechanics, heat and sound. Recommended for Biology majors.

Prerequisites

(MAT 1310 :Y :D- or MAT 1312 :Y :D- or MAT 1320 :Y :D- or MAT 1400 :Y :D- or MAT 1500 :Y :D-)

Prerequisite Courses
Corequisites
Last Offered
Fall 2025, Fall 2024, Summer 2024, Fall 2023
Effective Term
199720

PHY 1101: General Physics I Lab

Program
Credits 1

Selected experiments in mechanics, heat and sound. Recommended for Biology majors.

Prerequisites
Corequisites
Last Offered
Fall 2025, Fall 2024, Summer 2024, Fall 2023
Effective Term
199520

PHY 1102: General Physics II

Program
Credits 3

A continuation of PHY 1100; light, electricity and modern physics. Recommended for Biology majors.

Prerequisites

PHY 1100 :D- and (MAT 1312 :D- or MAT 1320 :D- or MAT 1400 :D- or MAT 1500 :D-)

Prerequisite Courses
Corequisites
Last Offered
Spring 2025, Summer 2024, Spring 2024, Summer 2023
Effective Term
201630

PHY 1103: General Physics II Lab

Program
Credits 1

Selected experiments in light and electricity. Recommended for Biology majors.

Prerequisites

PHY 1101 :D-

Prerequisite Courses
Corequisites
Last Offered
Spring 2025, Summer 2024, Spring 2024, Summer 2023
Effective Term
199520

PHY 2001: Professional Development I

Program
Credits 1

Professional development including engagement in department colloquia, workshops on resume and cover letter writing, guidance regarding research and professional opportunities, discussions of identity in professional setting, and other topics

Last Offered
Fall 2025

PHY 2002: Professional Development II

Program
Credits 0

Professional development including engagement in department colloquia, preparation of research applications and summer opportunities, workshops on creating research posters and presentations, alumni networking opportunities, and other topics.

PHY 2400: Physics I Mechanics

Program
Credits 3

Introduction to Mechanics. Designed for students in the College of Engineering.

Prerequisites

MAT 1500 :Y :D-

Prerequisite Courses
Last Offered
Fall 2025, Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024
Effective Term
199520

PHY 2402: Physics II Elec & Magnet

Program
Credits 3

Electrostatics, DC Circuits, magnetism, and AC circuits. Designed for students in the College of Engineering.

Prerequisites

MAT 1505 :Y :D- and (PHY 2400 :D- or PHY 2410 :D-)

Prerequisite Courses
Last Offered
Fall 2025, Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024
Effective Term
199520

PHY 2403: Phy Lab for Engineering

Program
Credits 1

Selected experiments illustrating the principles of Mechanics and Electricity and Magnetism. Designed for students in the College of Engineering.

Prerequisites

PHY 2402 :Y :D-

Prerequisite Courses
Corequisites
Last Offered
Fall 2025, Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024
Effective Term
199520

PHY 2410: University Phy:Mechanics

Program
Credits 3

Vectors, kinematics, and dynamics of particles, rigid bodies, and fluids. Recommended for Science majors.

Prerequisites

MAT 1500 :Y :D-

Prerequisite Courses
Corequisites
Last Offered
Fall 2025, Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Effective Term
199520

PHY 2411: Lab: Mechanics

Program
Credits 1

Selected experiments demonstrating the fundamental principles of Mechanics and Waves with emphasis on techniques of measurements and data analysis. Recommended for Science majors.

Prerequisites
Corequisites

PHY 2410

Corequisite Courses
Last Offered
Fall 2025, Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Effective Term
199520

PHY 2412: Univ Physics:Elec & Mag

Program
Credits 3

Electrostatics, DC circuits, magnetism, and AC circuits. Recommended for Science majors.

Prerequisites

(PHY 2410 :D- or PHY 2400 :D-) and MAT 1505 :Y :D-

Prerequisite Courses
Last Offered
Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
Effective Term
199520

PHY 2415: Lab: Thermodynamics

Program
Credits 1

Selected experiments in heat, waves and optics. Recommended for Science majors.

Corequisites

PHY 2414

Last Offered
Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021
Effective Term
199520

PHY 2417: Lab:Modern Physics

Program
Credits 1

Interference; Franck Hertz experiment; Photoelectric effect; Michelson interferometry; Millikan oil drop experiment; Electron Spin Resonance (ESR); Ferroelectricity; Superconductivity; Low Temperature physics experiments. Recommended for Science majors.

Prerequisites

PHY 2416 :Y :D-

Last Offered
Fall 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
Effective Term
199530

PHY 2420: Matter and Interactions I

Program
Credits 3

Vectors, kinematics, and dynamics of particles, rigid bodies, and fluids. Recommended for Physics and Astronomy Majors.

Prerequisites

MAT 1500 :Y

Prerequisite Courses
Last Offered
Fall 2025, Fall 2024
Effective Term
202520

PHY 2421: Lab: Matter and Interactions I

Program
Credits 1

Selected experiments demonstrating the fundamental principles of Mechanics and Waves with emphasis on techniques of measurements and data analysis. Recommended for Physics and Astronomy Majors.

Prerequisites

MAT 1500 :Y

Prerequisite Courses
Corequisites

PHY 2420

Corequisite Courses
Last Offered
Fall 2025, Fall 2024
Effective Term
202520

PHY 2601: Computational Phy Lab I

Program
Credits 2

Computer applications, data analysis and presentation, algorithms and programming, numerical methods, and basic graphics for Physics and Astronomy majors. Prerequisite: Any Intro Physics course (may be taken concurrently).

Last Offered
Fall 2025, Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Effective Term
202520

PHY 3310: Electronics

Program
Credits 3

DC and AC analysis including network theorems, power, resonance, filters, bridge circuits, amplifiers, integrated circuits, active devices, digital logic circuits and applications.

Corequisites

PHY 3311

Corequisite Courses
Last Offered
Fall 2025, Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Effective Term
199520

PHY 3311: Electronics Lab

Program
Credits 1

Laboratory experiments are chosen to supplement the Physics 3310 lectures and to give experience with sophisticated electronic equipment.

Corequisites

PHY 3310

Corequisite Courses
Last Offered
Fall 2025, Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Effective Term
199520

PHY 3400: Modern Physics

Program
Credits 3

Special theory of relativity, atomic theory, quantum physics, the Schrodinger equation, solid-state physics, nuclear physics, elementary particles and cosmology. Recommended for Science majors.

Prerequisites

(PHY 2410 and PHY 2412) or (PHY 2400 and PHY 2402) or (PHY 2420 and PHY 2422) and MAT 2500 :Y and MAT 2705 :Y

Last Offered
Spring 2025
Effective Term
202520

PHY 4000: Elec & Magnetism I

Program
Credits 3

Electrostatics, Coulomb's and Gauss' Laws, Maxwell's first two equations, Laplace's equation and boundary value problems, dielectrics, currents in conductors.

Prerequisites

(PHY 2414 :D- and PHY 4200 :D-)

Prerequisite Courses
Corequisites
Last Offered
Fall 2025, Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Effective Term
199520

PHY 4001: Elec & Magnetism I Lab

Program
Credits 1

Selected experiments in the field.

Prerequisites

(PHY 2414 :D- and PHY 4200 :D-)

Prerequisite Courses
Corequisites

PHY 4000

Corequisite Courses
Last Offered
Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Fall 2022, Spring 2021
Effective Term
199520

PHY 4002: Elec & Magnetism II

Program
Credits 3

Magnetism, Biot-Savart's law, Faraday's law, Maxwell's third and fourth equations, electromagnetic wave equation, radiation.

Prerequisites

PHY 4000 :D-

Prerequisite Courses
Corequisites

PHY 4003

Corequisite Courses
Last Offered
Spring 2025, Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021
Effective Term
199520

PHY 4100: Mechanics I

Program
Credits 3

Newtonian Mechanics, oscillations (simple, non-linear and driven), Lagrangian and Hamiltonian dynamics, central force motion and scattering, special theory of relativity.

Prerequisites

PHY 2414 :D-

Last Offered
Fall 2025, Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Effective Term
201020

PHY 4102: Mechanics II

Program
Credits 3

Dynamics of rigid bodies, coupled oscillations, wave phenomena, fluid mechanics (steady and turbulent flow, the equations of Euler and Navier-Stokes).

Prerequisites

PHY 4100 :D-

Prerequisite Courses
Last Offered
Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2021
Effective Term
201020

PHY 4200: Mathematical Physics I

Program
Credits 3

Vector and tensor analysis, matrices and determinants, infinite series, functions of a complex variable.

Prerequisites

(PHY 2414 :D- and MAT 2500 :D-)

Prerequisite Courses
Last Offered
Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
Effective Term
199520

PHY 4202: Mathematical Physics II

Program
Credits 3

A continuation of PHY 4200; second order differential equations, orthogonal functions, integral transforms, integral equations.

Prerequisites

PHY 4200 :D-

Prerequisite Courses
Last Offered
Fall 2025, Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2021
Effective Term
199520

PHY 4301: Experimental Methods I

Program
Credits 2

Introduction to experimental methods in Physics. Applications of spectroscopic techniques in nuclear, solid-state, and materials Physic. Detection of particle and electromagnetic radiation, signal processing, spectral analysis and interpretation.

Last Offered
Fall 2025, Fall 2024, Fall 2022, Fall 2020
Effective Term
200330

PHY 4303: Experimental Methods II

Program
Credits 2

Introduction to experimental methods in Physics continued: X-Ray and Mossbauer Spectroscopy; interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter; resonant versus non-resonant scattering cross-sections; hyperfine interactions in solids, crystal field splittings and dynamic magnetic relaxation phenomena in nonoscale systems; introduction to nanotechnology. Course is Writing Intensive.

Last Offered
Spring 2021, Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016
Effective Term
200420

PHY 5100: Quantum Mechanics

Program
Credits 3

Operators, Schrodinger Equation, one dimensional problems, harmonic oscillator, angular momentum, hydrogen atom, scattering theory.

Prerequisites

PHY 4100 :D- and PHY 4200 :D-

Prerequisite Courses
Last Offered
Fall 2025, Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Effective Term
199520

PHY 5200: Thermo/Statistical Mech

Program
Credits 3

Statistical methods, statistical thermodynamics, Ensembles, Partition functions. Quantum statistics. Kinetic theory of transport processes.

Last Offered
Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2022, Spring 2021
Effective Term
201020

PHY 5300: Subatomic Physics

Program
Credits 3

Structure of subatomic particles and nuclei, symmetries and conservation laws, interactions and nuclear models, radioactivity and passage of radiation through matter. A writing intensive course.

Last Offered
Spring 2024, Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Spring 2020
Effective Term
200520

PHY 5500: Solid State Physics I

Program
Credits 3

Description of crystal structure, diffraction of X-rays, classification of solids, thermal properties of solids, dielectric properties, diamagnetism and paramagnetism, free electron theory of metals, band theory of solids.

Prerequisites

PHY 2416

Last Offered
Spring 2024, Fall 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2015
Effective Term
199520

PHY 6400: General Relativity

Program
Credits 3

Introduction to Einstein's Theory of General Relativity. Differential geometry, equivalence principle, geodesics, and the Einstein equations. Applications to black holes, gravitational waves, and cosmology.

Prerequisites

(PHY 4100 :D- and PHY 4200 :D-)

Prerequisite Courses
Last Offered
Spring 2025, Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2020
Effective Term
202030

PHY 6450: Supervised Study in Physics

Program
Credits 1

Reading and/or laboratory work in a selected branch of physics under the direction of a member of the staff. Restricted to the Permission of the Instructor.

Last Offered
Fall 2025, Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Effective Term
201730

PHY 6500: Supervised Study in Physics

Program
Credits 2

Reading and/or laboratory work in a selected branch of physics under the direction of a member of the staff.

Last Offered
Fall 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
Effective Term
201830

PHY 6900: Topics in Physics

Program
Credits 3

Lecture course in an area of Physics. May be repeated for credit if topics are different.

Last Offered
Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2019
Effective Term
201720