College Schools, Departments & Programs

Physics

Departmental Honors Program

The honors program provides well-qualified students with an exceptionally strong foundation in physics, both by encouraging excellence in coursework and recognizing the importance of early participation in research. It is strongly recommended that students intending to enroll in graduate school pursue this option.

The key component of the honors program is involvement of the student in an independent research project, typically carried out under the supervision of a faculty member. This work must culminate in the writing of an honors thesis before the end of the senior year. An oral presentation describing the work would also be expected. For more detailed guidelines, see the "Honors" section of the departmental Web pages.

In addition to fulfilling the requirements associated with the B.S. degree, students in the honors program would also be expected to complete most of the coursework listed under "Recommendations" for this degree; in particular, at least two of the three courses P332, P442, and P454 must be completed. To graduate with honors, students should maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.500 in all physics coursework. Further information regarding this program may be obtained from the department.