Departments & Programs

Department of Physics
Biophysics Option

For students who desire an interdisciplinary knowledge of physics and biology pursuant to a career in medicine or biophysics. The program meets typical medical school entrance requirements.

Degree Requirements

First-Year Experience Course

Beginning freshmen and transfer students with fewer than 18 credit hours are required to take SCI-I120 Windows on Science (1 cr.) or an equivalent first-year experience course.

Area I English Composition and Communication Skills

Minimum requirements for the School of Science are given in this bulletin (see the School of Science requirements under “Undergraduate Programs”). The second semester of English composition may be satisfied only with ENG-W132 (or ENG-W150), ENG-W231, ENG-W250, ENG-W290, ENG-W331, ENG-W350, TCM 22000, or TCM 32000.

Area II Foreign Language

No foreign language proficiency is required for a Bachelor of Science degree.

Area IIIA Humanities, Social Sciences, and Comparative World Cultures (12 cr.)

HIST-H114 Western Civilization II or HIST-H109 Perspectives on the World: 1800-Present

List H course: Choose one course (3 cr.) from this list. The list of course choices is located under the School of Science requirements “Undergraduate Programs” in this bulletin.

List S course: Choose one course (3 cr.) from this list. The list of course choices is located under the School of Science requirements “Undergraduate Programs” in this bulletin.

List C course: Choose one course (3 cr.) from this list. The list of course choices is located under the School of Science requirements “Undergraduate Programs” in this bulletin.

Area IIIB Junior/Senior Integrator

The School of Science has indefinitely suspended the Junior/Senior Integrator requirement. The Department of Physics has chosen to allow physics majors to satisfy the three credit hours with a course decided upon in consultation with their physics advisor. This course might be outside physics, but can be satisfied with a physics course. For additional information, please consult your academic advisor.

Area IIIC Physical and Biological Sciences

See requirements listed below under Area IV Physics (Biophysics) Concentration Requirements.

Area IIID Mathematical Sciences

Eighteen (18) credit hours of courses in mathematics are required, which must include MATH 16500, MATH 16600, MATH 17100, MATH 26100, and MATH 26600.

The computer science requirement of the School of Science may be satisfied with CSCI 23000, CSCI-N305, CSCI-N331, or any higher-level CSCI course.

Note: Computer Science CSCI-N241 and CSCI-N299 do not count in Area IIID, but may count as a general elective.

Area IV Physics (Biophysics) Concentration Requirements

Physics: A minimum of 26 hours of physics is required.

  • PHYS-P201 or PHYS 15200 and PHYS-P202 or PHYS 25100 (Introductory Physics).
  • Two of the following three courses: PHYS 30000 Intro to Elementary Mathematical Physics, PHYS 31000 Intermediate Mechanics, PHYS 33000 Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism.
  • PHYS 34200 Modern Physics and PHYS 35300 Electronics Laboratory, PHYS 44200 Quantum Mechanics, and PHYS 49000 Physics (Biophysics) Capstone experience (3 cr.)

Biology: A minimum of 15 credit hours of biology is required.

  • General Biology: BIOL-K101 and BIOL-K103.
  • Five additional hours of biology drawn from BIOL-K324 / BIOL-K325 Cell Biology and Lab, or BIOL-K356 / BIOL-K357 Microbiology and Lab, or BIOL-K483 Biological Chemistry and BIOL-K484 Cellular Biochemistry.

Chemistry: A minimum of 23 credit hours of chemistry is required.

  • General Chemistry: CHEM-C105 / CHEM-C125 and CHEM-C106 / CHEM-C126.
  • Organic Chemistry: CHEM-C341 / CHEM-C343 and CHEM-C342 / CHEM-C344.
  • Physical Chemistry: CHEM-C360 or CHEM-C361.
Unless approved as part of the major, note that all courses taken outside the Schools of Science and Liberal Arts must receive approval from the student's major department and the School of Science Academic Dean's Office. Consult with your major department or the School of Science Academic Dean's Office for additional course restrictions.

No more than 6 credit hours of clinical, athletic, or performing arts courses will be approved. See the departmental advisor for details.