Mar 31, 2025  
Rensselaer Catalog 2022-2023 
    
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Rensselaer Catalog 2022-2023 [Archived Catalog]

Physics

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First Year

Fall

  • HASS Core Elective Credit Hours: 4
    (See footnote 1 below.)

Spring

  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4

Second Year

Fall

  • HASS Core Elective Credit Hours: 4
    (See footnote 1 below.)

Spring

  • HASS Core Elective Credit Hours: 4
    (See footnote 1 below.)

Third Year

The Arch Summer Semester*

*For students who have applied for and been granted an exception, The Arch Summer courses would be taken during the fall semester. For listing of the exception process go to: http://info.rpi.edu/arch/students/#ExceptionProcess.

  • HASS Core Elective Credit Hours: 4
    (    See footnote 1.)
  • Mathematics Elective Credit Hours: 4
    (See footnote 3.)
  • Elective Credit Hours: 4

Fall OR Spring*

*If following the B.S. in Physics curriculum, students must select the spring term as their “on-campus” semester.

  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4

Fourth Year

Fall

  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • HASS Core Elective Credit Hours: 4
    (See footnote 1 below.)
  • Mathematics Elective Credit Hours: 4
    (See footnote 4 below.)
  • Culminating Experience Credit Hours: 4
    (See footnote 5 below.)

Spring

  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • HASS Core Elective Credit Hours: 4
    (See footnote 1 below.)

Tracks

Technical and free electives may be chosen to provide a 128-credit B.S. in Physics with a track in Computational Physics. Program advisers should be consulted.

Footnotes

  1. HASS courses shall total 24 credits and meet distribution requirements in the catalog.
  2. PHYS 1100  and PHYS 1200  may be substituted for PHYS 1150  and PHYS 1250 , respectively.
  3. MATH 4XXX electives to be chosen from the following:
    MATH 4100  - Linear Algebra
    MATH 4300  - Introduction to Complex Variables: Theory and Applications
    MATH 4400  - Ordinary Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems
    MATH 4500  - Methods of Partial Differential Equations of Mathematical Physics
    MATH 4600  - Advanced Calculus
    MATH 4700  - Foundations of Applied Mathematics
    MATH 4800  - Numerical Computing
    A Physics course approved by the Physics Undergraduate Program Committee.
  4. Technical Electives are to be selected with the aid of an adviser in order to create a track in an appropriate applied physics field. See “Applied Physics Track” below.
  5. Students must complete a culminating experience, which may be fulfilled (1) through research participation; (2) by passing a designated 4-credit senior elective course; or (3) by passing a designated 3-credit course in Physics or Astronomy plus 1 credit of PHYS 4910 .

Electives

Physics majors planning to pursue graduate study should take advanced physics courses chosen from the following undergraduate- and graduate-level offerings:

Additional Information

Students planning on graduate work in astrophysics are urged to choose electives from the above list plus the following:

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