Nov 17, 2024  
Rensselaer Catalog 2024-2025 
    
Catalog Navigation
  Catalog Home
  Degrees Offered
  Degree Types
  Information Directory
  Rensselaer in Brief
  Core Curriculum
  Educational Programs and Resources
  Research Resources and Centers
  Student Life
  Financial Aid
  Admissions
  Tuition and Fees
  Programs
  Academic Information and Regulations
  Schools
  Departments
  Subject Codes
  Courses
  Administration
  Named Professorships
  The Faculty
  My Portfolio
HELP
Rensselaer Catalog 2024-2025

Physics B.S.

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Bacclaureate Degrees

First Year

Fall

Spring

Second Year

Fall

Spring

Third Year

Please note: The third year of the program varies depending upon which semester the student chooses to take away following The Arch Summer Semester classes. Please note the following differences in curriculum:

  • If students are going to be away during the Fall semester of their junior year, they should take the listed courses for each term and any courses under the Fall Away Track for year three of their program.
     
  • If students are going to be away during the Spring semester of their junior year, they should take the listed courses for each term and any courses under the Spring Away Track for year three of their program.

The Arch Summer Semester*

*For more information on the ARCH process, please click here: The Arch 

 

Fall OR Spring*

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

 

Fall or Spring

Fourth Year

Fall

  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • HASS Core Elective Credit Hours: 4  1
  • Mathematics Elective Credit Hours: 4  3
  • Culminating Experience Credit Hours: 4  5
     

Spring

  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • HASS Core Elective Credit Hours: 4  1
     

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  or PHYS 1110 ; and PHYS 1200  may be substituted for PHYS 1150  and PHYS 1250 , respectively.
  3. MATH 4000-level electives to be chosen from the following:
    MATH 4100 , MATH 4300 , MATH 4400 , MATH 4500 , MATH 4600 , MATH 4700 , or MATH 4800  .
    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:

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Bacclaureate Degrees