Computational Physics

The computational physics option provides a thorough study of computer science and computational physics as well as a solid background in physics and mathematics. Graduates from this program have gone on to graduate programs in physics and computer science while others have found career opportunities in technical fields.

Bachelor of Arts - Physics; Computational Physics Option

College Humanities & Sciences

Catalog Year: 2015-2016

Degree Specific Credits: 72

Required Cumulative GPA: 2.0

Lower Division Physics Core

Rule: Must complete all of the courses in one of the two options:

Note: null

Note: The Physics with Calculus series (PHSX 215N - 218N) is strongly recommended.

10 Total Credits Required

College Physics

Rule: may complete all of the following courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description PHSX 205N - College Physics I
Offered autumn and spring.  Prereq., M 122 or 151 or equivalent, and prereq. or coreq. PHSX 206N.  Mechanics, sound, and heat.  For non-physical science majors.  This course satisfies the lecture portion of medical school requirements in general physics.  Credit not allowed for both PHSX 205N-207N and 215N-217N.
 4 Credits
Show Description PHSX 206N - College Physics I Laboratory
Offered autumn and spring.  Prereq. or coreq., PHSX 205N.  Mechanics, sound, and heat.  For non-physical science majors.  This course satisfies the laboratory portion of medical school requirements in general physics.  Credit not allowed for both PHSX 206N-208N and 216N-218N.
 1 Credits
Show Description PHSX 207N - College Physics II
Offered autumn and spring.  Prereq. PHSX 205N and prereq. or coreq., PHSX 208N.  Electricity, magnetism, light, and modern physics.  For non-physical science majors.  This course satisfies the lecture portion of medical school requirements in general physics.  Credit not allowed for both PHSX 205N-207N and 215N-217N.
 4 Credits
Show Description PHSX 208N - College Physics II Laboratory
Offered autumn and spring.  Prereq., PHSX 206N, prereq, or coreq., PHSX 207N.  Electricity, magnetism, light and modern physics.  For non-physical science majors.  This course satisfies the laboratory portion of medical school requirements in general physics.  Credit not allowed for both PHSX 206N-208N and 216N-218N.
 1 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 10 Total Credits Required

Physics with Calculus

Rule: May complete all of the following courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description PHSX 215N - Fund of Physics w/Calc I
Offered autumn. Prereq. or coreq., PHSX 216N and M 171 or equiv. This course satisfies the lecture portion of medical and technical school requirements in general physics. Mechanics, fluids, waves and sound. Credit not allowed for both PHSX 215N-216N-217N-218N and 205N-206N-207N-208N.
 4 Credits
Show Description PHSX 216N - Physics Laboratory I w/Calc
Offered autumn. Coreq., PHSX 215N. This course satisfies the laboratory portion of medical and technical school requirements in general physics. Mechanics, fluids, waves, and sound. Credit not allowed for both PHSX 215N-216N-217N-218N and 205N-206N-207N-208N.
 1 Credits
Show Description PHSX 217N - Fund of Physics w/Calc II
Offered spring. Prereq., PHSX 215N, and prereq. or coreq. PHSX 218, and prereq. or coreq., M 172 or equivalent. This course satisfies the lecture portion of medical and technical school requirements in general physics. Heat, electricity, magnetism, and light. Credit not allowed for both PHSX 215N-216N-217N-218N and 205N-206N-207N-208N.
 4 Credits
Show Description PHSX 218N - Physics Laboratory II w/Calc
Offered spring. Prereq., PHSX 215N, coreq., PHSX 217N. This course satisfies the laboratory portion of medical and technical school requirements in general physics. Heat, electricity, magnetism, and light. Credit not allowed for both PHSX 215N-216N-217N-218N and 205N-206N-207N-208N.
 1 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 10 Total Credits Required

Upper Division Physics

Rule: Complete the following courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description PHSX 301 - Intro Theoretical Physics
Offered spring. Prereq., M 273; coreq., PHSX 217N-218N. Selected topics from applied linear algebra, ordinary and partial differential equations, vector analysis, complex variables, and Fourier series. Applications to classical mechanics, electromagnetism, and quantum mechanics.
 3 Credits
Show Description PHSX 311 - Oscillations and Waves
Offered autumn. Prereq., PHSX 217N-218N or 207N-208N; Prereq. or coreq. M 273. Detailed study of oscillations and waves at the intermediate level, to develop physical intuition and mathematical skills needed for analyzing a wide range of periodic phenomena encountered in physics.
 2 Credits
Show Description PHSX 320 - Classical Mechanics
Offered autumn. Prereq., PHSX 301, M 311. Topics in classical mechanics at the intermediate level, emphasizing Lagrangian and Hamiltonian dynamics.
 3 Credits
Show Description PHSX 333 - Computational Physics
Offered spring odd-numbered years. Prereq., PHSX 217N-218N; coreq., any upper-division PHXS course. Solution of advanced problems in physics using computational methods. Students will learn a variety of numerical methods, including FORTRAN programming techniques.
 3 Credits
Show Description PHSX 343 - Modern Physics
Offered autumn. Prereq., one year of college physics; coreq., M 273. Includes historical background for development of modern physics and an introduction to quantum mechanics, atomic and nuclear physics. Credit not allowed for graduate degree in physics.
 3 Credits
Show Description PHSX 423 - Electricity & Magnetism I
Offered autumn. Prereq, PHSx 301. Electricity and magnetism at the intermediate level.
 3 Credits
Show Description PHSX 499 - Senior Capstone Seminar
Offered autumn. Prereq., junior or senior standing in physics. Each student will present a seminar on research performed prior to or during their senior year.
 1 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 18 Total Credits Required

Physics Elective

Rule: Choose 1 of the following courses

Note: PHSX 322, 425, and 461 are strongly recommended

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description PHSX 141N - Einstein's Relativity
Offered spring. Prereq., working knowledge of high school physics and high school calculus, or consent of instr. Modern theoretical study of space, time, the principle of relativity, and its implications. Analysis of apparent paradoxes, and applications to particle physics.
 3 Credits
Show Description PHSX 323 - Intermediate Physics Lab
Offered spring. Prereq., PHSX 217N-218N or PHSX 207N-208N and PHSX 311. Laboratory course in the application of analog and digital electronics to experimental physics, with additional emphasis on data analysis techniques.
 3 Credits
Show Description PHSX 327 - Optics
Offered spring. Prereq., PHSX 311. Intermediate level study of light and optics, including geometrical optics, wave optics, optical instruments, coherence, polarization, and special topics.
 3 Credits
Show Description PHSX 330 - Communicating Physics
Offered spring even-numbered years. Prereq., PHSX 217N-218N or PHSX 207N-208N. Oral and written communication skills in physics, to include teaching high school and college physics, presenting seminars, and writing technical and non-technical physics articles.
 3 Credits
Show Description PHSX 425 - Electricity & Magnetism II
Offered spring. Prereq., PHSX 423. Continuation of PHSX 423. Electricity and magnetism at the intermediate level.
 3 Credits
Show Description PHSX 444 - Advanced Physics Lab
Offered autumn. Prereq., PHSX 343 or equiv., PHSX 327 or equiv.; PHSX 322 suggested but not required. Advanced experiments in classical and modern physics, including optics, spectroscopy, laser science, atomic, nuclear, and particle physics, Data analysis techniques for experimental scientists. Recommended for students entering graduate school in any experimental science.
 3 Credits
Show Description PHSX 446 - Thermodyn & Stat Mech
Offered spring even-numbered years. Prereq., PHSX 343; coreq., M 311. Topics in thermodynamics and statistical mechanics.
 3 Credits
Show Description PHSX 461 - Quantum Mechanics I
Offered autumn. Prereq., PHSX 311, PHSX 343; prereq. or coreq., M 311.   Introduction to quantum mechanics. Topics include Schroedinger equation, piecewise constant potential, harmonic oscillator, hydrogen atom, angular momentum theory, electron spin.
 3 Credits
Show Description PHSX 462 - Quantum Mechanics II
Offered spring. Prereq., PHSX 461 or consent of instr. Advanced topics in quantum mechanics including linear vector spaces and Dirac notation, quantum dynamics, time-dependent perturbation theory, and scattering theory.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Math Requirements

Rule: Complete the following courses

Note: M 307, STAT 341, and STAT 458 are recommended as well

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description M 171 - Calculus I
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 122 or 151 or ALEKS placement >= 5.  Differential calculus, including limits, continuous functions, Intermediate Value Theorem, tangents, linear approximation, inverse functions, implicit differentiation, extreme values and the Mean Value Theorem.  Integral Calculus including antiderivatives, definite integrals, and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus.
 4 Credits
Show Description M 172 - Calculus II
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 171 or 181. Techniques of Integration. Area computations. Improper integrals. Infinite series and various convergence tests. Power series. Taylor's Formula. Polar coordinates. Parametric curves.
 4 Credits
Show Description M 225 - Intro to Discrete Mathematics
Offered autumn. Prereq., one of M 162, 171, or 181 or consent of instr. Mathematical concepts used in computer science with an emphasis on mathematical reasoning and proof techniques. Elementary logic, sets, functions and relations, combinatorics, mathematical induction, recursion and algorithms. Mathematics majors should take M 307 instead of 225.
 3 Credits
Show Description M 273 - Multivariable Calculus
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., M 172 or 182. Calculus of functions of several variables; differentiation and elementary integration. Vectors in the plane and space.
 4 Credits
Show Description M 311 - Ordinary Diff Equations/System
Offered autumn. Prereq., M 273. Ordinary differential equations. Systems of linear differential equations from a matrix viewpoint.  Series solutions. Existence and uniqueness for initial value problems.  Numerical methods. Stability and selected topics. M 317 computer lab recommended.
 3 Credits
Show Description M 325 - Discrete Mathematics
Offered spring. Prereq., M 171 and 225 or 307. Continuation of 225 and topics from graph theory, Boolean algebras, automata theory, coding theory, computability and formal languages.
 3 Credits
21 Total Credits Required

Computer Science Requirements

Rule: Complete the following subcategories of courses

20 Total Credits Required

Computer Science Core Courses

Rule: Must complete all of the following courses

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description CSCI 135 - Fund of Computer Science I
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., computer programming experience in a language such as BASIC, Pascal, C, etc.; CSCI 104 highly recommended as prereq. or coreq. Fundamental computer science concepts using the high level structured programming language, Java.
 3 Credits
Show Description CSCI 136 - Fund of Computer Science II
Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., CSCI 135; coreq., M 115 or M 151 or consent of instr. Continuation of CSCI 135. Survey of computer science topics including recursion, algorithms, basic data structures, operating systems, artificial intelligence, graphics, user interfaces, and social and ethical implications of computing.
 3 Credits
Show Description CSCI 232 - Data Structures and Algorithms
Offered autumn. Prereq., 'B-' or better in CSCI 136; or consent of instr. Abstract data types, algorithm analysis, stacks, queues, lists, recursion, trees, hashing, graphs, and applications of data structures in algorithm development. Python programming language used.
 4 Credits
Show Description CSCI 332 - Design/Analysis of Algorithms
Offered spring. Prereq., CSCI 232 and M 225 or consent of instr. Algorithm design, analysis, and correctness. Commonly used algorithms including searching and sorting, string search, dynamic programming, branch and bound, graph algorithms, and parallel algorithms. Introduction to NP-complete problems.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 13 Total Credits Required

Computer Science Electives

Rule: Choose an additional 7 credits from any CSCI courses number 200 and above

Note: CSCI 205, 250, 361, 415, and 477 are recommended

Advanced College Writing Requirement

Rule: Must take the following course

Note: May substitute another advanced writing course as approved by the department chair.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description PHSX 330 - Communicating Physics
Offered spring even-numbered years. Prereq., PHSX 217N-218N or PHSX 207N-208N. Oral and written communication skills in physics, to include teaching high school and college physics, presenting seminars, and writing technical and non-technical physics articles.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C- 3 Total Credits Required

Foreign Language

Note: Students must also complete a 2 semester language sequence or have equivalent placement.