Physics Minor
Minor - Physics (Minor)
College Humanities & Sciences
Catalog Year: 2015-2016
Degree Specific Credits: 24
Required Cumulative GPA: 2.0
Note: Mathematics prerequisites for the physics minor are M 171, 172, 273, and 311
Required Lower Division Courses
Rule: Must complete all of the following courses in one of the two options:
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 Core Course
Rule: Must complete the following course:
| 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 |
| Minimum Required Grade: C- | 3 Total Credits Required | |
Elective Courses
Rule: Must complete 11 credits from the following courses
Note: Eight of the eleven required credits must be upper division courses.
| 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 291 - Special Topics
(R-6) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
|
1 To 9 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 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 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 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.
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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- | 11 Total Credits Required | |
The term ‘minor’ for this teaching option refers to courses that need to be completed. To sign up for this option, you need to contact the Curriculum and Instruction Department. Do not fill out a minor form for graduation or the minor section of the major change form. Approvals for this option must come from the Curriculum and Instruction Department.