Major

Total Semester Hours required for the Degree: 120 semester hours

Minimum Semester Hours required for the Physics Major: 75 semester hours

The Physics major comprises the following courses:

Students who have completed college-level, algebra-based physics courses (e.g., PHY 1151G, 1152G, 1161, 1162) should consult the department chair.

• CHM 1310G - General Chemistry I. Credits: 3
• CHM 1315G - General Chemistry Laboratory I. Credits: 1
• CSM 2170 - Computer Science I. Credits: 4
• MAT 1441G - Calculus and Analytic Geometry I. Credits: 5
• MAT 2442 - Calculus and Analytic Geometry II. Credits: 5
• MAT 2443 - Calculus and Analytic Geometry III. Credits: 4
• MAT 2550 - Introduction to Linear Algebra. Credits: 3
• MAT 3501 - Differential Equations I. Credits: 3
• PHY 1001 - Introduction to Physics and Engineering. Credits: 1
• PHY 1351G - General Physics I. Credits: 3

• or PHY 1391G

• PHY 1352G - General Physics I Laboratory. Credits: 1

• or PHY 1392G

• PHY 1361 - General Physics II. Credits: 3
• PHY 1362 - General Physics II Laboratory. Credits: 1
• PHY 1371 - General Physics III. Credits: 3
• PHY 1372 - General Physics III Laboratory. Credits: 1
• PHY 2450 - Classical Dynamics. Credits: 3
• PHY 3150 - Electronics. Credits: 4
• PHY 3410 - Electricity and Magnetism I. Credits: 3
• PHY 3420 - Electricity and Magnetism II. Credits: 3
• PHY 4000 - Seminar in Physics. Credits: 1
• PHY 4601A - Research in Physics 1A. Credits: 1

• or PHY 4601B, D, E or PHY 4602A, B, D, E or PHY 4603A, B, D, E

• (see footnote 1 and footnote 2)

• PHY 4711 - Experimental Physics I. Credits: 1
• PHY 4712 - Experimental Physics II. Credits: 1
• PHY 4713 - Experimental Physics III. Credits: 1
• PHY 4750 - Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics. Credits: 4
• PHY 4855(4850) - Quantum Mechanics. Credits: 3
• PHY 4865(4860) - Advanced Quantum Mechanics. Credits: 3

Select at least one from the following 4 courses:

• AET 3103 - Robots and Control Systems. Credits: 3
• BUS 3010 - Management and Organizational Behavior. Credits: 3
• ENG 3005 - Technical Communication. Credits: 3
• GEO 3430 - Structural Geology. Credits: 3

Electives

And 3 semester hours of PHY electives, selected from the list below:

• PHY 3350 - Introduction to Solid State Physics. Credits: 3
• PHY 4100 - Astrophysics. Credits: 3
• PHY 4320 - Computational Physics. Credits: 4
• PHY 4444A - Honors Independent Study A. Credits: 3

• or PHY 4444B or PHY 4444D

• (See footnote 1)

• PHY 4470 - Optics. Credits: 4
• PHY 4555 - Honors Research. Credits: 3

• (See footnote 1)

• PHY 4800* - Advanced Independent Study. Credits: 1 to 6

• *Course Numbers: PHY 4800A, B, D-F, H-M, O-R, T-Y

• (See footnote 1)

Footnotes:

(Major GPA based on all physics courses taken at EIU.)

¹ No more than 3 semester hours of PHY 4444*, PHY 4555, PHY 4600, 4601*, 4602*, 4603* and PHY 4800* in aggregate will count towards the Physics concentration electives.

² One semester hour of PHY 4601, 4602, or 4603 is required. It is suggested that students take more than one semester of these courses but additional semester hours will not count as electives.