Undergraduate Program Major Declaring Physics as your Major Program Description and Course Requirements Sample 4-year Physics Major Curriculum Concentrations in Physics Advanced Placement Engineering Physics Major Individually Designed Major for Teaching Physical Science Minor Research Other

CONCENTRATIONS IN PHYSICS

The primary purpose of Concentrations in the Physics Major is to provide consistent and more formal advising to students who want to concentrate in a particular area of physics during their undergraduate education, or prepare for future studies (e.g., graduate studies) in a particular area of physics. Physics Majors are not required to choose a concentration and a concentration does not add any formal requirements to the Physics Major. Upon graduation, students will receive a certificate of completion of a Concentration.

Students seeking further advice on a given concentration should contact the professor whose name appears next to the respective title of each section below.

A. Applied Physics (Hari Manoharan)

At least four one-quarter courses selected from the following courses, or three courses plus an Honors Thesis:

Solid State:

• PHYSICS 172 Solid State Physics
• APPPYS 270 Magnetism and Long Range Order in Solids
• MATSCI 195 Waves and Diffraction in Solids

Biophysics:

• APPPYS 192 Introductory Biophysics

Lasers:

• EE 231 Introduction to Lasers
• EE 232 Laser Dynamics
• EE 268 Introduction to Modern Optics

Lab Methods:

• APPPYS 207, 208 Laboratory Electronics, Analog and Digital
• APPPYS 304 Lasers Laboratory

B. Astrophysics (Roger Romani, Sarah Church)

Requirements:

• PHYSICS 100 Introduction to Observational and Laboratory Astronomy
• PHYSICS 160 Introduction to Stellar and Galactic Astrophysics
• PHYSICS 161 Introduction to Extragalactic Astrophysics and Cosmology

Plus one elective from below, or an Honors Thesis:

• PHYSICS 211 Continuum Mechanics
• PHYSICS 260 Introduction to Astrophysics and Cosmology
• PHYSICS 262 Introduction to Gravitation
• PHYSICS 312 Basic Plasma Physics (prerequisites are PHYSICS 210 and PHYSICS 220)

C. Biophysics (Seb Doniach)

At least four, one quarter courses chosen from the following courses, or three courses plus an honors thesis:

• APPPHYS 136 Biology by the Numbers
• APPPHYS 192/292 Introductory Biophysics
• BIOC 202 Metabolic Biochemistry
• BIOPHYS 228 Computational Structure Biology
• BIOSCI 141 Biostatistics
• BIOSCI 132/232 Advanced Imaging Lab in Biophysics
• BIOSCI 135/HUMBIO 182 Biological Clocks
• BIOSCI 211 Biophysics of Sensory Transduction
• BIOSCI 217 Neuronal Biophysics
• CS 273 Algorithms for Structure and Motion in Biology

It is recommended the Physics majors interested in pursuing a career in biophysics consider a minor in Biological Sciences.

D. Geophysics (Simon Klemperer in Geophysics)

At least four one-quarter courses selected from the following courses, or three courses plus an Honors Thesis:

• EE 140 Introduction to Remote Sensing
• GEOPHYS 112 Exploring Geosciences with MATLAB
• GEOPHYS 150 General Geophysics and Physics of the Earth
• GEOPHYS 170 Global Tectonics
• GEOPHYS 180 Geophysical Inverse Problems
• GEOPHYS 190 Introduction to Geophysical Field Methods
• GEOPHYS 222 Reflection Seismology
• GEOPHYS 262 Rock Physics
• GEOPHYS 288A Crustal Deformation

E. Theoretical Physics (Andrei Linde)

At least four one-quarter courses selected from the following courses, or three courses plus an Honors Thesis:

• PHYSICS 152A,B Introduction to Particle Physics
• PHYSICS 204 Advanced Seminar in Theoretical Physics
• PHYSICS 212 Statistical Mechanics
• PHYSICS 232 Quantum Mechanics
• PHYSICS 260 Introduction to Astrophysics and Cosmology
• PHYSICS 262 Introduction to Gravitation
• PHYSICS 330, 331, 332 Quantum Field Theory
• PHYSICS 351 Standard Model of Particle Physics and Beyond
• PHYSICS 352 Neutrino Physics
• PHYSICS 362 Advanced Extragalactic Astrophysics and Cosmology
• PHYSICS 364 Advanced Gravitation

Notes to students taking this concentration:

1. No more than one of the courses should be taken for CR/NC.
2. Students should discuss the choice of courses with members of the Institute of Theoretical Physics and/or their Major advisor.
3. Students may attend 330 after taking 130, 131.  Prior study of special topics in quantum mechanics (134, 232) may be helpful.