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F.A.Q.'s
Majors
Minor
Courses
Opportunities
Contact
Bachelor of Arts Degree Program
The specific objectives of the Bachelor of Arts Degree are to foster an understanding of the core areas of physics and encourage analytical and computational skills in the advanced courses. Mechanics describes how objects, ranging from atoms to galaxies, move and lays down the groundwork of "thinking physics." Electromagnetism covers the unification of electricity, magnetism, and light and touches on the workings of basic circuitry. Quantum mechanics introduces the extraordinary and strange properties of atoms and subatomic particles, also covering the workings of lasers and the transparency of solids.
At Syracuse, the B.A. degree has highly flexible requirements. The B.A. requires 30 credit hours of physics coursework. Four specific introductory courses (15 credits) are required: General Physics I and II, Modern Physics, and Experimental Physics I. Your program must also include 11 additional credit hours of upper division physics courses (numbered 300 or higher). All students will need one year of calculus; most students will also need additional courses in calculus and in differential equations as prerequisites to upper division physics courses. The flexibility of the remaining 15 credits of 300-level or greater courses allows for a student to focus on a subject of interest, such as classical, pre-medical, or computational physics.
The B.A. degree in physics is an important accomplishment for students considering careers in widely varying areas including law, journalism, medicine, finance, teaching, and computational science. In these fields as well as in science a liberal education incorporating serious study of physics is an asset.
For more
information, see "Contact".
Sample Curriculum
Courses in blue are required courses.
|
Sample
Course Sequence for Bachelor of the Arts
| ||||
| Time |
Prefix
|
Credits
|
Full Name
|
Notes
|
|
Sophomore
|
||||
|
Fall
|
PHY 211
|
3
|
General Physics I
|
PHY 215 is the honors and majors version of PHY 211. It is taught in a small class format and emphasizes contemporary research topics. |
| PHY 221 | 1 | Physics Lab | ||
| MAT 295 | 4 | Calculus I | ||
|
Spring
|
PHY 212
|
3
|
General Physics
II
|
PHY 216 is the honors and majors version of PHY 212. It is taught in a small class format and emphasizes contemporary research topics. |
| PHY 222 | 1 | Physics Lab II | ||
| PHY 250 | 1 |
Physics Journal Workshop |
||
| MAT 296 | 4 |
Calculus II |
||
|
Junior
|
||||
|
Fall
|
MAT 397 | 4 | Calculus III | |
| PHY 360 | 3 | Vibrations, Waves & Optics | ||
| PHY 307 | 3 | Science and Computers | PHY317 (Astrophysics, Fall), PHY319 (Astrobiology, Fall), PHY312 (Relativity & Cosmology, Spring), or other elective may be used | |
|
Spring
|
PHY 344
|
4
|
Experimental Physics I
|
|
| PHY 361 | 3 |
Modern Physics |
||
| MAT 485 | 3 | Differential Equations and Matrix Algebra | MAT 485 is a pre-requisite for PHY 567. | |
|
Senior
|
||||
|
Fall
|
PHY 424/
ELE 324 |
3
|
Electromagnetism I
|
|
| PHY 531 | 3 | Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics | ||
|
Spring
|
PHY 567 | 4 | Quantum Mechanics I | |
| PHY 462 | 4 | Experimental Physics II | ||
