Course Descriptions

Below is the list of the courses offered by the Physics Department. Courses are offered based on demand unless indicated next to the course title. 
PHYS 104. Astronomy (3 Credits) 
Three hours per week. A study of the behavior of astronomical systems. Topics include understanding observations made from a moving reference frame such as the earth, the development of modern astronomy, telescopes, the solar system, stars and stellar evolution, galaxies, cosmology and life in the universe. 

PHYS 111. Principles of Physics I (4 Credits; Offered Every Fall) 
Six hours of integrated lecture/laboratory per week. Co-requisite: MATH 110 or MATH 112. Measurement and error analysis. An algebra-based treatment of classical mechanics, including kinematics and dynamics of translational and rotational motion, oscillations, waves and fluids. 

PHYS 112. Principles of Physics II (4 Credits; Offered Every Spring) 
Six hours of integrated lecture/laboratory per week. Prerequisite: PHYS 111. An algebra-based treatment of electricity and magnetism, AC and DC circuits and geometrical optics. 

PHYS 116. Astronomy Laboratory (1 Credit) 
Three hours laboratory per week. Co-requisite: PHYS 104. Selected experiments in astronomy, optics, radiation, and orbital mechanics. 

PHYS 125. Aviation Physics (4 credits; Offered Every Fall and Spring) 
Six hours of integrated lecture/laboratory per week. Co-requisite: MATH 110 or MATH 112. This course will not serve as a prerequisite for PHYS 112 or PHYS 152. An algebra/trigonometry-based treatment of principles of physics relevant to aviation science, including mechanics, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, 
and electromagnetism, with application to pneumatic, hydraulic, electric, and mechanical instrumentation and controls. 

PHYS 151. General Physics: Mechanics (4 Credits) 
Six hours of integrated class and laboratory per week. Co-requisite: MATH 140. This calculus-based course introduces students to the major themes and principles of mechanics (forces, energy, linear and angular momentum, and conservation laws) and their applications in the context of 
translational motion, rotational motion, and thermodynamics. Students will be guided in the basics of computational, experimental, and/or theoretical physics practice. 

PHYS 152. General Physics: Electricity & Magnetism (4 Credits) 
Six hours of integrated class and laboratory per week. Prerequisites: MATH 140 and a “C” or better in PHYS 151. Co-requisite: MATH 141. This calculus-based course introduces students to the major themes and principles of electricity and magnetism (fields, potentials, and Maxwell’s equations) and their applications in the context of charge distributions, current distributions, circuits, and optics. Students will be guided in the basics of computational, experimental, and /or theoretical physics practice. 

PHYS 200 General Physics: Modern Physics (4 Credits) 
Six hours of integrated class and laboratory per week. Prerequisites: a “C” or better in PHYS 152. This calculus-based course provides students with an introduction to the key themes and principles of wave phenomena, the special theory of relativity, and quantum mechanics and nuclear physics. 
 
PHYS 306. Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics (3 Credits) 
Three hours per week. Prerequisites: PHYS 152. Co-requisite: MATH 331. Students will learn about the principles of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics such as equipartition theorem, heat capacities, entropy, free energies and phase transition in systems involving ideal gas, two-state systems, and solids. PHYS306 is cross-listed with CHEM407. 

PHYS 310. Electromagnetic Theory I (3 Credits) 
Three hours per week. Prerequisites: PHYS 101, PHYS 152, and MATH 331. Co-requisite: One of MATH 315, MATH 316, MATH 320, MATH 351, MATH 354, MATH 411, MATH 412, or MATH 423. Static electric fields and solution of electrostatic problems using vector analysis and differential equations. Electric currents and electrical properties of materials. 

PHYS 351RI. Computational Research Methods in Physics (3 Credits) 
Three hours per week. Prerequisite: PHY152, CS307 Co-requisite: MATH141. This course focuses on scientific programming, utilizing languages like Python, and assumes an entry-level programming background. Students will gain a deeper understanding of mathematical and physical principles through a range of computational projects. This course is research-intensive and fulfills the experiential learning requirement. PHYS351RI will be cross listed with MATH341RI.  

PHYS 352. Experimental Research Methods in Physics (3 Credits) 
Three hours per week. Prerequisites: CHEM104/205. Students will learn skills and methods used in experimental physics research, including the use of primary literature. Students will practice these skills and methodologies in projects throughout the course. PHYS352 will be cross-listed with CHEM351. 

PHYS 353RI. Theoretical Research Methods in Physics (3 Credits) 
Three hours per week. Prerequisites: MATH 331 and PHYS 152. This course is designed to provide students with a foundation in the mathematical techniques needed in advance physics courses and in the physics literature. Specific topics that will be covered include: ordinary and partial differential equations, special functions, Green’s functions, vector analysis, complex analysis and Hilbert space. Students will obtain a deeper understanding of mathematics and physics principles through a variety of research projects. This course is research-intensive and satisfies the experiential learning requirement. PHYS353RI will be cross listed with MATH343RI.  

PHYS 354. Introduction to Quantum Computing (3 Credits) 
Three hours per week. Prerequisite: PHYS200. This course offers students a comprehensive introduction to the rapidly developing field of quantum computing. The course offers an overview, essential background knowledge, and practical hands-on experience in quantum computing. Students will acquire a grasp of the fundamental physical principles and essential mathematical tools required for quantum computing. Throughout the course, students will gain the skills to write programs and engage in quantum computing using both simulators and real quantum computers. 

PHYS 413. Quantum Mechanics I (3 Credits) 
Three hours per week. Prerequisites: MATH 300, and MATH 331, and a “C” or better in PHYS 203 or consent of instructor. The Schrodinger equation. Wave packets and free particle motion. The linear harmonic oscillator. Constant potential in one dimension. Central forces and the hydrogen atom. Angular momentum. Fermi-Dirac and Bose-Einstein statistics. PHYS413 is cross-listed with CHEM408. 

PHYS 481WS. Senior Project (3 Credits) 
Three hours per week per credit hour. Prerequisite: PHYS200, PHY351, PHY353, MATH331. The student will plan, implement, and evaluate original computational, educational, experimental, or theoretical physics research under the guidance of a designated physics faculty. Students are required to make multiple oral presentations, updating on their research progress. These presentations account for a minimum of 40% of the final grade. Formal scientific manuscript of research will be required, minimal 6000 words. This is a writing and speech intensive course. 

PHYS 495. Research Participation (var. 1-3 Credits; max. 3 Credits) 
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. May be taken for credit more than once, but only three credit hours will be counted toward satisfying the departmental degree requirements. Student participation directed by a member of the sciences or engineering faculty. 

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A Physics Major also requires the following courses from Mathematics/Computing Science Department: 

MATH 140 Calculus I (3 Credits) 
Prerequisite: MATH-110, Rates of change, polynomial, exponential functions, models of growth. Differential calculus and its applications. Simple differential equation and initial value problems. A graphing calculator is required. 
 
MATH 141 Calculus II (3 Credits) 
Prerequisite: MATH-140. The definite integral, the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, integral calculus and its application uses. An introduction to series including Taylor series and it convergence. A graphing calculator is required. 
 
MATH 240 Calculus III (3 Credits) 
Functions of several variables, vectors, partial derivatives, double and triple integrals, non-Cartesian coordinate systems, vector fields and line integrals. A graphing calculator is required. 
 
MATH 320 Linear Algebra (3 Credits) 
Systems of linear equations, matrix algebra, linear transformations, determinants, vector spaces, eigenvectors and eigenvalues, and applications. 
 
MATH 331 Differential Equations (3 Credits) 
Qualitative and analytic study of ordinary differential equations. Study of first and second order equations, first order systems and qualitative analysis of linear and nonlinear systems. Modeling of real world phenomena with ordinary differential equations. 
 
CS 307 Python Programming (3 Credits) 
This course focuses on development of practical Python programming skills through project-based application. The course discusses powerful features of the Python programming language itself, which allow students to quickly and easily manipulate data in ways not found in other languages. Application of modules to solve domain-specific challenges, such as in scientific computation, data visualization and analysis, application development, and machine learning. 
 
CS 405 Artificial Intelligence (3 Credits) 
This course introduces the basic ideas and techniques underlying the design of intelligent computer systems. A specific emphasis will be on the methodology used to treat knowledge representation, formal logic (classical propositional logic, first order predicate logic, automated theorem proving), pattern recognition; natural and programming language processing.