General Education (41 hours)

General Education  requirements (shown in curricular listings below) include courses in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences.

The following courses required by the program meet General Education requirements:

• MATH 1910  (Math)
• CHEM 1110 /CHEM 1111  (Nat Sci)
• PHYS 2010 /PHYS 2011  or PHYS 2110 /PHYS 2111  (Nat Sci)

Major Requirements (45 hours)

A 2.00 GPA is required for the Physics major.

Supporting Courses (20 hours)

• CHEM 1110 - General Chemistry I 4 credit hours AND
• CHEM 1111 - General Chemistry I Lab 0 credit hours (may be counted in General Education)

•  

• CHEM 1120 - General Chemistry II 4 credit hours AND
• CHEM 1121 - General Chemistry II Lab 0 credit hours

•  

• MATH 1910 - Calculus I 4 credit hours (3 credit hours may be counted in General Education, 1 credit hour remaining)
• MATH 1920 - Calculus II 4 credit hours
• CSCI 1170 - Computer Science I 4 credit hours

Professional Physics: Astrophysics Track (11 hours)

The astrophysics track offers preparation for graduate work in astronomy or astrophysics. In addition to the physics common requirements and the Professional Physics concentration requirements, the following courses are recommended:

• ASTR 1031 - Observing the Universe 1 credit hour
• ASTR 2030 - Solar System Astronomy 3 credit hours
• ASTR 2040 - Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology 3 credit hours
• ASTR 3400 - Fundamentals of Astrophysics 3 credit hours
• ASTR 3401 - Experimental Astronomy 1 credit hour

Professional Physics: Medical Physics Track (15 hours)

The medical physics track offers preparation for graduate work in medical physics and radiation oncology physics, eventually leading to a career as a medical physicist in a clinical or academic setting. In addition to the physics common requirements and the Professional Physics concentration requirements, the following courses are recommended:

• PHYS 3600 - Radiation Oncology Physics 3 credit hours
• PHYS 3601 - Medical Physics Practicum 1 credit hour
• PHYS 4600 - Topics in Medical Physics 3 credit hours

•  

• BIOL 2010 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I 4 credit hours AND
• BIOL 2011 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I Lab 0 credit hours

•  

• BIOL 2020 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II 4 credit hours AND
• BIOL 2021 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II Lab 0 credit hours

Electives (14-25 hours)

• 36 total credits must be earned at the 3000/4000 level

Freshman

• PHYS 1010 - Physics Colloquium 1 credit hour

•  

• PHYS 2010 - Non-Calculus-Based Physics I 0 credit hours AND
• PHYS 2011 - Physics Problems Laboratory I 4 credit hours

• OR

• PHYS 2110 - Calculus-Based Physics I 0 credit hours AND
• PHYS 2111 - Calculus-Based Physics Laboratory I 4 credit hours (Nat Sci)

•  

• PHYS 2020 - Non-Calculus-Based Physics II 0 credit hours AND
• PHYS 2021 - Physics Problems Laboratory II 4 credit hours

• OR

• PHYS 2120 - Calculus-Based Physics II 0 credit hours AND
• PHYS 2121 - Calculus-Based Physics Laboratory II 4 credit hours

•  

• MATH 1910 - Calculus I 4 credit hours (Math)
• MATH 1920 - Calculus II 4 credit hours

•  

• CHEM 1110 - General Chemistry I 4 credit hours (Nat Sci) AND
• CHEM 1111 - General Chemistry I Lab 0 credit hours (Nat Sci)

•  

• CHEM 1120 - General Chemistry II 4 credit hours AND
• CHEM 1121 - General Chemistry II Lab 0 credit hours

•  

• ENGL 1010 - Expository Writing 3 credit hours (Comm)
• ENGL 1020 - Research and Argumentative Writing 3 credit hours (Comm)

Sophomore

• PHYS 3100 - Modern Physics I 3 credit hours
• PHYS 3110 - Modern Physics II 3 credit hours
• PHYS 3111 - Modern Physics Laboratory 1 credit hour
• PHYS 3150 - Topics and Methods of Theoretical Physics I 3 credit hours
• PHYS 3160 - Topics and Methods of Theoretical Physics II 3 credit hours
• COMM 2200 - Fundamentals of Communication 3 credit hours (Comm)
• Electives 7 credit hours (MATH 3110 and MATH 3120 recommended)

•  

• ENGL 2020 - Themes in Literature and Culture 3 credit hours (Hum/FA) OR
• ENGL 2030 - The Experience of Literature 3 credit hours (Hum/FA) OR
• HUM 2610 - World Literatures 3 credit hours (Hum/FA)

Junior

• CSCI 1170 - Computer Science I 4 credit hours
• PHYS 3200 - Scientific Modeling and Problem Solving 2 credit hours *
• PHYS 3610 - Thermodynamics 3 credit hours *
• PHYS 3800 - Physics Seminar 1 credit hour
• PHYS 4380 - Quantum Mechanics 3 credit hours *
• Electives 6-9 credit hours
• Humanities and/or Fine Arts (2 rubrics) 6 credit hours
• Social/Behavioral Sciences (2 rubrics) 6 credit hours

Senior

• Electives 11-14 credit hours
• PHYS 3300 - Classical Mechanics 3 credit hours *
• PHYS 3900 - Physics Practicum 1 credit hour
• PHYS 4310 - Electricity and Magnetism 3 credit hours *
• PHYS 4330 - Electricity and Magnetism II 3 credit hours *
• PHYS 4850 - Physics Research 2 credit hours
• PHYS 4900 - Physics Senior Thesis 2 credit hours

•  

• Choose 6 hours from:

• HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I 3 credit hours
• HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II 3 credit hours
• HIST 2030 - Tennessee History 3 credit hours
• HIST 2040 - Survey African American History I 3 credit hours
• HIST 2050 - Survey African American History II 3 credit hours

NOTE:

*Offered every other year