The physics major, which requires a minimum of 18 courses to complete, can be customized to meet your interests. We offer three tracks to choose from, depending on your career goals: the comprehensive physics track, applied physics track, and general physics track. In addition to core physics courses, you can take specialized courses in pre-professional physics, biological physics, fluid dynamics, information theory, the technology of renewable energy, electronics, and computational physics, and explore related fields such as environmental studies, management, government, law, medicine, and teaching. You can also pursue the major as part of the 3/2 engineering program with Columbia University. If you’re considering a career teaching physics at the high school level, we encourage you to check out the Noyce Scholarship program.
Our physics program is aimed at helping you develop both an understanding of physical phenomena and your problem-solving and analytical-thinking skills. Throughout the physics major (or minor), you will spend a great deal of time thinking deeply about physics and working in the laboratory to discover how physical systems work. Starting with the introductory physics sequence, all our courses prepare you to apply your knowledge of physics and mathematics to study real-world and unsolved problems. Near the end of your junior year, or earlier, you can choose a topic for your capstone project.