The B.S. in Physics is intended to prepare students for the study of physics or a closely related subject in graduate school. Physics majors can select from five distinct specializations to earn their physics degree, as described below in the Core Requirements, Advanced Level. While the various specializations share a common core of courses, they also enable students to prepare specifically for certain career paths. Students should consult their faculty advisors when deciding among these specializations.
Degree Requirements
- Students who change degree programs and select this major must adopt the most current catalog.
- Grades below "C" (2.0) in any required physics or mathematics courses are not acceptable; they must be repeated with a higher grade.
- Students must achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all courses taken that could meet major requirements.
- All attempts that could meet requirements are included in the major GPA calculation. All attempts of courses listed for the major taken beyond the minimum required are included in the GPA calculation (e.g., additional restricted electives).
- The Departmental Residency Requirement consists of at least 15 semester hours of regularly scheduled 3000-4000 level courses taken from the UCF Department of Physics.
- Prior to enrolling in Chemistry and Math, you must take the Chemistry Placement Test and Math Placement Test ~ https://www.sdes.ucf.edu/placement-tests/
- Physics majors are discouraged from taking courses as a transient student at a Florida College System institution, except in situations where one semester of a two semester sequence has already been taken at the Florida College System institution.
- All prerequisites of courses taught within the College of Sciences will be enforced.
- Courses designated in 2 (Common Program Prerequisites) are usually completed in the first 60 hours.
- Upon reaching junior standing (60 hours), Physics majors are expected to have completed the following courses and associated chemistry laboratories. These classes are prerequisites for advanced science classes and students entering the major without these classes will be unable to register for most of the advanced courses.
- CHM 2045C - Chemistry Fundamentals I
- CHM 2046 - Chemistry Fundamentals II
- CHM 2046L - Chemistry Fundamentals Laboratory
- MAC 2311C - Calculus with Analytic Geometry I
- MAC 2312 - Calculus with Analytic Geometry II
- MAC 2313 - Calculus with Analytic Geometry III
- PHY2048 and PHY2048L - General Physics Using Calculus I course and lab (or PHY2048C)
- PHY2049 and PHY2049L - General Physics Using Calculus II course and lab (or PHY2049C)
Degree Requirements
Core Requirements: Additional
33 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- In addition to completing all the required GEP (MAC2311C and PHY2048/PHY2048L (or PHY2048C)) and CPP (CHM2045C, MAC2312, MAC2313 and PHY2049/PHY209L (or PHY2049C)) courses,
- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- COP2500C - Concepts in Computer Science (3)
- COP3502C - Computer Science I (3)
- PHZ3150 - Introduction to Numerical Computing (3)
- Complete the following:
- MAP2302 - Ordinary Differential Equations I (3)
- PHY3101 - General Physics Using Calculus III (3)
- PHY3220 - Mechanics I (3)
- PHY3323 - Electricity and Magnetism I (3)
- PHY3513 - Thermal and Statistical Physics (3)
- PHY4324 - Electricity and Magnetism II (3)
- PHY4604 - Wave Mechanics I (3)
- PHY4605 - Wave Mechanics II (3)
- PHZ3113 - Introduction to Theoretical Methods of Physics (3)
- Complete the following:
- PHY3802L - Intermediate Physics Laboratory (3)
- Complete 3 hours of PHY3905 or PHY4912 (Directed Independent Study) in your area of specialization. This fulfills the degree's Capstone Requirement.
Core Requirements: Advanced Level
21 Total Credits
- Complete 1 of the following
General Physics Specialization- Complete all of the following
- Complete the following:
- PHY4803L - Advanced Physics Laboratory (3)
- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- PHY3722C - Physics Laboratory-Electronics (3)
- PHY3752C - Physics of Scientific Instruments (3)
- Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: Select from upper division PHY, PHZ, or AST courses. Additional restricted electives can be taken as approved by an advisor.
- Earn at least 9 credits from the following types of courses: Select courses at a 3000 level or higher, approved by the Physics Department. Courses must be chosen in Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Computer Science, or Engineering.
Materials Physics Specialization - Complete all of the following
- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- PHY3722C - Physics Laboratory-Electronics (3)
- PHY3752C - Physics of Scientific Instruments (3)
- Complete at least 4 of the following:
- EEE3350 - Semiconductor Devices (3)
- EGN3365 - Structure and Properties of Materials (3)
- EMA3000 - Engineering Polymeric Materials (3)
- EMA3012C - Experimental Techniques in Materials I (3)
- EMA3102 - Thermodynamics of Materials (3)
- EMA3124 - Design and Selection of Materials (3)
- PHZ3151 - Computer Methods in Physics (3)
- EMA4125 - Phase Transformations and Microstructural Development in Materials (3)
- EMA4013C - Experimental Techniques in Materials II (3)
- EMA4115 - Transport Phenomena in Materials (3)
- EMA4223 - Fundamentals of Mechanical Behavior of Materials (3)
- EMA4307 - Kinetics of Materials (3)
- EMA4413 - Fundamentals of Electronic Materials (3)
- PHY4803L - Advanced Physics Laboratory (3)
- PHZ4404 - Solid State Physics (3)
- Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: Select courses at a 3000 level or higher, approved by the Physics Department. Courses must be chosen in Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Computer Science, or Engineering. Additional directed electives can be taken as approved by an advisor.
Optics and Lasers Specialization- Complete all of the following
- Complete the following:
- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- PHY3752C - Physics of Scientific Instruments (3)
- PHY3722C - Physics Laboratory-Electronics (3)
- Complete at least 2 of the following:
- EEL4440C - Optical Engineering (3)
- OSE3200 - Geometric Optics (3)
- OSE4721 - Biophotonics (3)
- PHY4445 - Lasers (3)
- OSE4410 - Optoelectronics (3)
- Earn at least 9 credits from the following types of courses: Select courses at a 3000 level or higher, approved by the Physics Department. Courses must be chosen in Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Computer Science, or Engineering. Additional directed electives can be taken as approved by an advisor.
Computational Physics Specialization- Complete all of the following
- Complete the following:
- COP3502C - Computer Science I (3)
- COP3503C - Computer Science II (3)
- PHZ3151 - Computer Methods in Physics (3)
- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- COT4500 - Numerical Calculus (3)
- PHZ3150 - Introduction to Numerical Computing (3)
- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- PHY3722C - Physics Laboratory-Electronics (3)
- PHY3752C - Physics of Scientific Instruments (3)
- Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: Select courses at a 3000 level or higher, approved by the Physics Department. Courses must be chosen in Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Computer Science, or Engineering.
- COP3223C is a prerequisite for COP3502C and COT4500 and will meet a Directed Elective.
- Additional directed electives can be taken as approved by an advisor.
Astronomy Specialization- Complete all of the following
- Complete the following:
- AST2002 - Astronomy (3)
- AST4700 - Experimental Methods in Astronomy (3)
- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- AST4762C - Astronomical Data Analysis (3)
- AST5765C - Advanced Astronomical Data Analysis (3)
- Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: Select from upper division AST courses.
- Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: Select courses at a 3000 level or higher, approved by the Physics Department. Courses must be chosen in Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Computer Science, or Engineering. Additional directed electives can be taken as approved by an advisor.
Capstone Requirement
3 Total Credits
- Earn at least 3 credits from the following:
- PHY3905 - Directed Independent Study (1 - 99)
- PHY4912 - Directed Independent Research (1 - 99)
Grand Total Credits: 57
Total Undergraduate Credit Hours Required: 120
Electives
- To fulfill the 120 hours required in this degree, select primarily from upper level courses after meeting with a departmental advisor. Courses may be outside the department.
Foreign Language Requirements
Graduation
Additional Requirements
- While declared as a Physics BS major, students must complete the Professional Physics Mentoring Program annually. Exceptions will be granted on an annual basis for students who demonstrate participation on an independent and continuous physics professional mentoring plan with faculty in or affiliated to the department.
Departmental Exit Requirements
- Grades below "C" (2.0) in any required physics or mathematics courses are not acceptable; they must be repeated with a higher grade.
- Students must achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all courses taken that could meet major requirements.
- All attempts that could meet requirements are included in the major GPA calculation. All attempts of courses listed for the major taken beyond the minimum required are included in the GPA calculation (e.g., additional restricted electives).
- Students will be required to take a nationally normed test in Physics during their last year.
- Students will have an exit interview in their last semester with a representative of the Physics Undergraduate Committee
University Minimum Exit Requirements
- A 2.0 UCF GPA
- 4 semester hours of upper division credit completed
- 60 semester hours earned after CLEP awarded
- 30 of the last 39 hours of course work must be completed in residency at UCF.
- A maximum of 45 hours of extension, correspondence, CLEP, Credit by Exam, and Armed Forces credits permitted.
- Complete the General Education Program, the Gordon Rule, and nine hours of Summer credit.
Honors In Major
- Application and admissions through The Burnett Honors College and department. More information about Honors in the Major can be found at honors.ucf.edu/research.
Related Programs
- Mathematics (B.S.) Engineering/Physics Track
- Electrical Engineering - Accelerated Undergraduate-Graduate (B.S.E.E. / M.S.E.E.)
- Mechanical Engineering (B.S.M.E.)
- Mathematics Minor
- Physics Minor
- Astronomy Minor
Advising Notes
- Students should consult with a departmental advisor.
- Contact your college advisor in the College of Sciences Advising Services (COSAS) office (CSB 250) for more information about overall progress toward your degree, GEP and other university requirements, academic probation, special problems as well as general academic advising.
Transfer Notes
- Lower division courses do not substitute for upper division courses.
- Courses transferred from private and out-of-state schools must be evaluated for equivalency credit. The student must provide all supporting information.
- Submit your requests for course evaluations at https://sciences.ucf.edu/cosas/ and click on "COS Course Evaluation".
- Acceptable Substitutes for Transfer Courses
- The following substitutions for common program prerequisites are acceptable if taken prior to transferring to UCF:
- CHM 2045C: may use CHM 1040 plus CHM 1041 or CHM 2040C plus CHM 2041C
Program Academic Learning Compacts
- Program Academic Learning Compacts (student learning outcomes) for undergraduate programs are located at: http://www.oeas.ucf.edu/alc/academic_learning_compacts.htm
Equipment Fees
- Part-Time Student: $12.40 per term
- Full-Time Student: $24.80 per term
