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 Credit Hours: 4
- CHM 2046 - Chemistry Fundamentals II Credit Hours: 3
- CHM 2046L - Chemistry Fundamentals Laboratory Credit Hours: 1
- MAC 2311C - Calculus with Analytic Geometry I Credit Hours: 4
- MAC 2312 - Calculus with Analytic Geometry II Credit Hours: 4
- MAC 2313 - Calculus with Analytic Geometry III Credit Hours: 4
- PHY 2048C - General Physics Using Calculus I (or PHY 2048 and PHY 2048L) Credit Hours: 4
- PHY 2049C - General Physics Using Calculus II (or PHY 2049 and PHY 2049L) Credit Hours: 4
Degree Requirements
Core Requirements: Additional
33 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- In addition to completing all the required GEP and CPP courses,
- 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)
- Earn at least 3 credits from the following types of courses: PHY4912 - Directed Independent Research
- Complete the following:
- PHY3802L - Intermediate Physics Laboratory (3)
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 types of courses: PHY3905 - Directed Independent Studies PHY4912 - Directed Independent Research (Preferred)
Grand Total Credits: 57
