American University Physics
Programs: BS in Physics
Admission to the Program
Formal admission to the major requires a grade point average
of 2.00 (on a 4.00 scale) and departmental approval.
University Requirements
- A total of 120 credit hours
- 6 credit hours of college writing
- 3 credit hours of college mathematics or the equivalent by examination
General Education Requirements
- A total of ten courses, consisting of one foundation course and
one second-level course in an approved sequence from each
of the five curricular areas
- No more than 6 credit hours may be taken in the same
discipline
Tracks
Chemical Physics, Computational Physics, or Traditional
Physics
Major Requirements
57 credit hours with grades of C or better
Course Requirements
Core (45 credit hours)
- CSC-280 Introduction to Computer Science I (4)
- MATH-221 Calculus I (4)
- MATH-222 Calculus II (4)
- MATH-313 Calculus III (4)
MATH-321 Differential Equations (3)
- PHYS-110 University Physics I 5:1 (4)
- PHYS-210 University Physics II 5:2 (4)
- (PHYS-110 and PHYS-210 may be waived for students with
exceptional high school preparation)
- PHYS-365Waves and Optics (3)
- PHYS-370 Modern Physics (3)
- PHYS-430 Classical Mechanics (3)
- PHYS-440 Experimental Physics (3)
- PHYS-450 Electricity andMagnetism (3)
- PHYS-470 Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (3)
Tracks (12 credit Hours)
Chemical Physics
Prerequisite: CHEM-210 General Chemistry II 5:2 (4)
12 credit hours from the following:
- CHEM-310 Organic Chemistry I (3)
- CHEM-312 Organic Chemistry I Laboratory (1)
- CHEM-320 Organic Chemistry II (3)
- CHEM-322 Organic Chemistry II Laboratory (1)
- CHEM-350 Quantitative Analysis (3)
- CHEM-351 Quantitative Analysis Laboratory (2)
- CHEM-410 Biophysical Chemistry (3)
- CHEM-411 Biophysical Chemistry Laboratory (1)
- CHEM-460 Instrumental Analysis (3)
- CHEM-461 Instrumental Analysis Laboratory (2)
Computational Physics
12 credit hours from the following:
- CSC-281 Introduction to Computer Science II (3)
- CSC-330 Organization of Computer Systems (4)
- CSC-432 Introduction to Simulation and Modeling (3)
- CSC-520 Algorithms and Data Structures (3)
- CSC-543 Object-Oriented Analysis and Design (3)
Traditional Physics
12 credit hours from the following:
- MATH-310 Linear Algebra (3)
- MATH-550 Complex Analysis (3)
- MATH-551 Partial Differential Equations (3)
- PHYS-220 Astronomy 5:2 (3)
- PHYS-230 Changing Views of the Universe 5:2 (3)
- PHYS-305 Acoustics (3)
- PHYS-312 Electronics I (3)
- PHYS-313 Electronics II (3)
- PHYS-322 Electronics Lab I (2)
- PHYS-323 Electronics Lab II (2)
University Honors Program
All University Honors students must complete at least 12
credit hours of advanced-level (300-level and above) Honors
courses including a 3 to 6 credit hour Honors Senior Capstone
Project. Students may graduate with University Honors in the
major if they complete at least 12 advanced-level Honors
courses including the Senior Capstone Project in the department.
Each department has three levels of University Honors
requirements: Level I Options (100-200-levelHonors classes);
Level II Options (300-level and above Honors classes); and
Level III Options (Honors Senior Capstone). The department
Honors coordinator advises students in the University Honors
Program regarding departmental options. For more information,
go to < www.american.edu/academic.depts/honors/>.
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