Physics Major

Major Requirements

The major in physics requires a minimum of 10 courses, distributed as follows:

1. Physics (9 courses)

PHYS 033L KS - Principles of Physics
PHYS 034L KS - Principles of Physics
PHYS 035 KS - Modern Physics
PHYS 100 KS - Computational Physics and Engineering
PHYS 101 KS - Intermediate Mechanics
PHYS 102 KS - Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism
PHYS 108 KS - Programming for Science and Engineering
or CSCI 051 CM - Introduction to Computer Science
or another computer science course chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor
PHYS 114 KS - Quantum Mechanics: A Numerical Methods Approach
PHYS 115 KS - Statistical Mechanics with Numerical Approach and Application

2. Senior Thesis (1 or 2 courses)

Physics majors must complete a 1- or 2-semester thesis in physics. As an alternative, they may choose to complete a 1- or 2-semester thesis in biology or chemistry. For further information, see Senior Thesis in Science, below.

Notes:

The introductory physics courses may also be completed by both semesters of the Accelerated Integrated Science Sequence (AISS) .
MATH 031 CM , MATH 032 CM , or MATH 111 CM are prerequisites for several advanced physics courses.
CHEM 014L KS - Basic Principles of Chemistry and MATH 110 CM - Introduction to Engineering Mathematics are recommended.

Senior Thesis in Science

The senior thesis is a general education requirement and the capstone experience of a student’s undergraduate education. Students must complete a senior thesis in at least one of their majors under supervision of a faculty reader who teaches within that major, unless granted a special exception.

Science majors have the following senior thesis options. Refer to the major requirements above for major-specific senior thesis requirements.

2-Semester Thesis with Lab (2 courses, 2 credits)

Students interested in a 2-semester thesis with lab take one of the following pairs of courses in the 1^st and 2^nd semester of the senior year:

2-Semester Thesis with Summer Research (2 courses, 1 credit)

Students interested in completing a 2-semester thesis by conducting a substantial research project during the summer after their junior year should register for one of the following pairs of courses in the 1^st semester of the senior year. There is no credit or lab fee for 189L.

1-Semester Experimental Thesis with Lab (1 course, 1 credit)

Students interested in a 1-semester experimental thesis with lab take one of the following in the 1^st or 2^nd semester of the senior year:

1-Semester Library Thesis without Lab (1 course, 1 credit)

Students interested in a 1-semester library thesis without lab complete an extensive library research thesis in the 1^st or 2^nd semester of the senior year, chosen from:

Note:

The Senior Thesis Research Project course (188L) or the Summer Research Project course (189L) may not be counted as elective courses in the major.

Special Options for Majors in Science

Dual Major in Science

Students selecting a dual major including science should discuss their program requirements with the conveners of the appropriate programs. Usually up to 2 electives in science may be waived for dual majors including science. Unless otherwise specified above or exempted by the appropriate convener of the Keck Science Department, science students with dual majors are required to complete a 1- or 2-semester thesis in science.

Honors in Science

To be eligible for departmental honors in a science major, students must:

Achieve a minimum GPA of 10.5 in courses in the major;
Complete a 1- or 2-semester thesis project in which the student has demonstrated excellence by making a significant contribution to the progress of the research, by producing a thesis document judged to be of honors quality by the department, by presenting the work in a cogent fashion, and by engaging in the departmental seminar program.

Students with a dual major including science who wish to be considered for honors in science will only receive honors if they:

Have completed all requirements for a full major in science and are granted honors, or
Qualify and receive honors in both disciplines of their dual major. See Academic Honors at Graduation for details.

Study Abroad for Science Majors

The Keck Science Department supports study abroad for science majors, however majors need to be aware that spending a semester off-campus requires careful advanced planning and program selection. Science majors interested in study abroad should discuss their interest with their major advisors as soon as possible.

General Education Requirements for Science Majors

General Education Requirement in Science

Every CMC student must complete one (1) laboratory science course offered by the Keck Science Department or elsewhere within the Claremont Consortium. This requirement must by satisfied by the end of the 2^nd year at CMC.

General Education Requirements in the Social Sciences and the Humanities

For students with science majors, general education requirements in the social sciences and humanities must be met by courses outside of a student’s major field(s). Students in most science majors, including this major, must take courses in 3 of the 4 fields of the social sciences and in 2 of the 4 fields of the humanities for a total of 5 courses.

Science majors with a dual or double major in either the humanities or the social sciences will be required to take an additional general education course in those categories.

Learning Goals of the Program in Physics

The objectives for the program in physics are to prepare students for:

When confronted with an unfamiliar physical or dynamical system or situation, our students should be able to:
1. Develop a conceptual framework for understanding the system by identifying the key physical principles, relationships, and constraints underlying the system;
2. Translate that conceptual framework into an appropriate mathematical format/model;
3. (i) If the mathematical model/equations are analytically tractable, carry out the analysis of the problem to completion (by demonstrating knowledge of and proficiency with the standard mathematical tools of physics and engineering);
  (ii) If the model/equations are not tractable, develop a computer code and/or use standard software/ programming languages (e.g. Matlab, Maple, Python) to numerically simulate the model system;
4. Intelligently analyze, interpret, and assess the reasonableness of the answers obtained and/or the model’s predictions;
5. Effectively communicate their findings (either verbally and/or via written expression) to diverse audiences.
In a laboratory setting, students should be able to:
1. Design an appropriate experiment to test out a hypothesis of interest;
2. Make basic order-of-magnitude estimates;
3. Demonstrate a working familiarity with standard laboratory equipment (e.g. oscilloscopes, DMMs, signal generators, etc.);
4. Identify and appropriately address the sources of systematic error and statistical error in their experiment;
5. Have proficiency with standard methods of data analysis (e.g. graphing, curve-fitting, statistical analysis, Fourier analysis, etc.);
6. Intelligently analyze, interpret, and assess the reasonableness of their experimental results;
7. Effectively communicate their findings (either verbally and/or via written expression) to diverse audiences.