Department of Physics
Program II: Applied Physics (Bachelor of Science in Physics)
Students on Summer 2024, Fall 2024, or Spring 2025 requirements PHYAPPLTRK
Requirements
The major requires at least 35 credit hours (57 with the Addenda requirements), including the requirements listed below.
- Physics I. One (1) course:
- PHYS-H 221 Honors Physics I
- PHYS-P 221 Physics I
PHYS-H 221 Honors Physics I
- Credits
- 5
- Prerequisites
- Consent of department
- Notes
- P or C: MATH-M 211 or equivalent
- Description
- First semester of a calculus-based sequence in introductory physics, intended primarily for highly motivated and well prepared students. Covers the material of P221 and supplementary topics. Course fee required.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of PHYS-H 221, PHYS-P 201, or PHYS-P 221.
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PHYS-P 221 Physics I
- Credits
- 5
- Prerequisites
- None
- Corequisites
- MATH-M 211 or consent of instructor
- Notes
- First semester of a three-semester, calculus-based sequence intended for science majors. Three lectures, two discussion sections, and one 2-hour lab each week. Physics majors are encouraged to take PHYS-P 221 in the fall semester of the freshman year
- Description
- Newtonian mechanics, oscillations and waves, heat and thermodynamics.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of PHYS-H 221, PHYS-P 201, or PHYS-P 221.
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- Physics II. One (1) course:
- PHYS-H 222 Honors Physics II
- PHYS-P 222 Physics II
PHYS-H 222 Honors Physics II
- Credits
- 5
- Prerequisites
- PHYS-H 221; or PHYS-P 221 and consent of department
- Description
- Second semester of a calculus-based sequence in introductory physics, intended primarily for highly motivated and well prepared students. Covers the material of PHYS-P 222 and supplementary topics. Course fee required.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of PHYS-H 222, PHYS-P 202, or PHYS-P 222.
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PHYS-P 222 Physics II
- Credits
- 5
- Prerequisites
- PHYS-H 221 or PHYS-P 221; or PHYS-P 201 and consent of instructor
- Corequisites
- MATH-M 212 or consent of instructor
- Notes
- Second semester of a three-semester, calculus-based sequence intended for science majors.Three lectures, two discussion sections, and one 2-hour lab each week. Physics majors are encouraged to take PHYS-P 222 in the spring semester of the freshman year
- Description
- Primarily electricity, magnetism, and geometrical and physical optics.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of PHYS-H 222, PHYS-P 202, or PHYS-P 222.
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- Physics III. One (1) course:
- PHYS-P 301 Physics III
PHYS-P 301 Physics III
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- PHYS-H 222 or PHYS-P 222; or PHYS-P 202 and consent of instructor
- Notes
- Third semester of a three-semester, calculus-based sequence.Intended for science and mathematics majors. Three lecture-discussion periods each week
- Description
- Special theory of relativity; introduction to quantum physics; atomic, nuclear, condensed matter, and elementary particle physics.
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- Theory of Electricity and Magnetism I. One (1) course:
- PHYS-P 331 Theory of Electricity and Magnetism I
PHYS-P 331 Theory of Electricity and Magnetism I
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- PHYS-H 222 or PHYS-P 222; or PHYS-P 202 and consent of instructor; and MATH-M 312 or PHYS-P 321
- Description
- Electrostatic fields and differential operators, Laplace and Poisson equations, dielectric materials, steady currents, power and energy, induction, magnetic fields, scalar and vector potentials, Maxwell\'s equations.
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- Analytical Mechanics I. One (1) course:
- PHYS-P 441 Analytical Mechanics I
PHYS-P 441 Analytical Mechanics I
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- PHYS-P 222 or PHYS-H 222; or PHYS-P 202 and consent of instructor
- Notes
- P or C: MATH-M 343
- Description
- Elementary mechanics of particles and rigid bodies, treated by methods of calculus and differential equations.
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- Modern Physics Laboratory. One (1) course:
- PHYS-P 309 Modern Physics Laboratory
PHYS-P 309 Modern Physics Laboratory
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Notes
- P or C: PHYS-P 301
- Description
- Fundamental experiments in physics with emphasis on modern physics. The course aims to develop basic laboratory skills and data analysis techniques.
- Applied Physics Instrumentation Laboratory. One (1) course:
- PHYS-P 350 Applied Physics Instrumentation Laboratory
PHYS-P 350 Applied Physics Instrumentation Laboratory
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- PHYS-H 222 or PHYS-P 222; or PHYS-P 201, PHYS-P 202, and consent of instructor
- Notes
- P or C: PHYS-P 309
- Description
- Instrumentation, data acquisition, and control for research, development, industrial applications depending upon coordination of electrical sensors, instruments, personal computers, and software. Covers the essentials of electronic signal measurements, transducers, computer control of instruments, design of automated measurement and control algorithms, real-time data analysis and instrument calibration.
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- Experiments in Modern Physics. One (1) course:
- PHYS-P 400 Analog and Digital Electronics
- PHYS-P 451 Experiments in Modern Physics I
- PHYS-P 460
PHYS-P 400 Analog and Digital Electronics
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Description
- Practical electronics as would be encountered in a research laboratory or industrial setting. Both analog (filters, power supplies, transistors, amplifiers, op-amps, comparators, oscillators, transducers including the analysis of circuits using computer-aided techniques) and digital devices (storage elements, discrete gates, and programmable devices).
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PHYS-P 451 Experiments in Modern Physics I
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- PHYS-P 301 and PHYS-P 309
- Notes
- R: PHYS-P 453 and PHYS-P 454 concurrently
- Description
- Advanced laboratory for senior physics majors. Experimental investigations and selected topics in nuclear, atomic, and solid state physics.
- Internship. 1 credit hour:
- PHYS-X 473 Applied Physics Internship
PHYS-X 473 Applied Physics Internship
- Credits
- 1
- Prerequisites
- Consent of instructor or supervisor
- Description
- Internship in industry or national laboratory, arranged between the student, the student's faculty mentor, and an internship supervisor.
- Repeatability
- May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
- Grading
- S/F grading.
- Physics Electives. Additional courses, as needed, to fulfill remaining requirements:
- Any PHYS-P 300–399 except PHYS-P 301; PHYS-P 309; PHYS-P 331
- Any PHYS-P 400–499 except PHYS-P 441
- Any PHYS-X 100–499
- Addenda Requirements*.
- Mathematics.
- Calculus I. One (1) course:
- MATH-M 211 Calculus I
- MATH-S 211
MATH-M 211 Calculus I
- Credits
- 4
- Prerequisites
- None
- Notes
- R: To be successful, students will demonstrate mastery of two years of high school algebra, one year of high school geometry, and pre-calculus, and trigonometry as indicated by an appropriate ALEKS score or completion of MATH-M 027
- Description
- Limits, continuity, derivatives, definite and indefinite integrals, applications.
- Repeatability
- A student may receive credit for only one of the following: MATH-J 113, MATH-M 119, MATH-V 119, MATH-M 211, or MATH-S 211.
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- Calculus II. One (1) course:
- MATH-M 212 Calculus II
- MATH-S 212 Honors Calculus II
MATH-M 212 Calculus II
- Credits
- 4
- Prerequisites
- MATH-M 211 or MATH-S 211; or consent of department
- Description
- Techniques of integration (by parts, trigonometric substitutions, partial fractions), improper integrals, volume, work, arc length, surface area, infinite series.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of MATH-M 120 or MATH-M 212.
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MATH-S 212 Honors Calculus II
- Credits
- 4
- Prerequisites
- MATH-S 211 or consent of department
- Description
- Includes material of MATH-M 212 and supplemental topics. Designed for students of outstanding ability in mathematics.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of MATH-M 120, MATH-M 212, or MATH-S 212.
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- Calculus III. One (1) course:
- MATH-M 311 Calculus III
- MATH-S 311 Honors Course in Calculus III
MATH-M 311 Calculus III
- Credits
- 4
- Prerequisites
- MATH-M 212, MATH-M 213, or MATH-S 212
- Description
- Elementary geometry of 2, 3, and n-space; functions of several variables; partial differentiation; minimum and maximum problems; multiple integration.
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MATH-S 311 Honors Course in Calculus III
- Credits
- 4
- Prerequisites
- MATH-S 212 or consent of instructor; and MATH M-301, MATH M-303, or MATH S-303
- Description
- Honors version of MATH-M 311, covering geometry of 2, 3, and n-space; functions of several variables; partial differentiation; minimum and maximum problems; and multiple integration. For students with unusual aptitude and motivation.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of MATH-M 311 or MATH-S 311.
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- Calculus IV. One (1) course:
- MATH-M 312 Calculus IV
- MATH-S 312 Honors Course in Calculus IV
- PHYS-P 321 Techniques in Theoretical Physics (course counts toward Major GPA and Major Hours)
MATH-M 312 Calculus IV
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- MATH-M 311 or MATH-S 311
- Description
- Differential calculus of vector-valued functions, transformation of coordinates, change of variables in multiple integrals. Vector integral calculus: line integrals, Green\'s theorem, surface integrals, Stokes\' theorem. Applications.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of MATH-M 312 or MATH-S 312.
MATH-S 312 Honors Course in Calculus IV
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- MATH-S 311 or consent of instructor
- Description
- For students with unusual aptitude and motivation.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of MATH-M 312 or MATH-S 312.
PHYS-P 321 Techniques in Theoretical Physics
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- None
- Notes
- P or C: PHYS-P 301
- Description
- Particle motion in one, two, and three dimensions in the presence of forces; construction of forces from fields, and relationships between fields and sources; energies and potentials; complex oscillations and circuit analysis; classical and quantum mechanical waves and probabilities.
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- Introduction to Differential Equations with Applications I. One (1) course:
- MATH-M 343
- MATH-S 343 Honors Course in Differential Equations
MATH-S 343 Honors Course in Differential Equations
- Credits
- 3
- Prerequisites
- MATH-S 212 or consent of instructor
- Description
- Introduction, with historical examples, first order ordinary differential equations (ODEs) and applications, second order linear ODEs, linear ODEs of higher order, series solutions to linear ODEs, and numerical methods for ODEs. In addition, some theoretical aspects will be studied in detail such as the Picard existence/uniqueness theorem for initial-value problems, convergence of series solutions, and the matrix exponential exp(tA).
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- Calculus I. One (1) course:
- Computer Science. Four (4) credit hours:
- CSCI-A 201 Introduction to Programming I
- Both of the following:
- CSCI-A 304 Introductory C++ Programming
- CSCI-A 306 Object-Oriented Programming in C++
- CSCI-C 211 Introduction to Computer Science (with permission of department)
- CSCI-H 211 Introduction to Computer Science-Honors (with permission of department)
CSCI-A 201 Introduction to Programming I
- Description
- Fundamental programming constructs, including loops, arrays, classes and files. General problem-solving techniques. Emphasis on modular programming, user-interface design, and developing good programming style. Not intended for computer science majors.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
CSCI-A 304 Introductory C++ Programming
- Description
- Topics include aspects of C++ that are not object-oriented, basic data structures, standard libraries, and UNIX tools for project management.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
CSCI-A 306 Object-Oriented Programming in C++
- Description
- Topics include objects, classes, encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, templates, and exceptions.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
CSCI-C 211 Introduction to Computer Science
- Description
- A first course in computer science for those intending to take advanced computer science courses. Introduction to programming and to algorithm design and analysis. Using the Scheme programming language, the course covers several programming paradigms. Lecture and laboratory.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
CSCI-H 211 Introduction to Computer Science-Honors
- Description
- Honors version of CSCI-C 211.
- Additional information
- Credit hour, prerequisite, and other information cannot be displayed for this course. If this is a course outside of the College of Arts and Sciences, please see the appropriate school's bulletin for additional information.
- Mathematics.
- Major GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
- Major GPA. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the major—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
- Major Minimum Grade. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the major.
- Major Upper Division Credit Hours. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed at the 300–499 level.
- Major Residency. At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.
Notes
Major Area Courses
-
Unless otherwise noted below, the following courses are considered in the academic program and will count toward academic program requirements as appropriate:
- Any course at the 100–499 level with the
PHYS
subject area prefix—as well as any other subject areas that are deemed functionally equivalent - Any course contained on the course lists for the academic program requirements at the time the course is taken—as well as any other courses that are deemed functionally equivalent—except for those listed only under Addenda Requirements
- Any course directed to a non-Addenda requirement through an approved exception
- Any course at the 100–499 level with the
Exclusions
The following courses cannot be applied toward major requirements:
- PHYS-E 250
- Any PHYS-P 100–199
This program of study cannot be combined with the following:
- Bachelor of Arts in Physics (PHYSBA)
- Minor in Physics (PHYSMIN)
- Program I: Physics (Bachelor of Science in Physics) (PHYSICSTRK)
Exceptions to and substitutions for major requirements may be made with the approval of the unit's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.
The Bachelor of Science degree requires at least 120 credit hours, to include the following:
- College of Arts and Sciences Credit Hours. At least 100 credit hours must come from College of Arts and Sciences disciplines.
- Upper Division Courses. At least 36 credit hours (of the 120) must be at the 300–499 level.
- College Residency. Following completion of the 60th credit hour toward degree, at least 36 credit hours of College of Arts and Sciences coursework must be completed through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.
- College GPA. A College grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.000 is required.
- CASE Requirements. The following College of Arts and Sciences Education (CASE) requirements must be completed:
- CASE Foundations
- CASE Breadth of Inquiry
- CASE Culture Studies
- Diversity in the United States: 1 course
- Global Civilizations and Cultures: Not required
- CASE Critical Approaches: 1 course
- CASE Foreign Language: Proficiency in a single foreign language through the first semester of the second year of college-level coursework
- CASE Intensive Writing: 1 course
- CASE Public Oral Communication: 1 course
- CASE Sustainability Literacy: 1 course
- Major. Completion of the major as outlined in the Major Requirements section above.
Most students must also successfully complete the Indiana University Bloomington General Education program.
Subject areas
- Any AAAD course that carries degree credit
- Any AAST course that carries degree credit
- Any ABEH course that carries degree credit
- Any AFRI course that carries degree credit
- Any AMST course that carries degree credit
- Any ANTH course that carries degree credit
- Any ARTH course that carries degree credit
- Any ASCS course that carries degree credit
- Any AST course that carries degree credit
- Any BIOC course that carries degree credit
- Any BIOL course that carries degree credit
- Any BIOT course that carries degree credit
- Any CEUS course that carries degree credit
- Any CHEM course that carries degree credit
- Any CJUS course that carries degree credit
- Any CLAS course that carries degree credit
- Any CLLC course that carries degree credit
- Any CMLT course that carries degree credit
- Any COGS course that carries degree credit
- Any COLL course that carries degree credit
- Any EALC course that carries degree credit
- Any EAS course that carries degree credit
- Any ECON course that carries degree credit
- Any ENG course that carries degree credit
- Any EURO course that carries degree credit
- Any FOLK course that carries degree credit
- Any FRIT course that carries degree credit
- Any GEOG course that carries degree credit
- Any GER course that carries degree credit
- Any GLLC course that carries degree credit
- Any GNDR course that carries degree credit
- Any HHC course that carries degree credit
- Any HISP course that carries degree credit
- Any HIST course that carries degree credit
- Any HON course that carries degree credit
- Any HPSC course that carries degree credit
- Any HUBI course that carries degree credit
- Any IMP course that carries degree credit
- Any INST course that carries degree credit
- Any INTL course that carries degree credit
- Any JSTU course that carries degree credit
- Any LAMP course that carries degree credit
- Any LATS course that carries degree credit
- Any LING course that carries degree credit
- Any LTAM course that carries degree credit
- Any MATH course that carries degree credit
- Any MELC course that carries degree credit
- Any MEST course that carries degree credit
- Any MLS course that carries degree credit
- Any MSCH course that carries degree credit
- Any NEUS course that carries degree credit
- Any OVST course that carries degree credit
- Any PACE course that carries degree credit
- Any PHIL course that carries degree credit
- Any PHYS course that carries degree credit
- Any POLS course that carries degree credit
- Any PSY course that carries degree credit
- Any REEI course that carries degree credit
- Any REL course that carries degree credit
- Any RMI course that carries degree credit
- Any SEAS course that carries degree credit
- Any SGIS course that carries degree credit
- Any SLAV course that carries degree credit
- Any SLHS course that carries degree credit
- Any SLST course that carries degree credit
- Any SOAD course that carries degree credit
- Any SOC course that carries degree credit
- Any STAT course that carries degree credit
- Any THTR course that carries degree credit