Department of Physics
Bachelor of Arts in Physics
Students on Summer 2019, Fall 2019, or Spring 2020 requirements PHYSBA
Requirements
The major requires at least 30 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
- Physics I. One (1) course:
- PHYS-P 201 General Physics I
- PHYS-P 221 Physics I
- PHYS-H 221 Honors Physics I
PHYS-P 201 General Physics I
- Credits
- 5
- Prerequisites
- None
- Notes
- R: Mastery of high school trigonometry; or MATH-M 026
- Description
- Newtonian mechanics, wave motion, heat, and thermodynamics. Application of physical principles to related scientific disciplines, especially life sciences. Intended for students preparing for careers in the life sciences and the health professions. Three lectures, one discussion section, and one two-hour laboratory period each week.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of PHYS-H 221, PHYS-P 201, or PHYS-P 221.
- Spring 2025CASE NMcourseFall 2024CASE NMcourse
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.
- Spring 2025CASE NMcourseFall 2024CASE NMcourse
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.
- Spring 2025CASE NMcourseFall 2024CASE NMcourse
- Physics II. One (1) course:
- PHYS-P 202 General Physics II
- PHYS-P 222 Physics II
- PHYS-H 222 Honors Physics II
PHYS-P 202 General Physics II
- Credits
- 5
- Prerequisites
- PHYS-H 221, PHYS-P 201, PHYS-P 221, or high school equivalent
- Notes
- Three lectures, one discussion section, and one two-hour laboratory period each week
- Description
- Electricity and magnetism; geometrical and physical optics; introduction to concepts of relativity, quantum theory, and atomic and nuclear physics.
- Repeatability
- Credit given for only one of PHYS-H 222, PHYS-P 202, or PHYS-P 222.
- Spring 2025CASE NMcourseFall 2024CASE NMcourse
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.
- Spring 2025CASE NMcourseFall 2024CASE NMcourse
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.
- Spring 2025CASE NMcourseFall 2024CASE NMcourse
- 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.
- Spring 2025CASE NMcourseFall 2024CASE NMcourse
- Electives. Additional courses, as needed to fulfill remaining requirements, from the Physics Electives list.
- Any PHYS-P 300–399 except PHYS-P 301
- Any PHYS-P 400–499
- Addenda Requirements*.
- 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.
- Spring 2025CASE MMcourseFall 2024CASE MMcourse
- Spring 2025CASE NMcourseFall 2024CASE NMcourse
- 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.
- Spring 2025CASE NMcourseFall 2024CASE NMcourse
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.
- Spring 2025CASE NMcourseFall 2024CASE NMcourse
- 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).
- Spring 2025CASE NMcourseFall 2024CASE NMcourse
- Calculus I. One (1) course:
- Major GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
- 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.
- At least 18 credit hours in the major must be completed at the 300–499 level.
- Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the major.
- 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.
- Exceptions to major requirements may be made with the approval of the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.
Notes
The Bachelor of Arts 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 42 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 cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.000 is required for all courses taken at Indiana University.
- CASE Requirements. The following College of Arts and Sciences Education (CASE) requirements must be completed:
- CASE Foundations
- CASE Breadth of Inquiry
- CASE Culture Studies
- CASE Critical Approaches: 1 course
- CASE Foreign Language: Proficiency in a single foreign language through the second semester of the second year of college-level coursework
- CASE Intensive Writing: 1 course
- CASE Public Oral Communication: 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.