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Department of Physics

Minor in Physics

Students on Summer 2019, Fall 2019, or Spring 2020 requirements PHYSMIN
Students who have a deep interest in physics, but do not plan to major in the field, should consider pursuing a physics minor. The minor provides a solid background in all the main topics of contemporary physics, with the flexibility to study an area of particular interest (quantum physics, electromagnetism) in depth. It is aimed at those students who seek a more detailed and technical understanding of the fundamental laws that underlie all physical phenomena.

Requirements

The minor requires at least 19 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
  1. Physics I. One (1) course:
    • PHYS-P 201 General Physics I
    • PHYS-P 221 Physics I
    • PHYS-H 221 Honors Physics I
  2. Physics II. One (1) course:
    • PHYS-P 202 General Physics II
    • PHYS-P 222 Physics II
    • PHYS-H 222 Honors Physics II
  3. Physics III. One (1) course:
    • PHYS-P 301 Physics III
    • PHYS-P 453 Introduction to Quantum Mechanics
  4. Modern Physics Laboratory. One (1) course:
    • PHYS-P 309 Modern Physics Laboratory
    • PHYS-P 451 Experiments in Modern Physics I
    • PHYS-P 460 Modern Optics
  5. Elective. One (1) additional course for at least three (3) credit hours from the Physics Electives list.
    • PHYS-P 309 Modern Physics Laboratory
    • PHYS-P 310 Environmental Physics
    • PHYS-P 314 Introduction to Medical Physics
    • PHYS-P 317 Signals and Information Processing in Living Systems
    • PHYS-P 318 Scattering Methods in Materials Science
    • PHYS-P 321 Techniques in Theoretical Physics
    • PHYS-P 325 Computing Skills for Physical Scientists
    • PHYS-P 331 Theory of Electricity and Magnetism I
    • PHYS-P 332 Theory of Electricity and Magnetism II
    • PHYS-P 340 Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
    • PHYS-P 350 Applied Physics Instrumentation Laboratory
    • PHYS-P 371 Radiation Science Fundamentals
    • PHYS-P 400 Analog and Digital Electronics
    • PHYS-P 408 Current Research in Physics
    • PHYS-P 410 Computing Applications in Physics
    • PHYS-P 411 Computing Applications in Physics II
    • PHYS-P 425 Introductory Biophysics
    • PHYS-P 441 Analytical Mechanics I
    • PHYS-P 442 Analytical Mechanics II
    • PHYS-P 451 Experiments in Modern Physics I
    • PHYS-P 453 Introduction to Quantum Mechanics
    • PHYS-P 454 Modern Physics
    • PHYS-P 455 Quantum Computing I
    • PHYS-P 456 Quantum Computing II
    • PHYS-P 460 Modern Optics
    • PHYS-P 470 Introduction to Accelerator Physics
    • PHYS-P 472 Radiation Oncology Physics
    • PHYS-P 478 Radiation Biophysics
  6. Minor GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
    1. At least 9 credit hours in the minor must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.
    2. At least 9 credit hours in the minor must be completed at the 300–499 level.
    3. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the minor.
    4. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the minor—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
    5. Exceptions to minor 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.