In the Bachelor of Science in Physics program, you’ll get a strong foundation in general physics, advanced physics, and quantum physics. In addition, you’ll study general chemistry and calculus. You’ll also get hands-on experience in labs that focus on mechanics, heat and optics, and electronics.
For assistance contact one of the following program advisors:
Brian Houser, PhD: bhouser@ewu.edu
David Syphers, PhD: dsyphers@ewu.edu
The following information comes from the official EWU catalog, which outlines all degree requirements and serves as the guide to earning a degree. Courses are designed to provide a well-rounded and versatile degree, covering a wide range of subject areas.
Physics, Professional, Bachelor of Science (BS)
The Bachelor of Science–Physics, Professional program is designed primarily for students preparing for graduate studies in physics or students planning for a professional career in physics.
A Senior Capstone/Senior Thesis class is a university requirement for graduation. Contact your Physics advisor or Department Chair for course options.
| Required Mathematics Courses | ||
| MATH/HONS 161 | CALCULUS I | 5 |
| MATH 162 | CALCULUS II | 5 |
| MATH 163 | CALCULUS III | 5 |
| MATH 231 | LINEAR ALGEBRA | 5 |
| MATH 241 | CALCULUS IV | 5 |
| MATH 347 | INTRODUCTORY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS | 4 |
| Required Physics Courses | ||
| PHYS 151 | GENERAL PHYSICS I | 4 |
| PHYS 152 | GENERAL PHYSICS II | 4 |
| PHYS 153 | GENERAL PHYSICS III | 4 |
| PHYS 221 | GENERAL PHYSICS IV | 4 |
| PHYS 361 | CLASSICAL MECHANICS I | 4 |
| PHYS 362 | CLASSICAL MECHANICS II | 4 |
| PHYS 371 | QUANTUM PHYSICS I: INTRODUCTION | 4 |
| PHYS 372 | QUANTUM PHYSICS II: ATOMIC | 4 |
| PHYS 401 | ELECTROMAGNETISM I | 4 |
| PHYS 402 | ELECTROMAGNETISM II | 4 |
| PHYS 411 | CLASSICAL THERMODYNAMICS | 4 |
| PHYS 421 | COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS | 4 |
| Required Physics Laboratory Courses | ||
| PHYS 161 | MECHANICS LABORATORY | 1 |
| PHYS 162 | HEAT AND OPTICS LABORATORY | 1 |
| PHYS 163 | ELECTRONICS LABORATORY I | 1 |
| PHYS 263 | ELECTRONICS LABORATORY II | 1 |
| PHYS 321 | ADVANCED PHYSICS LABORATORY I | 3 |
| PHYS 322 | ADVANCED PHYSICS LABORATORY II | 3 |
| Required Electives–choose from the following | 14 | |
Note: any 300- or 400-level PHYS course—except PHYS 497—may be chosen as electives. | ||
Note: a maximum of 7 credits can count from courses outside PHYS. | ||
Note: some of these courses may require completion of additional prerequisites. | ||
| PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY | ||
| PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY | ||
| PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY | ||
| ENERGY SYSTEMS | ||
| POWER SYSTEMS ANALYSIS | ||
| TOPICS IN APPLIED ANALYSIS II | ||
or MATH 481 | COMPLEX ANALYSIS | |
| PROBABILITY AND STATISTICAL INFERENCE I | ||
| PROBABILITY AND STATISTICAL INFERENCE II | ||
| APPLIED GROUP THEORY | ||
| DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS | ||
| PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS | ||
| HEAT TRANSFER | ||
| ADVANCED FLUID DYNAMICS | ||
| Total Credits | 101 | |
The following plan of study is for a student with zero credits. Individual students may have different factors such as: credit through transfer work, Advanced Placement, Running Start, or any other type of college-level coursework that requires an individual plan.
Courses may be offered in different terms and not all courses are offered every term, checking the academic schedule is paramount in keeping an individual plan current. There may be some courses that have required prerequisites not listed in the plan, review the course descriptions for information. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.
All Undergraduate students are required to meet the Undergraduate Degree Requirements.
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall Quarter | Credits | Winter Quarter | Credits | Spring Quarter | Credits |
| ENGL 101 | 5 | ENGL 201 | 5 | MATH 163 | 5 |
| MATH 161 | 5 | MATH 162 | 5 | PHYS 153 & PHYS 163 | 5 |
| PHYS 151 & PHYS 161 (Natural Science BACR 1) | 5 | PHYS 152 & PHYS 162 (Natural Science BACR 2) | 5 | Humanities & Arts BACR 11 | 5 |
| 15 | 15 | 15 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall Quarter | Credits | Winter Quarter | Credits | Spring Quarter | Credits |
| MATH 241 | 5 | MATH 231 | 5 | MATH 347 | 4 |
| PHYS 221 | 4 | PHYS 321 or 3712 | 3-4 | PHYS 322 or 3722 | 3-4 |
| PHYS 263 | 1 | PHYS 362 or 4012 | 4 | PHYS 411 or 4022 | 4 |
| PHYS 361 or 4212 | 4 | Social Science BACR 11 | 5 | Social Science BACR 21 | 5 |
| 14 | 17-18 | 16-17 | |||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall Quarter | Credits | Winter Quarter | Credits | Spring Quarter | Credits |
| PHYS 361 or 4212 | 4 | PHYS 321 or 3712 | 3-4 | PHYS 322 or 3722 | 3-4 |
| Humanities & Arts BACR 11 | 5 | PHYS 362 or 4012 | 4 | PHYS 411 or 4022 | 4 |
| Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 | Physics Elective3 | 4 | Physics Elective3 | 4 |
| Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 | Diversity - graduation requirement1 | 5 | ||
| 14 | 16-17 | 16-17 | |||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Fall Quarter | Credits | Winter Quarter | Credits | Spring Quarter | Credits |
| Physics Elective3 | 4 | PHYS 491 or ITDS 490 (Senior Capstone - graduation requirement) | 4 | Physics Elective3 | 4 |
| Global Studies - graduation requirement1 | 5 | Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 | Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 |
| Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 | Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 | Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 |
| 14 | 14 | 14 | |||
| Total Credits 180-184 | |||||
University Graduation Requirements (UGR) and Breadth Area Course Requirements (BACR) courses may be less than 5 credits and additional credits may be required to reach the required 180 total credits needed to graduate. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.
Take the first course listed if fall of the academic year is an even year, and the second course if it's an odd year
Required Electives–choose 14 credits from the approved list. Any 300- or 400-level PHYS course—except PHYS 497—may be chosen as electives. A maximum of 7 credits can count from courses outside PHYS.
Students who earn a BS in Physics, Professional from EWU should be able to: