The academic requirements for physics represent a specialized course of study within the larger context of a diverse liberal arts education. Not only are these requirements designed to provide a focused and rigorous approach to the core concepts of the discipline, but they also allow ample opportunities for exploration in other subjects and departments throughout the university. By studying physics at DePauw, you will develop comprehensive expertise in your field while enjoying the benefits of a well-rounded education.
Nine
PHYS 120, PHYS 130, PHYS 210, PHYS 220, PHYS 280 (1/2 course), PHYS 480 (1/2 course)
Three and one-half
All senior physics majors must complete PHYS 480, Senior Seminar. This course is designed to allow students to read, interpret, and discuss primary literature from current physics research. It follows a format similar to journal clubs that are found in many physics graduate school programs. The specific topics and content vary from year to year. Students utilize the knowledge base that they have developed during their previous coursework to understand the foundational principles of the contemporary research topic.
Majors who want to conduct their own independent research investigations may do so by enrolling in an independent study project under PHYS 390. These projects usually involve the student working with a department faculty member on a topic of mutual interest. The projects often produce research posters or papers that are shared with the larger community.
MATH 151 (or MATH 135-136) and MATH 152 required
Students majoring in physics will hone their writing skills in the following courses: Phys 220, Principles of Physics III, Phys 280, Experimental Methods, Phys 370, Introduction to Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Phys 480, Senior Seminar. Since writing is a critical skill for all physics majors it is essential that students learn how to express their knowledge of the field through written works in the form of reports, and publications. This requires the ability to document their work in the laboratory, providing explicit details about their work that will allow others to understand the reasons chosen to conduct an investigation, what steps were carried out in the investigation, how it was done, results obtained, and conclusions that were drawn from those results. In addition, there will be many occasions where students will be required to explain the subtleties and importance of physical phenomena and events to people who are not physicists.
Five
PHYS 120, PHYS 130, PHYS 210, PHYS 220.
PHYS 310 may not count toward the minor.
One of the following: PHYS 320, PHYS 340, PHYS 350, PHYS 360, PHYS 370, PHYS 380, PHYS 410, PHYS 420, PHYS 430, PHYS 440.
One
Leveraging the resources of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the physics major and minor at DePauw are housed in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. This department is committed to the exploration of how and why things work through both experiment and theory.
