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2011-2012 Catalog 
    
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2011-2012 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Physics, BS

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Faculty

Professors: James Burkhart (Chair), Robert Camley, Tom Christensen and Zbigniew Celinski
Professor Emeritus: Richard Blade
Associate Professors: Anatoliy Glushchenko and Marek Grabowski
Assistant Professors: Karen Livesey and Anatoliy Pinchuk
Senior Instructors: Robert Gist , Sam Milazzo, and Ramon Tirado
Instructor: Jeffrey Marsh

Learning Outcomes

  • Students will possess the fundamental physics that is necessary for admission into a graduate program in physics or related technical fields, such as in education, industry, research, and military.
  • Students will be able to apply the fundamental ideas and methods of physics and be able to analyze problems using these skills.
  • Students will be able to prepare and present several research topics and defend them before peers and faculty.

Degree Options

The Bachelor of Science program in physics is designed to help students attain their professional goals in physics. Four options within the Bachelor of Science program enable students to achieve their particular educational objectives. The options are:  

  • Traditional Physics
  • Solid State Physics
  • Energy Science
  • Secondary Teaching

Courses in each option are chosen to teach the fundamental concepts on which the field is based. Laboratories are designed to give students practical hands-on experience. Advanced laboratories provide opportunities to study and use state-of-the-art technology in the student’s area of interest. The solid state laboratory required in the solid state option is designed to teach the fundamentals of materials technology.

General Requirements

  • 33 credit hours in Physics Core requirements
  • 37 credit hours in other Core areas
  • 18 credit hours in Physics Option area
  • a maximum of 54 credits in PES will apply toward the degree
  • a grade of C or better in every physics course that is applied toward the major
  • students must meet the 12 hour LAS general education area requirements from both humanities and social science.

 

Required Courses

Required Core Courses for All Three Options

Physics and Energy Science (PES)

Total: 33

Other required core areas

Total: 37

 

Required Courses Within the Chosen Option

In addition to the above core requirements, students will complete required courses for one of three options: Traditional Physics, Solid State Physics, or Energy Science.

Traditional Physics Option

This program is designed for students intending graduate studies in physics or planning to obtain an industrial position with a traditional physics degree. This option requires a minimum of 18 credit hours of courses in addition to the core.

Required Courses
Note:

Also, the traditional physics option requires a minimum of 3 upper-division hours of mathematics in addition to MATH 3400.

Elective Courses

A minimum of 3 credit hours from the following PES courses must be taken:

Note:

*Variable credit courses with a maximum of 6 hours allowed to count toward degree.

Other elective courses may be substituted with the written approval of the department chair.

Solid State Physics Option

This option is designed for students presently employed by or intending employment in the semiconductor industry. It will provide theoretical foundations and practical experience in solid state physics.

This option requires a minimum of 20 credit hours of courses in addition to the core.

Required Courses
Elective Courses

This option also requires the completion of a minimum of 6 hours from the following technical electives:

Note:

Other elective courses may be substituted with the written approval of the department chair.

Energy Science Option

This option will prepare graduates for energy-related careers in industry and government and will provide the student with a strong background in the technical, economic, and instrumentation aspects of all energy resources. This option requires a minimum of 19 hours of courses in addition to the core.

Required Courses
Elective Courses

Students in this option are required to complete 9 hours from the following technical electives.

Note:

Other elective courses may be substituted with the written approval of the department chair.

Secondary Teaching Option

This program includes both LAS requirements for graduation and Colorado requirements for secondary (7-12 grade) teachers.  As students complete courses from the list below, they should also complete

  and   by the end of their sophomore year. Students apply to the College of Education as rising juniors; if accepted, they continue with the courses below plus education courses. If not accepted, students may change to the Bachelor of Science degree in the major without the education option. While this option prepares the student for teaching, it does not prepare for a professional science career.

Required Courses:

 

General Education Requirements**

**Students are required as part of their general education requirements to complete courses in Oral Communication, Cultural Diversity, and Global Awareness. These courses are identified in the LAS section of the schedule of courses and in this bulletin.

Humanities Area Requirement

 

Natural Science Area Requirement

 

Scocial Science Area Requirement

 

Composition Requirement

 

Reasoning Skills Requirement

 

Other Requirements for Secondary Science Certification:

 

Teacher Education Program (See Education advisor for specific courses) - 39 credits

 

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