Physics BS
Total Units Required: 120
The Department of Physics offers the Bachelor of Science in Physics with the choice of two options.
The option in applied physics. This option is designed for students who are interested in broadening their field of study to include physics and another discipline, including double majors and those intending to become high school physics teachers through the single-subject teaching credential program.
The option in professional physics. This option is designed to prepare students for graduate study or for professional careers in government, industry, and technical fields such as optics, electronics, data science, or materials science.
Advising Requirement
Advising is mandatory for this program. Consult your department advisor or program coordinator for information.
E-advising Tools
Use the interactive e-advising tools designed to help students graduate within four years. These tools can be accessed through the Student Center in the Portal.
Grading Requirement
All courses taken to fulfill program course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as credit/no credit grading only.
Course Requirements for the Major: 70 units
Completion of the following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, is required of all candidates for this degree. Courses in this program may complete more than one graduation requirement.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Major Core | ||
| CHEM 111 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| MATH 120 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 121 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 220 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 260 | Elementary Differential Equations | 4 |
| PHYS 109 | Paths to Success in Physics | 1 |
| PHYS 204A | Physics for Students of Science and Engineering: Mechanics | 4 |
| PHYS 204B | Physics for Students of Science and Engineering: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 |
| PHYS 204C | Physics for Students of Science and Engineering: Heat, Wave Motion, Sound, Light, and Modern Topics | 4 |
| PHYS 300 | Introduction to Modern Physics: Relativity and Quantum Theory | 3 |
| PHYS 327 | Electronics for Scientists | 4 |
| PHYS 427W | Advanced Laboratory (W) | 3 |
| PHYS 492W | Communicating Physics (W) | 3 |
| Major Option | ||
| Select one of the following options: | 24 | |
| Total Units | 70 | |
Major Option Course Requirements
Students must select at least one of the following options for completion of the major course requirements.
The Option in Applied Physics: 24 units
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select 24 units from the following courses with at least 9 units from Astronomy (ASTR) or Physics (PHYS) and no more than 4 units from 100 or 200 level courses. | 24 | |
| Astronomy - Stars and Telescopes | ||
| Astronomy - Galaxies and Cosmology | ||
| Statics | ||
| Strength of Materials | ||
| Fluid Mechanics | ||
| Capstone | ||
| Access and Equity in Education | ||
| Fundamentals of Teaching Practice for Secondary Teachers | ||
| Linear Circuits I | ||
| Linear Circuits II | ||
| Electronics I | ||
| Electronics II | ||
| Fields and Waves | ||
| Intensive Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition | ||
| Atmospheric Science | ||
| Atmospheric Science II | ||
| Energy in the Human Environment (W) | ||
| Hydrology | ||
| Environmental Field Methods | ||
| Boundary Layer Meteorology | ||
| Environmental Sensing | ||
| Water Resources Management | ||
| Renewable Energy | ||
| Elementary Linear Algebra | ||
| Probability and Statistics for Science and Technology | ||
| Methods of Proof (W) | ||
| Ordinary Differential Equations | ||
| Boundary Value Problems and Partial Differential Equations | ||
| Introduction to Data Science | ||
| Advanced Calculus (W) | ||
| Applied Statistical Methods II | ||
| Numerical Analysis | ||
| Introduction to Complex Variables | ||
| Introduction to Chaotic Dynamical Systems | ||
| Advanced Topics in Data Science | ||
| Materials Science and Engineering | ||
| Dynamics | ||
| Thermodynamics | ||
| Heat Transfer | ||
| Advanced Materials Science and Engineering | ||
| Mechanical Vibrations | ||
| Energy Systems | ||
| Low Speed Aerodynamics | ||
| Analytical Mechanics | ||
| Electricity and Magnetism | ||
| Computational Physics | ||
| Methods of Theoretical Physics | ||
| Thermal Physics | ||
| Quantum Mechanics I | ||
| Quantum Mechanics II | ||
| Optics | ||
| Lasers and Their Applications | ||
| Internship in Physics Teaching | ||
| Total Units | 24 | |
The Option in Professional Physics: 24 units
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS 301 | Analytical Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYS 302 | Electricity and Magnetism | 3 |
| PHYS 314 | Methods of Theoretical Physics | 3 |
| PHYS 315 | Thermal Physics | 3 |
| PHYS 435A | Quantum Mechanics I | 3 |
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Boundary Value Problems and Partial Differential Equations | ||
| Computational Physics | ||
| Quantum Mechanics II | ||
| Optics | ||
| Lasers and Their Applications | ||
| Total Units | 24 | |
Electives Requirement
To complete the total units required for the bachelor's degree, select additional elective courses from the total University offerings. You should consult with an advisor regarding the selection of courses which will provide breadth to your University experience and possibly apply to a supportive second major or minor.
See Bachelor's Degree Requirements for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 39 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.
General Education Requirements: 43 units
See General Education and the Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education requirements and course offerings.
This major has approved GE modification(s). See below for information on how to apply these modification(s).
- PHYS 492W is an approved major course substitution for Upper-Division Physical and Biological Sciences (UD-5).
American Institutions Course Requirements: 6 units
The American Institutions graduation requirement, as mandated in Title 5, Section 40404, requires that students satisfactorily complete courses in United States history, the US Constitution, and government and American ideals (including California state and local government). At Chico State, HIST 130 meets the US history requirement (US-1), and POLS 155 meets the US Constitution and government requirement (US-2) and the California state and local government requirement (US-3). POLS 155 also fulfills three units of GE Area 4, Social and Behavioral Sciences. See Bachelor’s Degree Requirements for more information.
Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units
You must complete a minimum of two courses that focus primarily on cultural diversity. At least one course must be in US Diversity (USD) and at least one in Global Cultures (GC). See Diversity Requirements for a full list of courses. Many courses taken to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education.
Upper-Division Writing Requirement
Writing Across the Curriculum (EM 17-009) is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of four Writing (W) courses, two of which are designated by the major department. See Writing and Math Requirements for more details on the four courses. The first of the major designated Writing (W) courses is listed below.
- PHYS 492W Communicating Physics (W)
The second major-designated Writing course is the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GW) (EO 665). Students must earn a C- or higher to receive GW credit. The GE English Composition (1A) requirement must be completed before a student is permitted to register for a GW course.