The University of Texas at Austin College of Natural Sciences 66 courses 120 total credits
All aspects of the physical universe are of interest to the physicist, who seeks to understand not only the smallest forms of matter and the rich phenomena present in our everyday lives but also the universe itself. Physics has played a critical role in human technological and intellectual development during the twentieth century. The tools of the physicist—observation, imagination, model building, prediction, and deduction—will enable physics to continue this influence into the new century. The Bachelor of Science in Physics degree program is designed to provide the skills, understanding, and outlook required for participation in the discovery of new knowledge about nature. The Bachelor of Science in Physics program is balanced and broad. It is designed to give the student a strong foundation for graduate study or work in physics and, with additional training, for work in a variety of other areas, such as astronomy, astrophysics, biophysics, chemical physics, computer science, engineering, geophysics, mathematics, medicine, physics teaching, and space sciences. Students who end their formal training with the bachelor’s degree may seek employment in industry, in national laboratories, or in teaching; they should consider the options in computation, radiation physics, space sciences, biophysics, and teaching, which augment the broad instruction provided by the basic Bachelor of Science in Physics. For those who plan to teach physics in secondary school, the teaching option provides the courses needed for certification. This concentration is designed to fulfill the course requirements for certification as a middle grades or secondary school science teacher in Texas; the student chooses composite science certification with physics as the primary teaching field, physical sciences certification, physics/mathematics certification, or mathematics, physical science, and engineering certification. However, completion of the course requirements does not guarantee the student’s certification. For information about additional requirements, students should consult the UTeach-Natural Sciences academic advisor.
| Foreign Language other than English, Beginning Proficiency | credits |
| College Requirements - Natural Sciences | credits |
| General University Requirements | credits |
| Foreign Language other than English, Beginning Proficiency | credits |
| First course in a foreign language and a three-semester-hour course in the culture of the same language area | credits |
Concentration
Concentration
Hours chosen from:
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHY 329 | Introduction to Computational Physics | 3 |
| PHY 333 | Modern Optics | 3 |
| PHY 336K | Classical Dynamics | 3 |
| PHY 338K | Electronic Techniques | 3 |
| PHY 352K | Classical Electrodynamics I | 3 |
| PHY 373 | Quantum Physics I: Foundations | 3 |
| SCI 365 | Physics by Inquiry | 3 |
| HIS 329U or PHL 329U | Perspectives on Science and Mathematics or Perspectives on Science and Mathematics | 3 |
| Total Concentration | 9 credits | |
Concentration
Hours chosen from:
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDC 339E | Secondary School Literacy across the Disciplines | 3 |
| Total | 3 credits | |
Major-Physics (BSPhy)
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHY 301 | Mechanics | 3 |
| PHY 101L | Laboratory for Physics 301 | 1 |
| PHY 316 | Electricity and Magnetism | 3 |
| PHY 116L | Laboratory for Physics 316 | 1 |
| PHY 315 | Wave Motion and Optics | 3 |
| PHY 115L | Laboratory for Physics 315 | 1 |
| Total Major-Physics (BSPhy) | 12 credits | |
Composite Science Certification
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 311C | Introductory Biology I | 3 |
| CH 301 or CH 301C | Principles of Chemistry I or Foundations of Chemistry I | 3 |
| CH 302 or CH 302C | Principles of Chemistry II or Foundations of Chemistry II | 3 |
Composite Science Certification
Hours chosen from:
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEO 401 | Physical Geology | 4 |
| GEO 303 | Introduction to Geology | 3 |
| GEO 302C | Climate: Past, Present, and Future | 3 |
| GEO 302E | Earth, Wind, and Fire | 3 |
| GEO 302G | Earth Science and Sustainability | 3 |
| GEO 302M | The Age of Mammals | 3 |
| GEO 302N | Geology of National Parks | 3 |
| GEO 303E | Earth in 2100 | 3 |
| GEO 302J | Crisis of Our Planet | 3 |
| GEO 302T | Climate and the Energy Transition | 3 |
| Total Composite Science Certification | 3 credits | |
Physical Sciences Certification
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CH 301 or CH 301C | Principles of Chemistry I or Foundations of Chemistry I | 3 |
| CH 302 or CH 302C | Principles of Chemistry II or Foundations of Chemistry II | 3 |
Physical Sciences Certification
Hours chosen from:
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CH X04 or CH X17 | Introduction to Chemical Practice or Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry | |
| CH 353 | Physical Chemistry I | 3 |
| CH 153K | Physical Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| CH 154K | Physical Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| CH 354L | Physical Chemistry II | 3 |
| CH 455 or CH 456 | Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry or Analytical Chemistry | 4 |
| Total Physical Sciences Certification | 6 credits | |
Physics/Mathematics Certification
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| M 315C | Foundations, Functions, and Regression Models | 3 |
| M 333L | Structure of Modern Geometry | 3 |
| Total Physics/Mathematics Certification | 6 credits | |
Mathematics, Physical Science, and Engineering Certification
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| M 315C | Foundations, Functions, and Regression Models | 3 |
| M 325K | Discrete Mathematics | 3 |
| M 333L | Structure of Modern Geometry | 3 |
| M 358K | Applied Statistics | 3 |
| M 362K | Probability I | 3 |
| CH 301 or CH 301C | Principles of Chemistry I or Foundations of Chemistry I | 3 |
| CH 302 or CH 302C | Principles of Chemistry II or Foundations of Chemistry II | 3 |
| CH 204 | Introduction to Chemical Practice | 2 |
| E S 301 | Engineering Design and Problem Solving | 3 |
| M E 377K | Projects in Mechanical Engineering (upon approval of the project by the UTeach Program) | 3 |
| Total Mathematics, Physical Science, and Engineering Certification | 29 credits | |
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