Physics, BS (PHYSICS-BS)

Program Description

The Department of Physics offers programs leading either to a Bachelor of Science degree or a Bachelor of Arts degree in physics. Students in secondary education may earn the Bachelor of Arts degree in physics and enter the Professional Year Experience program of the College of Health, Education, and Human Services for licensure in physics.

Minimum requirements for the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees in physics include successfully completing the required courses, with a GPA of at least 2.0 for all physics courses, as well as completing university and college degree requirements.

Physics Honors Program

The Department of Physics offers an honors program designed to provide exceptional students with a program that offers greater creativity and intellectual challenge. Students who wish to participate in this program must apply to the department during the spring semester before they plan to enter the honors program. Interested students should have at least a 3.2 GPA overall and at least a 3.2 in physics courses numbered 3000 and above. To graduate with honors in physics, students are required to complete at least two 4000-level PHY courses above and beyond those required by the program.

Program Learning Objectives

Students in the Physics, BS degree program will

develop a scientific mindset and gain proficiency in the fundamental concepts, laws, and mathematical techniques across key physics domains, applying them effectively to solve specific problems.
develop hands-on laboratory skills through a diverse range of experiments, utilizing modern instrumentation and engaging in quantitative data analysis.
master the art of communicating physics concepts and scientific findings through both oral presentations and written documentation.
acquire the ability to collect, analyze, and interpret measurements, enabling the derivation of meaningful conclusions from observations of physical systems.
learn programming languages and computational tools to simulate and model intricate physical systems, thereby enhancing problem-solving capabilities.
apply acquired knowledge in physics and mathematics to bridge connections with other scientific disciplines, engineering, and social sciences.

Program Learning Outcomes

As a result of their learning experiences, students who complete the BS degree program in physics can:

apply fundamental principles of physics and demonstrate problem solving competence, including Solve real-world problems through idealizations and estimation. Mathematically modeling the real world starting from fundamental physical principles. Using computational techniques, including familiarity with basic computer programs, to solve complex problems numerically.
demonstrate laboratory competence, including Setting up and using a range of equipment to obtain experimental data and critically analyzing this data. Quantitatively determining error in an experiment and using this to assess agreement with a specific theory or set of hypotheses. Understanding and/or creating graphical representations of data.
employ computational tools and programming languages to simulate and model physical systems, predicting outcomes and behaviors in varied scenarios.
collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary teams to address complex issues, leveraging diverse skills and perspectives for comprehensive problem-solving.
Utilize advanced mathematical techniques, including differential equations, linear algebra, and calculus, to model and solve engineering and physical problems in physics (classical mechanics, computational physics, electricity and magnetism, modern physics, waves and optics, and quantum mechanics).

For More Information

Program Requirements:

I. Wright State Core: 36 Credit Hours

As a part of the requirements for a bachelor’s degree at Wright State University, all students must complete the Wright State Core, a general education curriculum. Most programs require 36 hours in the Core, some programs may require additional hours.

Specific Core classes in some of the Elements may be required by some majors. When this occurs, the specific Core courses required will be listed below. In Elements where a specific course is not required, students can choose any course from the Wright State Core Program Requirements.

Element 1 - Communication: 6 Credit Hours

Element B - Mathematics, Statistics, and Logic: 4 Credit Hours

MTH 2300 - Calculus I Credit Hour(s): 4 required

Element 3 - Global Traditions: 6 Credit Hours

Element C - Arts and Humanities: 3 Credit Hours

Element D - Social Sciences: 6 Credit Hours

Element E - Natural Sciences: 10 Credit Hours

PHY 2400 - General Physics I Credit Hour(s): 4
PHY 2400L - General Physics I Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 1
PHY 2410 - General Physics II Credit Hour(s): 4
PHY 2410L - General Physics II Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 1 required

Additional Core Courses: 5 Credit Hours

Students will select up to 5 additional credit hours from Elements A-E from the approved Wright State Core Program Requirements to reach the 36 minimum hours required in the Core. Unless specified by the student’s major, these are selected by the student. When a major has required courses in this area, the specific Core course(s) required will be listed below.

MTH 2310 - Calculus II Credit Hour(s): 4 and one additional core course from any of the WSU Core elements

II. Departmental Core Requirements: 23 Credit Hours

PHY 1024 - Connected Physics Lab I: “Harnessing IoT Instrumentation” Credit Hour(s): 2 Credits / Units: 2
PHY 2048 - Connected Physics Lab II: “Mastering IoT Instrumentation” Credit Hour(s): 2 Credits / Units: 2
PHY 2420 - Introduction to Modern Physics Credit Hour(s): 3
PHY 3710 - Analytical Mechanics Credit Hour(s): 3
PHY 4500 - Electricity and Magnetism I Credit Hour(s): 3
PHY 4510 - Electricity and Magnetism II Credit Hour(s): 3
PHY 3220 - Applied Optics Credit Hour(s): 3
PHY 3500 - Advanced Physics Laboratory I Credit Hour(s): 2
PHY 3510 - Advanced Physics Laboratory II Credit Hour(s): 2

III. Departmental Requirements and Electives: 24 Credit Hours

PHY-4940 Senior Project must be taken twice for a total of 6 Credit Hours.

Required
PHY 4600 - Introduction to Quantum Mechanics I Credit Hour(s): 3
PHY 4610 - Introduction to Quantum Mechanics II Credit Hour(s): 3
PHY 4830 - Statistical Mechanics Credit Hour(s): 3
PHY 4940 - Senior Project Credit Hour(s): 3
must be taken twice
Electives
PHY 3300 - Intro to Astrophysics Credit Hour(s): 3
PHY 4200 - Microfabrication Sciences Credit Hour(s): 2 to 4
PHY 4320 - Lasers Credit Hour(s): 3
PHY 4620 - Nuclear and Particle Physics Credit Hour(s): 3
PHY 4630 - Introduction to Solid State Physics Credit Hour(s): 3
PHY 4730 - Mathematical Physics Credit Hour(s): 3
PHY 4800 - Classical Mechanics Credit Hour(s): 3

IV. Related Course Requirements: 24-26 Credit Hours

MTH 2320 - Calculus III Credit Hour(s): 4
MTH 3320 - Complex Variables Credit Hour(s): 3
MTH 3330 - Partial Differential Equations Credit Hour(s): 3
CHM 1210 - General Chemistry I Credit Hour(s): 3
CHM 1210L - General Chemistry Lab I Credit Hour(s): 2
CHM 1220 - General Chemistry II Credit Hour(s): 3
CHM 1220L - General Chemistry Lab II Credit Hour(s): 2
And choose either Option 1 or Option 2
Option 1
MTH 2350 - Differential Equations with Matrix Algebra Credit Hour(s): 4
Option 2:
MTH 2330 - Differential Equations Credit Hour(s): 3
and
MTH 2530 - Elementary Linear Algebra Credit Hour(s): 3

V. General Electives: 5-7 Credit Hours

Total: 120 Credit Hours

Graduation Planning Strategy

The Graduation Planning Strategy (GPS) has been created to illustrate one option to complete degree requirements within a particular time frame. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic advisor to adjust this plan based on credit already earned, individual needs or curricular changes that may not be reflected in this year’s catalog.