Undergraduate

Undergraduate

Major Requirements

Because a physics major can take you in many different directions, and students come to the subject with a wide range of backgrounds, interests and goals, we have designed our requirements for maximum flexibility. The material below describes the requirements and outlines some possible courses of study, but each student should work closely with his/her advisor to design the curriculum that is best for the student. Authoritative requirements are given in the Tufts Bulletin. For more detailed information please speak with your advisor.

Please note:

  • PHY 11 and 12 (or equivalent) are prerequisites for all of the below majors.
  • A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for the courses applied to the major and no more than one course applied to the major may have a grade of less than C-.
  • No major courses may be taken Pass/Fail.
  • If you have more than one major, please see Bulletin for rules on double-counting courses.
  • If you have a minor, no more than two course credits used toward the minor may be used toward foundation, distribution, major, or other minor requirements.

 

Physics

10 courses:

  1. Two required courses:
    • PHY 13 - Introduction to Modern Physics and
    • PHY 64 - Advanced Experimental Physics
  2. One additional course in advanced laboratory training (may be PHY 31 - Optics and Wave Motion or PHY 41 - Electronics)
  3. Five electives in Physics numbered above PHY 12.
  4. Two courses in Mathematics above MATH 42/44.


Up to two courses in II and III combined may be approved courses in related fields.
One course in IV may be an approved course in a related field.


View major checklist >

 

Astrophysics

10 courses:

  1. Two required courses:
    • PHY 13 - Introduction to Modern Physics and
    • PHY 64 - Advanced Experimental Physics OR PHY 31 - Optics
  2. Four courses in Astronomy numbered above AST 10.
  3. Two electives in Physics numbered above PHY 12
  4. Two courses in Mathematics above MATH 42/44.


One course in either II or III may be approved advanced course in a related field.
One course in IV may be an approved course in a related field.


View major checklist >

 

Applied Physics

10 courses:

  1. Two required courses:
    • PHY 13 - Introduction to Modern Physics and
    • PHY 64 - Advanced Experimental Physics
  2. Three electives in Physics numbered above PHY 12.
  3. Two courses in Mathematics above MATH 42/44.
  4. Three courses that have the SOE-Engineering attribute and that could be used to satisfy the major requirement of an engineering degree program. Please consult with your advisor regarding your course selection.


One course in II may be an approved course in a related field.
One course in III may be an approved course in a related field.


View major checklist >

 

Chemical Physics

Foundation requirement:

  1. CHEM 1, CHEM 11, or CHEM 16
  2. CHEM 2 or CHEM 12
  3. PHY 1 or PHY 11
  4. PHY 2 or PHY 12


10 concentration courses:

  1. Four courses in Chemistry with a prerequisite of CHEM 2 or CHEM 12.
  2. Four courses in Physics with a prerequisite of PHY 2 or PHY 12.
  3. Two courses in Mathematics (can be MATH 70 or any Mathematics course with a prerequisite of MATH 42, 44, or 70).


The concentration courses in I and II must include the following:

  1. PHY 13 - Introduction to Modern Physics
  2. Either CHEM 51 - Organic Chemistry I or CHEM 61 - Inorganic Chemistry
  3. Advanced laboratory training: Either (a) PHY 64 - Advanced Experimental Physics, or (b) CHEM 33 and CHEM 34 - Physical Chemistry Lab
  4. Thermodynamics: Either PHY 52 - Thermal Physics or CHEM 31 - Physical Chemistry I
  5. Quantum mechanics: Either PHY 61 - Quantum Theory or CHEM 32 - Physical Chemistry II


View major checklist >

 

Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics (School of Engineering)

Foundation requirement:

  1. PHY 13 - Introduction to Modern Physics
  2. PHY 32 - Intermediate Mechanics
  3. PHY 52 - Thermal Physics
  4. PHY 41 - Electronics (or ES 3 and ES 4)
  5. Two courses from ES 3, 4, 5, 8, or 9
  6. Two other courses satisfying the foundation requirements of the School of Engineering


12 concentration courses:

  1. PHY 64 - Advanced Experimental Physics
  2. Three additional courses in Physics or Astronomy at the intermediate or advanced levels.
  3. Four courses from the concentration requirements of one of the engineering departments.
  4. Four approved elective course in computer science, engineering, mathematics, or science.