Academic Programs
Department of Physics and Energy Science
B.S. in Physics
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: traditional physics, solid state physics, energy science, and secondary education.
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. Students in each of the options are required to take the core course requirement.
M.Sc. in Physics
The Master’s program provides a high-quality educational experience for students who seek course work and/or an advanced degree in physics. Integrally linked to this purpose is our intent that the Master's degree enhance our undergraduate program while it complements related graduate programs at UCCS. Finally, a graduate program provides students research opportunities that utilize the latest methodologies and equipment.
The Master’s program is ideal for students that are already employed in industry or government, where there is a continual need for them to upgrade their skills. In addition, students can design a more specialized degree, by concentrating a couple of their courses in areas outside of physics. Concentration areas could include space studies, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, geography, computer science, applied mathematics or other graduate disciplines. These concentration areas might be appropriate for students who have very well-defined career objectives which require a combination of physics with another discipline.
Ph.D. in Physics
Our PhD program offers students with unique opportunities to carry out work and research at the forefront of physics in areas of Condensed and Soft Matter Physics. Our research (link) is both experimental and theoretical. Experimental research in the areas of magnetism, magnetic nanostructures (under the Center for Magnetism and Magnetic Nanostructures), plasmonics, nanobiophotonics, liquid crystals, and surface physics. Theoretical research is conducted in the areas of magnetism, nonlinear effects and chaos. The Department of Physics ranks 1st in research expenditures at UCCS, allowing it to support leading edge laboratories housed in the new Science and Engineering building and other buildings.
Financial support in the form of research assistantships and graduate tuition assistance is available to qualified students.