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. The options are:

1. Traditional Physics Option: This option is designed for students intending graduate studies in physics or planning to obtain an industrial position with a traditional physics degree.
2. Solid State Physics Option: This option is designed for students presently employed by or intending employment in the semiconductor industry. It will provide theoretical foundations and practical experience in solid state physics.
3. Energy Science Option: This option will prepare graduates for energy-related careers in industry and government and will provide the student with a strong background in the technical, economic, and instrumentation aspects of all energy resources. Please check with the Department about the availability of classes to complete this option.
4. Secondary Education Option: This option allows students to get a B.S. in Physics and secondary science teacher certification in collaboration with the UCCSTeach program.

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 requirements as well as the option requirements listed below.

• 33 credit hours in Physics Core requirements
• 37 credit hours in Other Core areas
• 18 credit hours in Physics Option area
• a maximum of 54 credits in PES will apply toward the degree
• a grade of C or better in every physics course that is applied toward the major
• students must meet the 12 hour LAS general education area requirements from both humanities and social science

Please note: Only one Computer Science (CS) listed below is required for the degree program. (Please see the Course Catalog with any questions)

In addition to the above core requirements, students will complete required courses for one of three options: Traditional Physics, Solid State Physics, or Energy Science.

1. Traditional Physics Option

This program is designed for students intending graduate studies in physics or planning to obtain an industrial position with a traditional physics degree. This option requires a minimum of 18 credit hours of courses in addition to the core.

Required

Note: Also, the traditional physics option requires a minimum of 3 upper-division hours of mathematics in addition to MATH 3400.

Elective Courses

A minimum of 3 credit hours from the following PES courses must be taken:

Variable credit courses with a maximum of 6 hours allowed to count toward degree.

Note: Other elective courses may be substituted with the written approval of the department chair.

2. Solid State Physics Option

This option is designed for students presently employed by or intending employment in the semiconductor industry. It will provide theoretical foundations and practical experience in solid state physics. This option requires a minimum of 20 credit hours of courses in addition to the core.

Required

Elective Courses

This option also requires the completion of a minimum of 6 hours from the following technical electives:

Note: Other elective courses may be substituted with the written approval of the department chair.

3. Energy Science Option

This option will prepare graduates for energy-related careers in industry and government and will provide the student with a strong background in the technical, economic, and instrumentation aspects of all energy resources. This option requires a minimum of 19 hours of courses in addition to the core.

Required

Elective Courses

Students in this option are required to complete 9 hours from the following technical electives:

Note: Other elective courses may be substituted with the written approval of the department chair.

Information on this page is subject to change and is not official. Consult the UCCS Academic Catalog for official information.