Physics, BS

The Bachelor of Science (BS) in Physics is designed to help students attain their professional goals in physics. There are four options within the program to enable students to achieve their particular educational objectives:

• Traditional Physics
• Solid State Physics
• Energy Science
• Secondary Education

By choosing an option, students can focus their studies on their particular area of interest. For example, the Traditional Physics option studies topics as varied as orbits, electromagnetic waves, lasers, quantum physics, and optics. Other options such as the Solid State, involve thermal, electronic, magnetic, and optical properties of materials and their applications.

The Energy Science option covers such topics as renewable energy, solar cells, wind energy, and nuclear physics. The Secondary Education option emphasizes courses that will be helpful for people teaching at the secondary level. This includes astronomy, physics in everyday life, and modern physics.

• Requires a minimum of 51 to 54 credit hours of PES coursework
• Requires a minimum of 30 to 39 credit hours of upper-division (3000-4999 level) PES coursework.
• All PES courses must have a grade of “C” or better.

The UCCS Department of Physics & Energy Science offers four options:

Traditional Physics Option
This option is designed for students intending to pursue graduate studies in physics or planning to obtain a position in industry.

Solid State Physics Option
This option is designed for students presently employed by or intending to be employed in the semiconductor or other high-tech industries. It will provide theoretical foundations and practical experience in solid-state physics.

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.

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 within each specialization track 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.

The Solid State Laboratory required in the Solid State option is designed to teach the fundamentals of materials technology.

For details on program coursework and requirements, please visit the Academic Catalog.

To learn more about admission requirements and the application process, please visit the UCCS Admissions page.

Additional resources for Admissions:

• Tuition Rate
• Cost of Tuition Estimator
• Financial Aid
• Scholarships