Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Physics
Program Learning Outcomes for the BA Degree with a Major in Physics
Upon completing the BA degree with a major in Physics, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of fundamental concepts in Mechanics.
- Demonstrate an understanding of fundamental concepts in Electromagnetism.
- Demonstrate an understanding of fundamental concepts in Quantum Mechanics.
- Demonstrate an understanding of a variety of physics topics taken from: statistical and thermal physics, biological physics, nuclear and particle physics, solid state physics, computational physics, and/or plasma physics.
Requirements for the BA Degree with a Major in Physics
For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BA degree with a major in Physics must complete:
- A minimum of 45-47 credit hours, depending on course selection, to satisfy major requirements.
- A minimum of 120 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
- A minimum of 14-16 credit hours, depending on course selection, taken at the 300-level or above.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the Physics and Astronomy department's undergraduate committee. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Physics | 45-47 | |
| Total Credit Hours Required for the BA Degree with a Major in Physics | 120 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| MATH 101 | SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS I 1 | 3 |
| or MATH 105 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS I | |
| MATH 102 | SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS II 1 | 3 |
| or MATH 106 | AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS II | |
| MATH 211 | ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS AND LINEAR ALGEBRA | 3 |
| or MATH 220 | HONORS ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS | |
| or MATH 221 | HONORS CALCULUS III | |
| MATH 212 | MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS | 3 |
| or MATH 222 | HONORS CALCULUS IV | |
| or MATH 232 | HONORS MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS | |
| Select 1 from the following: 2 | 4 | |
| MECHANICS (WITH LAB) and MECHANICS DISCUSSION | ||
| HONORS MECHANICS (WITH LAB) | ||
| Select 1 from the following: 3 | 4 | |
| ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB) and ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM DISCUSSION | ||
| HONORS ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB) | ||
| PHYS 201 | WAVES, LIGHT, AND HEAT | 3 |
| PHYS 202 | MODERN PHYSICS | 3 |
| PHYS 231 | ELEMENTARY PHYSICS LAB | 1 |
| PHYS 311 | INTRODUCTION TO QUANTUM PHYSICS I | 3 |
| Select 2 courses from the following: | 6-8 | |
| INTERMEDIATE MECHANICS | ||
| INTERMEDIATE ELECTRODYNAMICS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO QUANTUM PHYSICS II | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGICAL PHYSICS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE PHYSICS | ||
| COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS | ||
| STATISTICAL & THERMAL PHYSICS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO PLASMA PHYSICS | ||
| Select 6 additional credit hours of departmental (PHYS) or (ASTR) courses at the 300-level or above. 4 | 6 | |
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING COMPUTATION | ||
1 course from Computational Applied Mathematics and Operations Research (CMOR) course offerings at the 300-level or above. | ||
1 course from Mathematics (MATH) course offerings at the 300-level or above. | ||
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Physics | 45-47 | |
| Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements * | 42-44 | |
| University Graduation Requirements * | 31 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| * | Note: University Graduation Requirements include 31 credit hours, comprised of Distribution Requirements (Groups I, II, and III), FWIS, and LPAP coursework. In some instances, courses satisfying FWIS or distribution requirements may additionally meet other requirements, such as the Analyzing Diversity (AD) requirement, or some of the student’s declared major, minor, or certificate requirements. Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements include general electives, coursework completed as upper-level, residency (hours taken at Rice), and/or any other additional academic program requirements. |
| 1 | Students without credit for basic calculus (e.g. MATH 101/MATH 105 and/or MATH 102/MATH 106) must either enroll in the relevant course(s) or substitute more advanced MATH or CMOR coursework, with prior approval by the Physics and Astronomy department's Undergraduate Program Committee, to earn the required credit. |
| 2 | The Physics department has determined that credit awarded for PHYS 141 CONCEPTS IN PHYSICS I is not eligible for meeting the requirements of the Physics major. |
| 3 | The Physics department has determined that credit awarded for PHYS 142 CONCEPTS IN PHYSICS II is not eligible for meeting the requirements of the Physics major. |
| 4 | Includes PHYS 332 and PHYS 461, but does not include PHYS 491, PHYS 492, PHYS 493, or PHYS 494. |
Policies for the BA Degree with a Major in Physics
Program Restrictions and Exclusions
Students pursuing the BA Degree with a Major in Physics should be aware of the following program restrictions:
-
As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates under Declaring Majors, Minors and Certificates, students may not obtain both a BA and a BS in the same major. Students pursuing the BA Degree with a Major in Physics may not additionally pursue the BS Degree with a Major in Physics.
- Students pursuing the BA Degree with a Major in Physics may not additionally declare the major in Chemical Physics.
- As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, students may not major and minor in the same subject.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s transfer credit advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines
Students pursuing the major in Physics should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guidelines:
- Requests for transfer credit will be considered by the program director (and/or the program’s official transfer credit advisor) on an individual case-by-case basis.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Physics and Astronomy website: https://physics.rice.edu/
Opportunities for the BA Degree with a Major in Physics
Academic Honors
The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.
Research in the Department of Physics and Astronomy
The Physics and Astronomy Department encourages undergraduate participation in research, both within the department and through extramural programs. For current opportunities, please click on the Research tab on the department website.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Physics and Astronomy website: https://physics.rice.edu/