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:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of fundamental concepts in Mechanics.
  2. Demonstrate an understanding of fundamental concepts in Electromagnetism.
  3. Demonstrate an understanding of fundamental concepts in Quantum Mechanics.
  4. 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

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

Core Requirements
MATH 101SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS I 13
or MATH 105 AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS I
MATH 102SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS II 13
or MATH 106 AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS II
MATH 211ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS AND LINEAR ALGEBRA3
or MATH 220 HONORS ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
or MATH 221 HONORS CALCULUS III
MATH 212MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS3
or MATH 222 HONORS CALCULUS IV
or MATH 232 HONORS MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS
Select 1 from the following: 24
MECHANICS (WITH LAB)
and MECHANICS DISCUSSION
HONORS MECHANICS (WITH LAB)
Select 1 from the following: 34
ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB)
and ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM DISCUSSION
HONORS ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB)
PHYS 201WAVES, LIGHT, AND HEAT3
PHYS 202MODERN PHYSICS3
PHYS 231ELEMENTARY PHYSICS LAB1
PHYS 311INTRODUCTION TO QUANTUM PHYSICS I3
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. 46
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 Hours120

Footnotes and Additional Information

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.

Transfer Credit 

For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content). 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 the applicable transfer credit advisor as well as their academic program director when considering transfer credit possibilities. 

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/.