BA in Physics
Degree Program Description
Physics is the science that studies the structure and properties of matter and transformations of energy. With math as the language and experimental verification as a guide, physical study has established the fundamental laws of nature that are the foundation of all natural science and technology. The study of physics includes learning the general principles and the phenomena that have been discovered and developing the skills that enable such knowledge to be advanced through research. The BA degree provides a broad coverage of classical and modern physics while permitting a broader liberal arts education. It is normally selected by students who plan to enter a professional school later in their academic career, e.g. medicine, dentistry or law, or who desire to pursue a teaching certificate. Physics plays a pivotal role in such areas of expanding and societal importance as biomedical optical imaging/biomedicine, materials science, and homeland security, and as such, courses are offered in optical sciences, biological physics, materials sciences and nanotechnology.
Major Program Requirements
In addition to University, general education, and College of Arts and Science requirements, students must also meet the following major program requirements. All major requirements in the College of Arts and Science must be completed with grades of C- or higher unless otherwise indicated.
| PHYSCS 2010 | Undergraduate Seminar in Physics | 1 |
| PHYSCS 2750 & PHYSCS 2760 | University Physics I and University Physics II | 10 |
| PHYSCS 3150 | Introduction to Modern Physics | 3 |
| MATH 1500 & MATH 1700 & MATH 2300 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus I and Calculus II and Calculus III | 13 |
| MATH 4100 | Differential Equations | 3 |
| CHEM 1400 & CHEM 1401 | College Chemistry I and College Chemistry I Laboratory | 3-4 |
| or CMP_SC 1050 | Algorithm Design and Programming I | |
| or INFOTC 1040 | Introduction to Problem Solving and Programming | |
| Electives: | ||
| Additional physics/astronomy | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 48-49 | |
Semester Plan
Below is a sample plan of study, semester by semester. A student's actual plan may vary based on course choices where options are available.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| PHYSCS 2010 | 1 | MATH 1700 | 5 |
| MATH 1500 | 5 | PHYSCS 2750 | 5 |
| ENGLSH 1000 | 3 | Humanities from Arts and Science | 3 |
| Missouri State Law Requirement: Social Science from Arts and Science | 3 | Second major, minor, certificate, or elective | 3 |
| Behavioral Science from Arts and Science | 3 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| PHYSCS 2760 | 5 | PHYSCS 3150W | 3 |
| MATH 2300 | 3 | MATH 4100 | 3 |
| Second language requirement | 4 | Second language requirement | 4 |
| Humanities, First Writing Intensive | 3 | Behavioral Science Course, Arts and Science Diversity Requirement | 3 |
| Second major, minor, certificate, or elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| PHYSCS; 3000+ Level | 3 | PHYSCS; 3000+ Level | 3 |
| Second language requirement | 4 | CHEM 1400 | 3 |
| Social Science; 3000+ Level | 3 | CHEM 1401 (Biological or Physical Science Lab) | 1 |
| Second major, minor, certificate, or elective | 3 | Humanities; 3000+ Level | 3 |
| Second major, minor, certificate, or elective | 3 | Second major, minor, certificate, or elective | 3 |
| 16 | 13 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| PHYSCS; 3000+ Level | 3 | PHYSCS; 4000 Level | 3 |
| PHYSCS; 3000+ Level | 3 | Humanities | 3 |
| Behavioral Science | 3 | Social Science | 3 |
| Second major, minor, certificate, or elective | 3 | Second major, minor, certificate, or elective | 5 |
| Second major, minor, certificate, or elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 14 | ||
| Total Credits: 120 | |||
Degree Audit
The degree audit is an automated report reflecting a student’s academic progress toward the completion of a degree.
MU students can request a degree audit by logging in to myDegreePlanner. Students may also access myDegreePlanner via myZou, in the Student Center, click on the Academic Progress Tile, then select Request Degree Audit. The audit automatically pulls in the student’s MU course work, transfer courses and courses in progress. This is available to current students, admitted students, and those who last attended less than three terms ago.
Past MU students can request a degree audit by contacting the Academic Advising Unit of the division in which they were last enrolled at MU. For contact information, go to https://advising.missouri.edu/contact/.
Prospective students, can access a preliminary MU degree audit via https://www.transferology.com. Information on the college credits already earned will have to be manually entered before it can be evaluated against current degree requirements.
For additional details on degree audits, go to https://registrar.missouri.edu/degrees-audits/degree-audits/.
Major and Course Exploration
The University of Missouri has many resources to assist you in exploring majors and career possibilities. For guidance, visit the Majors and Careers website or view specific resources below.
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If you are considering a change of major or are exploring multiple majors, schedule an appointment with an advisor in the Discovery Center by calling (573)884-9700 or through MU Connect Discovery Center service in you success network.
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If you have decided on a major, visit an academic advisor in the School or College that you are interested in to discuss the process of declaring the major.
- If you would like to learn more about your career interests, abilities, values and talents, visit the MU Career Center. No Appointment is necessary to explore career options with one of our staff members.
- If you would like information about MU majors and degree programs, visit:
- the Degrees, Majors (Degree Programs), Emphasis Areas, Minors and Certificates page in the catalog,
- the MU Majors website.
For additional major and career exploration resources, visit Major & Career Exploration in the catalog.