BS in Physics with Emphasis in Biological 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. Biological physics is an interdisciplinary area that employs and develops theories and methods of the physical sciences for the investigation of biological systems. There is a long history of the quantitative tools and techniques originally developed within the physics community finding critical applications in biology. Examples range from the first visualization of the DNA double helix via X-ray diffraction to the widespread use of magnetic resonance imaging in hospitals throughout the world. Currently, biological physics is one of the fastest growing physics research areas that is vital for many other fields, including medicine, bioengineering, and biology. Students specializing in this area have career opportunities in medical centers, research institutes and biotechnology industries, as well as the more traditional academic venues.
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.
Students interested in biological physics may choose to pursue a BS in Physics with an Emphasis in Biological Physics (the emphasis will show up on the transcript). For this option, students must take the required physics courses, and five additional physics elective courses. Four of the physics electives must be chosen from the list below:
| PHYSCS 4190 | Physics and Chemistry of Materials | 3 |
| PHYSCS 4420 | Introduction to Biomedical Imaging | 3 |
| PHYSCS 4500 | Computational Biological Physics | 3 |
| PHYSCS 4510 | Single Molecule Biophysics | 3 |
| PHYSCS 4520 | Introduction to Biophysics | 3 |
| PHYSCS 4950 | Undergraduate Research in Physics | 1-3 |
| PHYSCS 4960 | Senior Thesis in Physics | 3 |
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 | PHYSCS 2750 | 5 |
| MATH 1500 (Math and Quantitative Reasoning) | 5 | MATH 1700 | 5 |
| CHEM 1400 | 3 | Missouri State Law Requirement: Social Science from Arts and Science | 3 |
| CHEM 1401 (Biological or Physical Science Lab) | 1 | Second major, minor, certificate, or elective | 3 |
| ENGLSH 1000 | 3 | ||
| Behavioral Science | 3 | ||
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| PHYSCS 2760 | 5 | PHYSCS 3150W | 3 |
| MATH 2300 | 3 | PHYSCS 4100 | 3 |
| Humanities, First Writing Intensive | 3 | MATH 4100 | 3 |
| Second Language or Second Language Alternative | 4 | Second Language or Second Language Alternative | 4 |
| Second major, minor, certificate, or elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| PHYSCS 4140 | 3 | PHYSCS 4120 | 3 |
| PHYSCS 4060 | 4 | Physics; 3000+ Level | 3 |
| Physics; 3000+ Level | 3 | Math Elective | 3 |
| Second Language or Second Language Alternative | 4 | Humanities, Depth of Study | 3 |
| Second major, minor, certificate, or elective | 3 | ||
| 14 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| PHYSCS 4800 | 3 | Physics; 3000+ Level | 3 |
| Physics; 3000+ Level | 3 | Physics; 3000+ Level | 3 |
| Math elective | 3 | Humanities, Arts and Science Diversity Requirement | 3 |
| Social Science | 3 | Second major, minor, certificate, or elective | 4 |
| Second major, minor, certificate, or elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 13 | ||
| 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 Career 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.