PHYBD-General Physics Option

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SCHOOL OF SCIENCE

Recommended Academic Plan For Physics Major (General Physics Option)

see the Penn State Bluebook for course descriptions

First Semester
CHEM 110 (GN) (formerly Chem 12)	Chemical Principles I	3
CHEM 111 (GN) (formerly Chem 14)	Experimental Chemistry I	1
ENGL 015 or ENGL 030 (GWS)	Rhetoric and Composition	3
MATH 140 (GQ)	Calculus with Analytic Geometry I	4
PSU 007	First Year Seminar (Physics/Chemistry)	1
S/H/A Elective¹	Select from University GS/GH or GA List	3
KINES (GHA)²	Select from University Health and Physical Activity List	1.5
		16.5

Second Semester
PHYS 211 (GN)	Mechanics	4
CHEM 112 (GN) (formerly Chem 13)	Chemical Principles II	3
CHEM 113 (GN) (formerly Chem 14)	Experimental Chemistry II	1
MATH 141 (GQ)	Calculus with Analytic Geometry II	4
S/H/A Elective¹	Select from University GS/GH or GA List	3
KINES (GHA)	Select from University Health and Physical Activity List	1.5
		16.5

Third Semester
PHYS 212	Electricity and Magnetism	4
MATH 220	Matrices	2
CSE 121	Introduction to Programming Techniques	3
MATH 230	Calculus and Vector Analysis	4
S/H/A Elective¹	Select from University GS/GH or GA List	3
		16

Fourth Semester
PHYS 213	Fluids and Thermal Physics	2
PHYS 214	Wave Motion and Quantum Mechanics	2
PHYS 237	Introduction to Quantum Physics	3
MATH 251	Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations	4
CAS 100 (GWS)	Effective Speech	3
S/H/A Elective¹	Select from University GS/GH or GA List	3
		17

Fifth Semester
PHYS 419³	Theoretical Mechanics	3
PHYS 458³	Intermediate Optics	4
PHYS 446^3,4	The Year In Physics:A Seminar on the Latest Research	1
PHYS 494 or PHYS 495^4,5	Physics Research Project or Internship	1
CSE 122 or Foreign Language I⁶	Intermediate Programming or Foreign Language I	3 or 4
ENGL 202C (GWS)	Technical Writing	3
		15 or 16

Sixth Semester
PHYS 420³	Thermal Physics	3
PHYS 421W³	Research Methods in Physics	3
PHYS 494 or PHYS 495^4,5	Physics Research Project or Internship	3
CMPSC 459 (formerly CMPBD 460W) or Foreign Language II⁶	Scientific Visualization or Foreign Language II.	3 or 4
Additional course elective⁴	Select from department additional course list	3
		15 or 16

Seventh Semester
PHYS 400³	Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism	3
PHYS 402^3,4	Electronics for Scientists	4
School approved elective⁶	Select from school approved course list	2 or 3
S/H/A Elective¹	Select from University GS/GH or GA List	3
		12 or 13

Eighth Semester
PHYS 410³	Introduction to Quantum Mechanics	3
PHYS 414^3,4	Solid State Physics	3
School approved elective⁶	Select from school approved course list	3 or 4
S/H/A Elective¹	Select from University GS/GH or GA List	3
		12 or 13

Bold type indicates courses requiring a quality grade of C or better. A grade of C or higher is required in Physics 211, 212, 213, 214, 237 and all 300 and 400 prescribed, additional and supporting courses.
Italics indicates courses that satisfy both major and General Education requirements.
Bold Italics indicates courses requiring a quality grade of C or better and that satisfy both major and General Education requirements.
GWS, GHA, GQ, GN, GA, GH, and GS are codes used to identify General Education requirements. Choose six credits each of GA, GS and GH are required.
US, IL, and US;IL are codes used to designate courses that satisfy University United States/International Cultures requirements. These courses are sub-requirements within the Gen-Ed curriculum that may be mutually satisfied by select courses from other Gen-Ed categories.
W is the code used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirements.

Comments:

Six credits each must be chosen from the GA, GH and GS categories. Three credits must meet the US Culture sub-requirement and three credits must meet the IL Culture sub-requirement.
Requirement may also be met with BBH or NUTR courses carrying the GHA designation.
400 level Physics courses are taught on a rotating basis; courses are taught only once every other year. Physics 446 is taught once a year
Counts as an Additional Course choice. Other courses may be substituted from the additional courses list. A total of 12 credits must be selected from the list. See below for list.
Three credits of Physics 494 and/or Physics 495 are prescribed. Any additional credits (up to a maximum of 3) 494 and/or 495 may be applied to the additional course requirement..
Supporting Courses: You have a choice of a programming track or a foreign language track.

For the programming track you must take
- CSE 122 (formerly CSE 120) Intermediate Programming 3 credits)

and select three credits from

CMPSC 459 (formerly CMPBD 460) Scientific Visualization 3 credits
CMPSC 465 (formerly CMPBD 410) Data Structures and Algorithms 3 credits
CMPSC 474 (formerly CMPBD 411) Operating Systems and Systems Programming 3 credits

in addition you will need to choose 7 credits from the School Approved List (see below for list).

To complete the foreign language track you must take eight credits of a foreign language and 5 credits from the school approved List. A student may substitute credits from the school approved list if they have demonstrated proficiency in a foreign language through level 2. Note that any 300 or higher level science of math courses require a C or better.

Additional Courses (select 12 credits from)

School Approved Courses

The following *may not* be used for the physics major or minor