Applied Physics Minor

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Students wishing to pursue the minor in Applied Physics should consult with physics faculty in the Natural Sciences Department for advising.

The Minor in Applied Physics is available to any student and is especially recommended for individuals interested in pursuing careers or graduate studies in physical or applied sciences and engineering. The Minor in Applied Physics requires completion of 32 credits of coursework as outlined below. A grade of “C” or better is required in all courses applied toward the minor.

Required Coursework:

PHY 221 - General Physics w/Calculus Credit Hours: 4
PHY 222 - General Physics w/Calculus Credit Hours: 4
PHY 223 - General Physics w/Calculus Credit Hours: 4
MATH 254 - Vector Calculus I Credit Hours: 4
MATH 321 - Appl Diff Equation I Credit Hours: 4
At least 12 credits of upper-division physics Electives (PHY prefix)

Approved Upper-Division Electives:

Up to six credits of the upper-division elective coursework may be satisfied by approved non-PHY electives that utilize the technical application of physics (see list below; other courses must be approved by the physics faculty and the chair of the Natural Sciences department on a case-by-case basis). Of the 12 upper-division elective credits, six cannot be counted toward the student’s major program.

Any course 300-level or higher that has a PHY prefix.

Examples include:

PHY 311 - Intro to Modern Physics Credit Hours: 3
PHY 330 - Electricity & Magnetism Credit Hours: 3
PHY 448 - Geometric Optics Credit Hours: 4
PHY 449 - Radiometry & Optical Detect Credit Hours: 4
PHY 450 - Physical Optics Credit Hours: 4
PHY 451 - Lasers Credit Hours: 4
PHY 452 - Waveguides and Fiber Optics Credit Hours: 4
PHY 453 - Optical Metrology Credit Hours: 4
PHY 410 - Math Meth: Fourier Optics Credit Hours: 3

Approved non-PHY Electives:

EE 341 - Electricity/Magnetism w/Transm Credit Hours: 4
EE 343 - Solid State Electronic Devices Credit Hours: 3
REE 344 - Nuclear Energy Credit Hours: 3
REE 345 - Wind Power Credit Hours: 3
MECH 318 - Fluid Mechanics Credit Hours: 4
MECH 323 - Heat Transfer I Credit Hours: 3
MECH 417 - Fluid Mechanics II Credit Hours: 3
MECH 480 - Mechanical Vibrations Credit Hours: 3
MECH 313 - Thermodynamics II Credit Hours: 3

Note:

Not all courses are offered every year or on every campus. Additional prerequisites may be required; see catalog descriptions and recent course schedules for details.