Minor Changes to Physics Programs – Spring 2020

Minor in Physics: We are dropping PHYS 348 (Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers) as a required course for all our departmental majors as well as the Physics minor. The material in PHYS 348 is covered completely in the combination of PHYS 223/224 (required for minor), PHYS 304 (currently not required for minor), and PHYS 405 (required for minor). Replacing PHYS 348 with PHYS 304 covers the same material with less redundancy while adding greater depth in Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics (PHYS 304). 

Bachelor of Science in Physics / Master of Computer Science, Bachelor of Science in Physics / Masters of Health Physics, Bachelor of Science in Physics / Master of Science in Computer Science, and the Bachelor of Science in Physics / Masters of Science in Physics: All the programs are affected at the undergraduate BS in Physics level by the same change, namely that We are dropping PHYS 348 (Modern Physics for Scientists and Engineers) as a required course for all our departmental majors (as well as the Physics minor). The material in PHYS 348 is covered completely in the combination of PHYS 223/224, PHYS 304, and PHYS 405 (all required classes) making the material in PHYS 348 redundant. Having PHYS 348 as part of our required curriculum is therefore not necessary and effectively serves as a hindrance in its current role as the gatekeeper for all higher level physics classes. Replacing PHYS 348 with a Technical Elective will better serve our Physics majors. 

For the undergraduate portion of these degrees we have defined a technical elective as: Any Physics course at or above the 300-level OR Any College of Science or College of Engineering course at or above the 300-level, chosen with approval of the student's adviser

Bachelor of Science in Physics / Master of Health Science needs an approved change to align with the (already approved) changes made at the Masters level to the Master of Health Science degree, namely: With introduction of the new specialization in Radiological Security, Emergency Preparedness and Response (RSEP&R) , we are phasing out PHYS 574 as an elective. The new RSEP&R courses (PHYS 567, PHYS 568 & PHYS 569) should now be allowed to substitute for ONE of the possible electives in the Health Physics curriculum. We are also removing PHYS 561 as a required course in the RSEP&R specialization and replacing it with PHYS 572. PHYS 574 is also (see above) being eliminated as an elective for the Radiochemistry Specialization. A few minor discrepancies between the Masters and coterm requirements have also been aligned.