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UMA Undergraduate Guide 2018-2019
 Academic Departments and Programs Physics Getting Started (Majors Guide)
Getting Started (Majors Guide)
How to Explore/Get Started in the MajorSuggested General Education Courses:Under the new guidelines students are still required to take two courses, one in U.S. Diversity and one in Global Diversity. Students entering in Fall 2018 are expected to take one of these diversity courses, either U.S. or Global, in their first year on campus. For Fall 2018 Registration, look for courses with DU (formerly U) and DG (formerly G) to help students stay on track. Any course labled DU will satisfy the requirement for a U.S. diversity course and any course labeled DG will satisfy the the requirement for Global diversity course. Course planning guidelines, including guidelines for students, are available at www.umass.edu/gened. Suggested Major and Pre-requisite Courses:Required prerequisites, including recommended sequence: First semester: MATH 131 and PHYSICS 181 are required; PHYSICS 185 is recommended. For details on opportunities, courses, and the P, A and G tracks, please see the Physics Majors Handbook at http://www.physics.umass.edu/undergraduate. How to Declare the Major:It is very important to see a Physics advisor for proper course selection and to choose a Physics track. Incoming students should see a Physics advisor as soon as possible, ideally before the beginning of their first semester at the University. If you are already a declared physics major, then the best time to meet with an advisor is during New Student Orientation (NSO). If you are enrolled as physics major but cannot attend NSO, then the Undergraduate Program Director (UPD) will contact you by email. If you are not initially a declared physics major but want to learn about it, please contact the UPD by email to upd@physics.umass.edu. If you wish, you can change your major (or add physics as a second major) when you meet with the UPD. Engaging in research and teaching projects:We encourage all physics majors to join a faculty-led group and undertake an independent project in teaching or research. This is a very valuable experience and excellent preparation for many kinds of jobs and graduate programs. To learn more, ask your advisor. Summary of Requirements for the Major:
What else is there?The physics department offers many additional courses, beyond the requirements listed above. These courses provide technical skills (e.g., Introduction to Measurement for freshmen, using the Arduino microcontroller board), or training in selected areas of physics (e.g., special topics courses in cosmology, paricle physics, solid state physics, biophysics, or optics) and teaching (e.g., a course on teaching physics). Physics students are also active in student-led organizations. Examples include the Society of Physics Students (SPS), the Science Outreach Club, and Minorities in Astronomy and Physics (MAP). Is there a minor? If so, what are the requirements? For further information, contact: |