The Bachelor of Arts Degree in physics is an excellent option for students considering careers in a wide variety of areas including law, journalism, medicine, finance, teaching, and computational science. A liberal education incorporating serious study of physics is a strong asset in these fields as well as in science.

The objectives of the B.A. are to foster an understanding of the core areas of physics and encourage analytical and computational skills that are of great value in the workforce. The B.A. in Physics offers increased flexibility to take advantage of elective offerings, permitting students to focus on a subject of interest, such as astronomy, pre-medical school, or computation. It also offers the possibility of a shortened timeline in comparison with the Bachelor of Science in Physics.

The B.A. requires 30 total credit hours of physics coursework, 18 of which must be in courses numbered 300 or higher. Some of the specific required courses may be modified by petition to the department. This page contains the checklist for students to help navigate the curriculum appropriate for their specific catalog year.

Program requirements can be found at the catalog link in the sidebar.

Recently offered elective courses include:

AST101 Our Corner of the Universe (F)
AST104 Stars, Galaxies, and Universe (S)
PHY306 Nuclear Physics in our Lives (nuclear and political interest) (S)
PHY307 Computational Physics (F)
PHY312 Relativity and Cosmology (astro interest) (F)
PHY314 Quantum Computing Demystified (quantum information interest) (S)
PHY315 Biological and Medical Physics (bio interest) (S)
PHY317 Stellar and Interstellar Astrophysics (astro interest) (S)
PHY344 Experimental Physics (F/S)
PHY399 Practicum and Seminar in Physics Education (F/S)
PHY451 Problems of Contemporary Physics (teaching focus) (F)
PHY490 Independent Study (research focus) (F/S)

Key: (F) = usually offered fall semester, (S) = usually offered spring semester

Want to sign up for the physics major? Come see us! Email the department chair: Jenny Ross: jlross@syr.edu

The Directors of Undergraduate Studies:
Joey Paulsen: jdpaulse@syr.edu
Steve Blusk: sblusk@syr.edu

Or, talk to a physics department faculty member who is an undergraduate advisor: Physics Advising.