The B.S. degree gives students an excellent grounding in the fundamentals of physics with training in theoretical, computational, and experimental treatments of physics principles, phenomena, and applications. Students are also encouraged to get involved in research activities within the department. This program prepares students for entry into graduate programs in physics, astrophysics, medical physics, engineering, and other STEM fields. It also opens the door to a broad range of employment options in the both the public and private sectors, including employment in industry, in secondary education, and at national labs.
Degree Requirements
Program: BS-PHYS-1
The following courses must be completed in order to earn a B.S. in Physics.
A grade of "C-" or better must be earned in a prerequisite course in order to advance to the next course in the sequence unless otherwise noted in the catalog description. An overall GPA of 2.0 must be earned in the major in order for a student to graduate with a B.S. in Physics. Physics majors and minors may take a Physics class only two times. If a student has not achieved a minimum of a "C-" after the second attempt, the student may not repeat the class without the approval of the Physics Chair.
Physics majors with a Chemical Physics concentration may not double major or minor in chemistry. Physics majors with an Engineering Physics concentration may not minor in mechanical engineering.
In the Applied Physics concentration, students take a core set of physics courses and labs and either select a set of technical electives at Lewis University in consultation with their advisor or enter the five-year dual degree program leading to a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Northern Illinois University in addition to the B.S. in Physics (Applied Physics concentration) from Lewis University. The flexibility offered by the Applied Physics concentration is advantageous for students who wish to create individual programs of study to suit their interests and career goals, especially those who want to pursue careers in interdisciplinary fields like computational physics, environmental physics, or medical physics or who intend to enter graduate programs in Applied Physics, or related fields.
I. Core Courses (41)
II. Concentration
A. Advanced Physics Concentration (32)
Concentration: APHY
i. Complete the following courses (11):
ii. Choose one of the following thermodynamics courses (3):
iii. Choose one of the following lecture-lab courses (4):
iv. Choose one of the following Computational Physics courses (3):
v. Choose one of the following Computation courses (3):
vi. Select at least 8 credit hours from the following courses (8):
Select at least eight additional hours of electives from the following list. Mathematics minors cannot use any 30000 or 40000 level Mathematics course to satisfy both this requirement and a Mathematics minor requirement. Electives may not also be used to satisfy requirements in the Physics core or sections A.i-v.
- Any 30000 or 40000 level Physics courses not used to satisfy requirements in i-v
- CHEM 11500, CHEM 11600, or any 20000, 30000, or 40000 level Chemistry courses
- Any 20000, 30000, or 40000 level Electrical and Computer Engineering courses
- Any 20000, 30000, or 40000 level Computer Science courses not used to satisfy requirements in i-v
- Any 30000 or 40000 level Mathematics courses not used to satisfy requirements in i-v
- Any 20000, 30000, or 40000 level Mechanical and Materials Engineering courses not used to satisfy requirements in i-v
PHYS 37100 Workshop in Physics may be taken multiple times for credit if different topics are offered. Up to two credit hours may be applied toward completion of these elective credits.
PHYS 47000 Undergraduate Research may be taken multiple times for credit. Up to six credit hours may be applied toward completion of these elective credits.
PHYS 49800 Topics in Physics may be taken multiple times for credit if different topics are offered. Up to nine credit hours may be applied toward completion of these elective credits.
PHYS 49900 Independent Study may be taken multiple times for credit. Up to three credit hours may be applied toward completion of these elective credits.
B. Engineering Physics Concentration (32)
Concentration: EPHY
i. Complete the following courses (20):
ii. 30000-level or 40000-level engineering elective (3):
Select an engineering elective (at least three credit hours) from the following list. Any course prerequisites must be met. The elective may not also be used to satisfy requirements in section B.i.
- Any 30000-level or 40000-level Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECEN) course
- Any 30000-level or 40000-level Mechanical Engineering (MMEG) course
iii. Technical Electives (9)
Select nine credit hours of technical electives from the following list. Any course prerequisites must be met. Students should plan electives early with their advisor since some of these can be used to satisfy prerequisites for 30000-level or 40000-level engineering electives. Technical Electives may not also be used to satisfy requirements in the Physics core or sections B.i-ii.
- Any 20000-level, 30000-level or 40000-level Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECEN) courses
- Any 20000-level, 30000-level or 40000-level Mechanical Engineering (MMEG) courses
- Any 30000-level or 40000-level Physics courses
- CPSC 20000, CPSC 31500, CHEM 11500 and CHEM 11600, MATH 22000, MATH 30500, MATH 35000, MATH 36500
PHYS 37100 Workshop in Physics may be taken multiple times for credit if different topics are offered. Up to two credit hours may be applied toward completion of these elective credits.
PHYS 47000 Undergraduate Research may be taken multiple times for credit. Up to six credit hours may be applied toward completion of these elective credits.
PHYS 49800 Topics in Physics may be taken multiple times for credit if different topics are offered. Up to six credit hours may be applied toward completion of these elective credits.
PHYS 49900 Independent Study may be taken multiple times for credit. Up to three credit hours may be applied toward completion of these elective credits.
C. Applied Physics Concentration (32)
Concentration: APHY
i. Complete the following courses (4):
ii. Choose one of the following courses (4):
iii. Select one of the following Computation courses (3):
iv. Technical Electives (21)
In consultation with their advisor, the student chooses 21 additional credit hours of approved electives from Chemistry, Biology, Computer Engineering, Computer Science (CPSC 20000 or higher), Data Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, and/or Physics. Any course prerequisites must be met. At least six elective credit hours must be at the 30000-40000 level. Technical electives may not also be used to satisfy requirements in the Physics core or sections C.i-iii.
PHYS 37100 Workshop in Physics may be taken multiple times for credit if different topics are offered. Up to two credit hours may be applied toward completion of these elective credits.
PHYS 47000 Undergraduate Research may be taken multiple times for credit. Up to six credit hours may be applied toward completion of these elective credits.
PHYS 49800 Topics in Physics may be taken multiple times for credit if different topics are offered. Up to nine credit hours may be applied toward completion of these elective credits.
PHYS 49900 Independent Study may be taken multiple times for credit. Up to three credit hours may be applied toward completion of these elective credits.
D. Chemical Physics Concentration (32)
Concentration: CHPH
i. Complete the following courses (25):
ii. Select at least one course from the following (2):
| CHEM-24200 | Introduction to Solid State Chemistry | 2 |
| PHYS-34200 | Applied Modern Physics: Atoms, Molecules, and Condensed Matter | 2 |
iii. Select at least 5 credit hours from the following:
- Any 30000 or 40000 level Physics courses not used to satisfy requirements in i-ii
- Any 20000, 30000, or 40000 level Chemistry courses not used to satisfy requirements in i-ii
PHYS 37100 Workshop in Physics may be taken multiple times for credit if different topics are offered. Up to two credit hours may be applied toward completion of these elective credits.
CHEM 45000 Research and/or PHYS 47000 Undergraduate Research may be taken multiple times for credit. Up to five credit hours may be applied toward completion of these elective credits.
CHEM 47000 Internship may be taken multiple times for credit if different topics are offered. Up to two credit hours may be applied toward completion of these elective credits.
CHEM 49800 Special Topics and/or PHYS 49800 Topics in Physics may be taken multiple times for credit if different topics are offered.
PHYS 49900 Independent Study may be taken multiple times for credit. Up to three credit hours may be applied toward completion of these elective credits.
III. Advanced Writing Requirement
The advanced writing requirement of the General Education curriculum is satisfied by successful completion of: