Department of Physics

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Mathematics and Science Center, Room 190
146 Library Drive
Rochester, MI 48309
(248) 370-3416
Fax: (248) 370-3408

Department Website

Chairperson: Andrei Slavin

Professors emeriti: Abraham R. Liboff, Ralph C. Mobley, Norman Tepley, Paul A. Tipler, W. D. Wallace

Distinguished professors: Michael Chopp, Andrei Slavin, Gopalan Srinivasan, Yang Xia

Professors: Ken Elder, David Garfinkle, Alberto Rojo,

Associate professors: Kapila Clara Castoldi, Evgeniy Khain, Eugene Surdutovich, Yuejian Wang, Wei Zhang

Assistant professors: Ilias Cholis, Mark Manning, Vasyl Tyberkevych

Visiting Assistant Professor: Steffan Puwal

Adjunct professors: Jieli Chen, Indrin J. Chetty, Xuanfeng Ding, James R. Ewing, Grant R. Gerhart, Carrie Glide-Hurst, Thomas Guerrero, Quan Jiang, Bryan Shumaker, Hamid Soltanian-Zadeh, George Wilson, Di Yan

Adjunct associate professors: Rao Bidthanapally, Susan M. Bowyer, Kenneth Jenrow, Robert A. Knight

Adjunct assistant professors: Edward Castillo, Steffan Puwal, Chunqi Qian, Somayyeh Sheikholeslami, David Solis

Special Lecturer: Steffan Puwal

Lecturers: Susan Bowyer, Jyothi Raman

Chief Adviser: Eugene Surdutovich

Courses within the Department of Physics are grouped into two categories - pre-professional physics-related career programs and experiences in science for students with broad interests in contemporary human culture. The latter are strongly recommended for students planning any of a wide range of careers, including law, business, criminology, art history, music, government, education, and journalism. High school students intending to major in physics should refer to the Admissions section of the catalog for specific preparation requirements.

Programs of study lead to the Bachelor of Science degrees with majors in physics, medical physics, or engineering physics, Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in physics, Master of Science degree in physics, and Doctor of Philosophy degree in applied computational physics or biomedical sciences with specialization in medical physics.

The Bachelor of Science in physics is intended for students who plan to become professional scientists. It qualifies students for graduate studies in physical sciences or research positions in government and industry. Students pursuing this degree should consult with faculty members on different available specialties.

The Bachelor of Arts in physics is primarily designed for students who desire a broader, less professionally specialized background in physics. Minors in physics, geology, and astronomy, are  available for students who want to supplement their work in other fields with useful experiences in these areas. Also available is a physics secondary teaching minor.

The Bachelor of Science in medical physics is based on a group of physics courses plus relevant biology, chemistry and mathematics courses. These students take ”Biological Physics” and ”Medical Physics.” The degree, with the addition of select biology courses, offers an excellent preparation for medical school.  Students should consult an adviser in pre-medical studies regarding the selection of these courses.

The Bachelor of Science in engineering physics, which is offered jointly with the School of Engineering and Computer Science, is intended for well-qualified students who seek a broad education in physics and mathematics along with basic preparation in engineering.

All physics majors, during the semester they plan to graduate, will be required to complete an assessment test. The purpose of this test is to determine how well students are achieving the goals of the learning objectives in their major. The results of this test will have no impact on a student’s graduation status.

Mathematics Requirements for PHY 1010, 1080, 1610, 1620

The various general physics courses (PHY 1010, PHY 1080) are directed to students enrolled in a wide variety of majors having different levels of mathematical preparation. The Physics Department therefore requires that either the students’ ACT math score is 22 or higher or the SAT math score is 550 or higher or that they have taken MTH 0662, an academic enrichment course intended for students in need of additional preparation for university courses. Another alternative is for students to take a Math Placement Test and place above the MTH 0662 math level. This test is available year round in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics office (368 MSC) between 8 -11 a.m. and 1 - 4 p.m. Student ID number (Grizzly ID) is required. It takes approximately one hour to take the test and receive the results.

Students enrolled in PHY 1510 - Introductory Physics I are encouraged to take MTH 1554 (Calculus I) prior to the course. If MTH 1554 is taken concurrently with PHY 1510, the Physics Department requires either an ACT math score of 28 or higher, an SAT math score of 660 or higher, the completion of MTH 1441 (pre-calculus), or placement above the MTH 1441 math level in the Math Placement Test.

MTH 1554 must be completed before enrolling in PHY 1520; completion of MTH 1555 (Calculus II) is strongly recommended prior to PHY 1520.

Students enrolled in PHY 1610 - Fundamentals of Physics I are required to have already taken MTH 1554 - Calculus I.  Students enrolled in PHY 1620 - Fundamentals of Physics II are required to have already taken MTH 1555 - Calculus II.

Advising

Chief adviser: Eugene Surdutovich

Advisers in the various physics fields are professors David Garfinkle (astrophysics), Ilias Cholis (secondary teacher education program), Eugene Surdutovich (medical physics, biophysics), Andrei Slavin (engineering physics, geophysics), and Gopalan Srinivasan (materials physics). Independent research projects are available in each area.

Departmental Honors

Departmental honors may be awarded to students on the basis of high academic achievement and either independent research or meritorious service to the Department of Physics.

Schedule of classes

Specific offerings for each semester may be found in the Schedule of Classes.

Programs

Bachelor of Arts

• Physics, B.A.  

Bachelor of Science

• Engineering Physics, B.S.  
• Medical Physics, B.S.  
• Physics, B.S.  

Non Degree

• Astronomy Minor  
• Geology Minor  
• Physics Minor  

Secondary Teacher Education Program

• Physics Secondary Teaching Minor  
• Physics, STEP  

Courses

• GEO 1060 - Earth Science/Physical Geography
• PHY 1010 - General Physics I
• PHY 1020 - General Physics II
• PHY 1040 - Astronomy: The Solar System
• PHY 1050 - Astronomy: Stars and Galaxies
• PHY 1060 - Earth Science/Physical Geography
• PHY 1080 - Principles of Physics I
• PHY 1090 - Principles of Physics II
• PHY 1100 - General Physics Lab I
• PHY 1110 - General Physics Lab II
• PHY 1200 - The Physics of Everyday Life
• PHY 1310 - Physics in Medicine
• PHY 1510 - Introductory Physics I
• PHY 1520 - Introductory Physics II
• PHY 1610 - Fundamentals of Physics I
• PHY 1620 - Fundamentals of Physics II
• PHY 2995 - Introduction to Research
• PHY 3040 - Astrophysics I
• PHY 3050 - Astrophysics II
• PHY 3060 - Observational Astronomy
• PHY 3070 - Geophysics
• PHY 3080 - Physical Oceanography
• PHY 3170 - Modern Physics Laboratory
• PHY 3180 - Nuclear Physics Laboratory
• PHY 3250 - Biological Physics
• PHY 3260 - Medical Physics
• PHY 3310 - Optics
• PHY 3510 - Intermediate Theoretical Physics
• PHY 3610 - Mechanics I
• PHY 3660 - Vibrations and Waves
• PHY 3710 - Foundations of Modern Physics
• PHY 3720 - Nuclear Physics
• PHY 3810 - Electricity and Magnetism
• PHY 4180 - Modern Optics Laboratory
• PHY 4210 - Thermodynamics
• PHY 4310 - Lasers and Applications
• PHY 4700 - Relativity
• PHY 4720 - Quantum Mechanics I
• PHY 4820 - Electricity and Magnetism II
• PHY 4870 - Electricity and Magnetism Laboratory
• PHY 4905 - Special Topics
• PHY 4970 - Undergraduate Seminar
• PHY 4995 - Independent Research
• PHY 4997 - Apprentice College Teaching
• SCI 1000 - Physical Sciences in Life, the World and Beyond

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