Physics, B.A.

Students must fulfill the Oakland University General Education Requirements, the General College of Arts and Sciences requirements , the College of Arts and Sciences Exploratory requirement , and the Major Requirements. Additionally, students must complete a sufficient number of free elective courses to meet the overall credit requirement for their degree. A minimum of 120 credits is required, although some degree programs may require a higher total credit count.

Schedule of Classes

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

General Education Requirements

In order to graduate on-schedule without taking additional courses, it is highly recommended that students meet with an Undergraduate Academic Adviser concerning the selection of all of their general education courses.

Each candidate for an Oakland University baccalaureate will need to satisfactorily complete approved courses in each of the following areas: Foundations, Explorations, Integration, Writing, U.S. Diversity and Capstone. For details, refer to the General Education Requirements section of the catalog.

In particular, it is recommended candidates take the following in the General Education Exploration area of Western Civilization: PHL 1310 Introduction to Ethics in Science and Engineering (4) .

Requirements for the liberal arts major in physics, B.A. program

To earn the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in physics, students must complete:

1. Required courses in physics

PHY 1510 - Introductory Physics I (4) and PHY 1100 - General Physics Lab I (1)
PHY 1520 - Introductory Physics II (4) and PHY 1110 - General Physics Lab II (1)
PHY 3710 - Foundations of Modern Physics (4)
PHY 3170 - Modern Physics Laboratory (2)

2. An additional 16 credits in physics, with at least 12 credits in courses numbered above 2000

3. Required courses in mathematics

MTH 1554 - Calculus I (4)
MTH 1555 - Calculus II (4)
MTH 2554 - Multivariable Calculus (4)

4. Eight additional credits in chemistry, mathematics and physics, but not CHM 3000

5. Capstone course

PHY 4970 - Undergraduate Seminar (3) or PHY 4995 - Independent Research (3-6) (either of which fulfills the university general education requirement for the capstone course in the major)

Additional Requirements

Prior to graduation, students are requested to take a two-hour comprehensive assessment test. The test results will not affect the students’ GPA. For more information, please consult the Department’s Adviser.

Applicable Minors

All Minors are applicable to this major with the exception of the following Minor(s): Child Welfare, International Orientation for EGR/CS, Physics, Sustainability Engineering, Two Science, and Three Science.