Degree Programs

The Physics Department offers BS degrees in Physics, Engineering Physics, and Interdisciplinary Physics, and a Physics BA degree. All four majors are built around a common core of foundational science and mathematics courses with a selection of upper division electives that gives students the flexibility to design a degree suitable for diverse career goals.

The department also offers a five year BS/MBA degree in conjunction with the Boler School of Business of John Carroll University and a Binary (3-2 Engineering) program with Case Western Reserve University.

• Degree Requirements
• Planning your degree

• Freshman/Sophomore years
• Declaring a major in the physics department
• Junior/Senior years
• Summer activities

Degree Requirements

B.S. in Physics Major. 53 credit hours. The physics core including MT and CH support courses (see below) plus 14 credit hours of upper-division technical electives approved by the Physics
Department (normally PH, EP, MT, or CS courses). The fourteen hours of electives
must include at least 6 hours of PH lecture credit and 2 hours of PH or EP lab credit.

B.S. in Engineering Physics Major. 53 credit hours: The physics core including MT and CH support courses (see below) plus 14 credit hours of upper-division technical electives approved by the Physics Department (normally PH, EP, MT, or CS courses). The fourteen hours of electives must include at least 6 hours of EP lecture credit and 2 hours of EP lab credit.

B.S. in Interdisciplinary Physics Major. 57-63 credit hours. The physics core including MT and CH support courses (see below) plus interdisciplinary support courses from BL, CH, MT, CS, PS, or the Boler School of Business:

B.A. in Physics Major. 39 credit hours: The physics core, including MT and CH support courses (see below).

The Physics Core. 39 credit hours: PH 215, 215L, 216, 216L, 246, 247, 315,
315L, 365, 365L, 347, 408, 445, 445L; EP 217, 260, 260L, 451, 451L.
Required Mathematics Support Courses. 12 hours: MT 135, 136, 233.
Required Chemistry Support Courses. 5 hours: CH 141 or 151H; 143 or 153.

Note: For all B.S. programs, up to 6 hours of electives may be satisfied by courses in science or engineering offered at other colleges and universities participating in the Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education Cross Registration Program (subject to approval by the Physics Department).

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Planning Your Degree

Freshman/Sophomore years

Students who are interested in any of the physics or engineering physics degrees should register for Physics I, Physics Workshop I, and Calculus and Analytic Geometry I (PH 215, PH 215L, and MT 135) in the fall semester of their freshman year* and follow the freshman-sophomore sequence of science and mathematic courses outlined below. These courses are part of the Physics Core required for all the physics and engineering physics degree programs and they provide the foundation for all the upper division courses. These courses are taught every year.

*While it is possible for students to start their physics degree in the sophomore year and still graduate in four years, scheduling is difficult and there is less flexibility in selecting upper division electives. It is strongly recommended that all students who are considering one of the physics/engineering physics majors register for PH215, PH 215L and MT 135 in the fall semester of freshman year.

Note: these courses satisfy some of the requirements of Division IV of the Liberal Arts Core.

Declaring a major in the physics department

At John Carroll University students normally declare their major during the spring semester of their sophomore year. At this time you will be assigned to an advisor in the physics department. Students must have successfully completed PH 246 and MT 233 to be formally accepted as a physics or engineering physics majors although they may be provisionally accepted as majors at any time. Students are encouraged to discuss their plans with their physics instructors or the department chair during their freshman year.

Junior/Senior years

Core courses (required for all degree programs)

The following four core courses are taught over a two year cycle. Students will take one course per semester. Each course consists of a lecture section and a workshop for developing mathematical and computational tools needed in the class.

PH 315/315L – Classical Mechanics.

PH 365/365L – Electricity and Magnetism

PH 445/445L – Quantum Physics

EP 451/451L – Numerical Physics

The following courses are taught every year.

PH 347 – Advanced Laboratory. Offered in fall semester. Usually taken in the junior year. A series of experiments to introduce students to modern laboratory instrumentation and techniques. This course prepares students to work in a research laboratory.

PH 408 – Physics Laboratory Research. Taken in the spring semester of senior year. The final product of this research experience is a research paper and a presentation to the department. This course satisfies the Writing (W) requirement of the Liberal Arts Core.

Electives

Most students will take three or four credits of technical elective each semester of their junior and senior years. The choice of electives will depend on the particular degree program and the student’s career objectives. Some possibilities are outlined below.

BS Physics

This major adds to the physics core a selection of four or five upper-division science or mathematics courses (14 additional credits). Recommended courses are Thermal Physics (PH 325), Condensed Matter Physics (PH 485), Applied Optics (EP 454), Introduction to Linear Algebra (MT 342), Advanced Calculus of Several Variables (MT 432), or Introduction to Complex Analysis (MT 436). It is highly recommended that students consider taking PH 407 and working on a research project for both semesters of their senior year. This program provides a solid preparation for graduate study in physics, materials science, or medical physics.

BS Engineering Physics

This major adds to the physics core a selection of four upper-division technical electives (14 additional credits) with an emphasis on Engineering Physics courses. Recommended courses are Applied Optics (EP 454/454L), Signals and Systems (EP 467/467L), Electronic Circuits (EP 475/475L), Digital Design (EP 478/478L), and Feedback Systems (EP 479/479L). Other choices include Physics electives or electives from Mathematics or Computer Science, depending on the student’s ultimate career goals. Typically, this program leads to employment in the fields of engineering development or applied physics, or to graduate study in related fields.

BS Interdisciplinary Physics

This is a very flexible degree and is a good choice for students who do not intend to remain in physics or engineering after graduation. Many graduate programs, from biochemistry to finance, recruit physics majors because of their problem solving skills and their knowledge of applied mathematics. Physics majors are also successful in gaining admission to professional schools (medical, dental, or law). This degree is the best choice for students who are considering the five year BS/MBA degree and is a good choice for students who want to become high school teachers.

There are two ways of satisfying the requirements for the interdisciplinary physics degree:

Option A: The physics core plus an additional 18 credit hours of interdisciplinary support courses from biology (BL), chemistry (CH), computer science (CS), mathematics (MT), psychology (PS), or the Boler School of Business. At least 9 credit hours must be upper-division.

Option B: The physics core plus an additional 24 credit hours of interdisciplinary support courses which must include 4 credit hours of laboratory courses. This option is designed for students who applying for admission to medical.

BA Physics

This major is the physics core with no additional courses. It is the most flexible of all the physics majors and fits well with an environmental studies concentration, preparation for law, or business school.

Summer activities

The summer break is an important opportunity for students to extend their education outside of the classroom. A research experience working in a faculty laboratory or an internship working for a company may help you decide on your future career and can be very important in gaining admission to graduate school or finding employment after graduation. Most of our majors are able find paid summer research positions or internships that further their career goals.

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The Five Year BS/MBA Degree

The five year BS/MBA program is an opportunity for students to complete a BS in Interdisciplinary Physics and an MBA degree in five years with a substantial tuition discount for the MBA. Students who are interested in this program should notify the Chair of the Physics Department when they declare as physics majors, or as soon after as possible.

• Recommended block schedule for the five year BS/MBA program
• Boler School of Business MBA Program

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Binary (3+2 Engineering) Program

This is a joint degree program with Case Western Reserve University for students who want to combine a solid arts and sciences foundation with technical study in an engineering discipline. Students spend three years at JCU and two years of concentrated coursework in an engineering field at CWRU. At the conclusion of five years, two baccalaureate degrees are awarded: one from JCU and the other from CWRU. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for participation in the Binary Program and a 3.2 GPA in science and mathematics courses is recommended. Students who are interested in the Binary Program should notify the Chair of the Physics Department when they declare as physics majors, or as soon after as possible.

Case Western Reserve Binary Program

Note: students should take two semesters of chemistry in sophomore year.

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Physics Minor

Minor in Physics 22 credit hours: PH 215, 215L, 216, 216L, 246; EP 217; and at least 8 hours of upper-division EP or PH electives.
Required Mathematics Support Courses. 12 hours: MT 135, 136, 233.

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Block Schedules

The following links provide block schedules for the different physics majors. The schedules show all the courses required to graduate, including courses for the liberal arts core. Because most of the upper division courses are taught on a two year cycle, there are different block schedules for students who will graduate in odd years or even years.

• BS Physics. (even years) (odd years)
• BS Engineering Physics. (even years) (odd years)
• BS Interdisciplinary Physics – Option A.
• BS Interdisciplinary Physics – Option B for pre-medical students.
• BS Interdisciplinary Physics – Option A for five year BS/MBA students.
• BA Physics – refer to the “Physics Core” in the BS Physics block schedule.

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