What is the Curriculum for a Bachelor's Degree in Physics?

[Son Goku]

Here is my degree: (Theoretical Physics in Ireland):

1st year:
General Physics I
General Physics II
Calculus in one real variable.
Introductory Statistics
Elementary Number Theory
Newtonian Mechanics I + Special Relativity
Newtonian Mechanics II
Java

2nd year:
Classical Mechanics I
ElectroMagnetism (Two semester course)
Electronics
Astronomy and Astronomical Instrumentation
Advanced Statistics
Linear Algebra
Calculus of Several Variables and PDEs
Mathematical Methods I(application of the above)
Thermodynamics
Quantum Mechanics (Introduction)

3rd Year:
Classical Mechanics 2
Special Relativity
Mathematical Methods I (Methods of solving ODEs.)
Complex Analysis
Computational Physics
Fluid dynamics
Classical Field theory
Introductory General Relativity
Statistical Mechanics
Stars and Galactic Evolution
Quantum Mechanics

4th year:
Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
Advanced Quantum Mechanics(Year long)
Advanced Electromagnetism*
Solid State Physics
Cosmology
Particle Physics and Introductory QFT.
Choas and Nonlinear Dynamics
Computational Physics
Quantum Computing

*Basically a course on extracting phenomenology from a theory using EM as an example.

 

[Igor_S]

Haven't seen this thread before. These are my courses, this is called something like "Experimental physics major" in my country. Its not much of difference compared to "theoretical" (the only basic difference being Relativistic QM instead of Electronics lab, and I think 2 different minor courses).


1st year


1st semester (1st half):

General physics 1 (mechanics, Berkeley textbook)
Mathematical analysis 1 (calculus)
Linear Algebra 1 (groups, homomorphisms, rings, fields, vectors, 3D geometry)
Probability theory and math statistics
General and inorganic chemistry
English language

2nd semester (2nd half):

General physics 2 (EM, Berkeley 2)
Physics lab 1 (mechanics)
Mathematical analysis 2
Linear Algebra 2 (linear operators, matrices, linear eq, eigenstuff, unitary spaces)
English language (continued... -> only this course is 2 years long)


2nd year


3rd semester (1st half):

General physics 3 (waves,optics, Berkeley 3)
Intro to structure of the matter (QM intro; Eisberg, Resnick)
Physics lab 2 (EM)
Classical mechanics 1 (Goldstein textbook)
Mathematical methods in physics (complex analysis, curve integrals, ODEs & PDEs, special functions)
English language (...continued...)

4th semester

General physics 4 (therm, QM: Berkeley 4)
Intro to structure of the matter (continued) -> these courses are 1 year long
Classical mechanics 2 (Goldstein)
Mathematical methods in physics (continued)
Physics lab 3 (waves,optics)
English language (...continued, heh finaly over !


3rd year


5th semester:

Classical electrodynamics (Jackson textbook)
Quantum physics (various textbooks: Schiff, Sakurai, Merzbacher, ...)
Statistical physics (same as Huangs "Stat mech")
Microelectronics (huge course, textbooks: Groove, Millman)
Numerical math, programming and statistics (basically numerical methods and Fortran programming)
Physics lab 4 (therm, QM)
Experimental techniques in physics
Intro to energetics

6th semester

Classical electrodynamics (continued)
Quantum physics (continued)
Statistical physics (continued)
Numerical math, programming and statistics (continued)
Physics lab 5 (mixed stuff)
General and inorganic chemistry lab
Intro to physics of materials
Intro to energetics (continued)


4th year


7th semester

Solid state physics (texts: Kittel & Ashcroft,Mermin)
Nuclear physics (Wong text)
Elementary particles physics (Griffiths and profs own textbook)
Physics of experimental methods
Modern physics and philosophy (history of physics)
Cosmology
student seminars in experimental physics (everybody does a research, writes about it and presents it to other students)
Electronics lab
Physics of metals and alloys
Lowtemperature physics and superconductivity
Spectroscopy of ionized gasses

8th semester

Solid state physics (continued)
Nuclear physics (continued)
Elementary particles physics (continued)
Physics of experimental methods (continued)
Modern physics and philosophy (interpretations of QM)
Elementary particles lab
Astrophysics and cosmology (general relativity)
Physics of disordered systems

 

[Kalimaa23]

Bachelor

First year :

Calculus (including multivariable andn vector)
Linear Algebra (including analytical geometry)
Abstract Algebra I
General Physics (mechanics, thermo, E&M)
Programming (JAVA)
General Chemistry
Labwork

Second year :

Electrodynamics & Relativity
Analytical Mechanics
Statistics
Electronics
Solid State & Radiation physics
Labwork
Topology
Abstract Algebra II
Functional Analysis
Numerical Analysis
Projective & Affine geometry
Intro to QM

 

[Pietjuh]

My first year:

Semester 1:
- Special Relativity
- Optics
- Introduction to astrophysics
- Communication skills
- Experimental work
- Programming (C++)
- Introduction to mathematical structures (permutations, groups, metric spaces)
- Caleidoscoop mathematics
- Calculus I
- Linear Algebra I

Semester 2:
- Electromagnetism I
- Classical Mechanics I
- Abstract Algebra I
- Probability and Statistics I
- Experimental work
- Calculus 2
- Introduction to biophysics

 

[maria curie]

FIRST YEAR

First Semester
PHYS 109 Mechanics (5-2)6
CHEM 101 General Chemistry I (4-2)5
MATH 151 Calculus I (4-2)5
ENG 101 Development of Reading and Writing Skills I (4-0)4

Second Semester
PHYS 110 Electromagnetism (5-2)6
CHEM 102 General Chemistry II (4-2)5
MATH 152 Calculus II (4-2)5
ENG 102 Development of Reading and Writing Skills II (4-0)4
IS 100 Introduction to Information Technologies and Applications NC

SECOND YEAR

Third Semester
PHYS 203 Introductory Electronics (3-2)4
PHYS 209 Math. Methods in Phys. I (4-0)4
PHYS 221 Optics and Waves (4-0)4
MATH 260 Basic Linear Algebra (3-0)3
HIST 2201 Principles of Kemal Atatürk I NC

Fourth Semester
PHYS 202 Modern Physics (4-0)4
PHYS 210 Math. Methods in Phys. II (4-0)4
PHYS 222 Optics and Waves Lab. (1-4)3
ENG 211 Academic Oral Presentation
Skills (3-0)3
HIST 2202 Principles of Kemal Atatürk II NC
Elective

THIRD YEAR

Fifth Semester
PHYS 311 Classical Mechanics (4-2)5
PHYS 307 Applied Modern Physics Laboratory (1-4)3
TURK 303 Turkish I NC
Elective
Elective

Sixth Semester
PHYS 300 Quantum Physics (3-0)3
PHYS 334 Electromagnetic Theory (4-2)5
TURK 304 Turkish II NC
ENG 311 Adv. Commun. Skills (3-0)3
Elective
Elective

FOURTH YEAR

Seventh Semester
PHYS 431 Quantum Mechanics I (4-0)4
PHYS 400 Special Problems in Physics (2-2)3
Elective
Elective

Eighth Semester
PHYS 430 Stat. Thermodynamics (4-0)4
Elective
Elective
Elective