What typically is considered an in-major class for a physics major?

[tibreaker]

I was just wondering what typically is considered an in major class for a physics major? Is it only classes designated as PHYS? Or do math and chemistry classes also count? I can't seem to find a list of in major classes for physics majors on my universities website. Thanks.

 

[RheologyIsFun]

I was just wondering what typically is considered an in major class for a physics major? Is it only classes designated as PHYS? Or do math and chemistry classes also count? I can't seem to find a list of in major classes for physics majors on my universities website. Thanks.

It's going to vary from university to university, course to course. Email your advisor.

 

[Dishsoap]

Have you tried googling "[University] Course Catalog 2017"?

 

[symbolipoint]

I was just wondering what typically is considered an in major class for a physics major? Is it only classes designated as PHYS? Or do math and chemistry classes also count? I can't seem to find a list of in major classes for physics majors on my universities website. Thanks.

Find the course catalog for that university either AT the university or in any public or college library. You may, instead try a web/internet search for the catalogs that you want to look in.

 

[jtbell]

I can't imagine that any college or university in the US doesn't publish the requirements for its degrees online nowadays. A potential problem is that departmental web sites or other web pages may not be kept fully up to date with the current offiiclal requirements. Different people are often responsible for updating different pages, and it's hard to keep everybody in sync, especially if faculty are involved. Herding faculty is like herding cats. (I say this as a former faculty member / cat.)

Find the course catalog for that university either AT the university or in any public or college library.

At the college where I worked, the provost recently reminded faculty (I'm still on the faculty mailing list) that the official source for major and degree requirements is a PDF file of the college catalog, located at a specific URL on the college web site. For good measure, he attached a copy to the e-mail. They apparently no longer publish a printed catalog at all, or at least they don't distribute it on campus.

So one may have to dig around on the college/university's website for the current official version of the catalog, or its equivalent. Or if you're on campus, ask an academic advisor for a link, to make sure.

 

[jtbell]

I may as well add that where I used to teach, we made a distinction for certain purposes, between "courses in the major" and "courses in the major department". For physics, the former included courses in math etc. that were required for the physics major, but the second included only physics courses.

Neither of them included English, social science, foreign languages, etc. which were part of the "general education" requirements that all students had to take.