Physics and Astronomy - Undergraduate
Chair: Ryan C. Hickox
Professors M. P. Blencowe, R. R. Caldwell, B. C. Chaboyer, M. Gleiser, R. C. Hickox, J. W. LaBelle, K. A. Lynch, R. M. Millan, R. Onofrio, C. Ramanathan, A. J. Rimberg, B. N. Rogers, R. Sarpeshkar, L. Viola; Associate Professors Y-H Liu, J. D. Whitfield, K. C. Wright; Assistant Professors R. Boyack, J. F. Mahlmann, B. Mutlu-Pakdil, E. Newton, D. G. E. Walker, M. Zhou; Research Professors R. E. Denton, R. Fesen, M. K. Hudson, J. G. Lyon, H-R Mueller, J. R. Thorstensen; Research Associate Professor A. Dotter; Research Scientists T. C. Li, X. Li, M. Patel, Z. Li; Visiting Assistant Professor E. Cobanera; Adjunct Professors D. Giannakis; Adjunct Associate Professor T. P. Smith; Adjunct Assistant Professors M. Fitzpatrick, A. R. H. Smith.
To view Astronomy Undergraduate courses, click here.
To view Physics Undergraduate courses, click here.
To view Physics and Astronomy Graduate requirements, click here.
To view Astronomy Graduate courses, click here.
To view Physics Graduate courses, click here.
Courses for Students in the Humanities and Social Sciences
The following courses are especially recommended for students not majoring in one of the sciences: PHYS 1/2 and PHYS 5, and ASTR 1 and ASTR 2/3.
The requirements below apply to students matriculating in fall 2022 and later. Students who matriculated prior to this should use the requirements listed in their matriculated year but may discuss their options with a major advisor. Previous ORC listings are available in the registrar's ORC archive.
Requirements for the Major in Physics
Prerequisite: MATH 3, MATH 8, MATH 13, and MATH 22 or MATH 23 or PHYS 22; PHYS 13, PHYS 14, and PHYS 19. Students interested in pursuing higher-level math classes are encouraged to take both MATH 22 and MATH 23 rather than PHYS 22. Students with advanced placement may substitute PHYS 15 and PHYS 16 for PHYS 13, PHYS 14 PHYS 19.
Students completing a major in physics are required to take a minimum of eight courses beyond the prerequisites. All students must complete the five courses in the core-sequence: PHYS 40, PHYS 41, PHYS 43, PHYS 44 [ENGS 72 may be substituted], and PHYS 50. The choice of the remaining three electives offer two broad tracks to completing the Physics Major. Examples for each track can be found on the Department Website.
Specialized Track: This track is focused on deep study of physics and astronomy at an advanced level, and is recommended for students planning to go on to graduate school in the physical sciences. All electives must be in physics and astronomy, with at least two having a course number higher than 60. Students are strongly encouraged to engage in independent research. Courses in other departments could be substituted with the approval of the Undergraduate Advisor and the Curriculum Committee.
Interdisciplinary Track: This track may be desirable for students interested in a broad range of careers benefiting from physics problem solving skills such as medicine, neuroscience, public policy, science journalism, STEM education, and industrial R&D. One of the electives must be in physics and astronomy, while up to two can be physics-related courses in other STEM fields. Courses satisfying the elective requirement are connected with the principles or practices used in physics, or emphasize the use of physical principals as a framework through which to explore and understand diverse disciplines. Examples of faculty-approved courses meeting this requirement include MATH 66, MATH 72.01, COSC 89.18, CHEM 96, ENGS 60, EARS 78, EDUC 46. Students should consult with the Undergraduate Advisor when choosing electives.
Both major tracks require one upper-level laboratory course: PHYS 47, PHYS 48, PHYS 76 or ASTR 61. The department elective courses are PHYS 30, PHYS 31, PHYS 47, PHYS 48, ASTR 15, ASTR 19 or ASTR 25, and all physics and astronomy courses numbered in the sixties or higher.
All students are required to complete a culminating activity in the major. The culminating experience can be satisfied by receiving credit for one of the following courses: PHYS 68, Introductory Plasma Physics; PHYS 72, Introductory Particle Physics; PHYS 73, Introductory Condensed Matter Physics; PHYS 74, Space Plasma Physics; PHYS 77, Introduction to General Relativity and Gravitation; PHYS 76, Methods of Experimental Physics; PHYS 82, Special Topics Seminar; PHYS 92, Physics of the Early Universe; ASTR 74, Astrophysics; ASTR 75, High Energy Astrophysics; ASTR 81, Special Topics in Astronomy; PHYS 87, Undergraduate Research. Students must complete some individual project work and present a paper, talk or poster based on this work in a department-approved setting. The culminating experience must be completed in the junior or senior year unless otherwise approved by the Undergraduate Advisor and the Department Curriculum Committee.
The culminating experience and laboratory courses are included in, not in addition to, the eight courses required for the major.
All major programs require a GPA of 2.0 or higher in all courses counted toward the major.
Students who plan to complete an ambitious physics major suitable for graduate school in physics should take PHYS 13 and PHYS 14 in the freshman year, combined with PHYS 19 either spring term first year or fall term sophomore year, or they should take PHYS 15 and PHYS 16 in the first year, in all cases taking MATH 13 and MATH 22 or MATH 23 or PHYS 22 as soon as their math preparation allows. Any of these combinations allows the student to start taking the intermediate courses (PHYS 40-41-43-44-50) in the sophomore year and to start taking advanced courses in the junior year. Those students beginning physics in the sophomore year can, however, easily complete the major. Note that PHYS 15 is intended for students who had calculus-based classical mechanics in high school, and students must pass a placement exam in order to take it. Entering students taking PHYS 13 in the Fall quarter must have placement into MATH 8 or higher.
Students should inquire (with the dept. undergraduate advisor) about using PHYS 22 to replace MATH 22/23. As noted above, students interested in pursuing higher-level math classes are encouraged to take both MATH 22 and MATH 23, rather than PHYS 22.
Typical programs are outlined below. A physics major may be completed with almost any Dartmouth Plan attendance pattern.
First-year students with no advanced placement can pursue an ambitious physics major that might follow the example program below.
The intermediate courses PHYS 40, 41, 43, 44 and 50 can be started as soon as winter term of the sophomore year.
First-year students with advanced placement in mathematics qualify for taking Physics 13 during fall term and might follow the example program:
First-year students with advanced placement in physics and mathematics qualify for Physics 15-16 and might follow the example program:
In either case, MATH 22 or MATH 23 could be taken fall term of the sophomore year, concurrently with PHYS 43, or PHYS 22 may be taken in the winter term of the sophomore year. The intermediate courses PHYS 40, 41, 43, 44 and 50 can be started as early as the sophomore year.
The Modified Physics Major
A modified physics major may be desirable for students interested in a broad range of careers such as medicine, the health professions, public policy, or journalism. The prerequisites for the modified major are the same as those for the physics major, and may include the prerequisites of the other department. The modified major consists of ten additional courses, of which at least six must be in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Courses selected in other departments (science or otherwise) should form a unified whole with the physics courses, and should draw on and relate to a physics background. It is also possible to modify the physics major with courses outside the science division, subject to these same general guidelines. Students are required to complete a culminating activity in the major. The culminating experience requirements for the modified physics major are the same as the physics major. A written rationale explaining the intellectual coherence of the proposed program of courses, approved by the Undergraduate Advisor, is required in all cases. Interested students are urged to consult the Undergraduate Advisor.
Requirements for the Engineering Physics Major
The Department of Engineering Sciences and the Department of Physics and Astronomy offer a major in Engineering Physics. This major features a 5/5 split in courses, unlike a modified major which requires six courses from one field and four from the other.
The prerequisite courses for the Engineering Physics major are MATH 3, MATH 8, MATH 13, MATH 23; PHYS 13, PHYS 14; CHEM 5; and COSC 1 and COSC 10 or ENGS 20.
The Engineering Physics major is a ten-course program consisting of three Engineering Sciences core courses (ENGS 22, ENGS 23, ENGS 24); three Physics core courses (PHYS 19, PHYS 40, PHYS 43 [Students taking PHYS 15 and PHYS 16 should substitute a third physics elective for PHYS 19]); and four electives, two from each department. Two electives must be selected from the following list: ENGS 25, ENGS 33, ENGS 34; PHYS 50, PHYS 68, PHYS 90; PHYS 73 or ENGS 131; PHYS 66 or ENGS 64 or ENGS 120; PHYS 44 or ENGS 72. The other two electives may be courses from the Engineering Sciences Department numbered above 20, excluding ENGS 80 and ENGS 87, or courses from the Physics and Astronomy Department which fulfill the straight physics major.
A culminating experience is required in the major which can be taken instead of one of the electives above. It must be one of the following: a project or a thesis, ENGS 86, ENGS 88 or ENGS 89*; an advanced engineering sciences course with a significant design or research project, normally taken in the senior year, chosen from an approved list (consult the Engineering Sciences Department for the most recent list); or PHYS 68, PHYS 72, PHYS 73, PHYS 74, PHYS 76, PHYS 82, or PHYS 87.
*ENGS 89 must be taken as part of the two-course design sequence ENGS 89/ ENGS 90. Prior to enrollment in ENGS 89, at least six engineering sciences courses must be completed: ENGS 21 plus five additional courses numbered 22 - 76.
All major programs require a GPA of 2.0 or higher in all courses counted toward the major.
For more information contact Professor LaBelle (Physics and Astronomy) or Professor Liu (Engineering Sciences).
Students who major in Engineering Physics or major in Physics with an Engineering Sciences minor can enter the professionally-accredited Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) program at the Thayer School and complete the requirements for the B.E. degree with an additional year of study beyond the A.B. Students interested in pursuing the B.E. are strongly encouraged to work closely with their major advisor to choose their elective courses.
A detailed description of the B.E. requirements can be found on the Engineering Sciences ORC page.
Requirements for the Major in Astronomy
Prerequisite: MATH 3, MATH 8, MATH 13; and two courses from the introductory physics sequence: PHYS 3 and 4, or PHYS 13 and 14, or PHYS 15 and 16.
Students completing a major in astronomy are required to take ASTR 15, ASTR 25, ASTR 61 and one elective from ASTR 74, ASTR 75, ASTR 81, ASTR 87. Two additional courses must be selected from Physics and Astronomy courses numbered 19 or above. The remaining two courses may be selected from any Physics and Astronomy course numbered 19 or above, or given the interdisciplinary nature of astronomy, two suitable advanced courses from other science departments may be taken as part of the astronomy major, subject to department approval.
Graduate courses in Physics and Astronomy are open to qualified undergraduates. Students are required to complete a culminating activity in the major. For the astronomy major this requirement may be satisfied by receiving credit for one of the following courses: ASTR 74, Astrophysics; ASTR 75, High Energy Astrophysics; ASTR 81, Special Topics in Astronomy; ASTR 87, Undergraduate Research in Astronomy; PHYS 77, Introduction to General Relativity and Gravitation. The culminating experience is included in, not in addition to, the eight courses required for the major.
All major programs require a GPA of 2.0 or higher in all courses counted toward the major.
Requirements for Physics and Astronomy Minors
Physics Minor
Prerequisite: MATH 3, MATH 8, MATH 13, MATH 22 or MATH 23, or equivalents; PHYS 13 and PHYS 14 (or PHYS 15 and PHYS 16).
Four courses are required in addition to the prerequisites. One of these must be PHYS 19 except that students taking PHYS 15 and PHYS 16 may substitute another elective for PHYS 19. The other three must be chosen from physics courses numbered 30, 31 or 40 and above, and/or astronomy 15, 19 or 25 and above, at least one of which must be numbered above all of these.
Note that PHYS 19 has PHYS 14 as prerequisite.
Astronomy Minor
Prerequisites: MATH 3 and MATH 8 or equivalents; PHYS 13 and PHYS 14 (or PHYS 3 and PHYS 4, or PHYS 15 and PHYS 16).
Four courses are required in addition to the prerequisites. ASTR 15 and ASTR 25 plus any two of the following: ASTR 19, ASTR 61, ASTR 74, ASTR 75, ASTR 81, ASTR 87, PHYS 31.03, PHYS 31.04, or PHYS 77.
Note that ASTR 25 has PHYS 14 as prerequisite.
Requirements for the Mathematical Physics Minor
This minor is sponsored by the faculty in Mathematics and Physics. It may be combined with majors in either of the two departments, or any other department. Students majoring in both physics and mathematics cannot take the minor.
Prerequisites: PHYS 13, PHYS 14, PHYS 19 (or PHYS 15 and PHYS 16), and PHYS 40, MATH 3, MATH 8, MATH 13, and MATH 22 or MATH 24.
Requirements: A total of four additional courses are required. These must include MATH 23 and MATH 46. Mathematics majors must choose two elective physics courses from the following list; physics majors must choose two elective mathematics courses; students majoring in a department other than mathematics or physics must choose one mathematics and one physics course.
PHYS 30, PHYS 31, PHYS 41, PHYS 43, PHYS 44, PHYS 47, PHYS 50, PHYS 66, PHYS 72, PHYS 75, PHYS 77, PHYS 90. [Note PHYS 50 requires PHYS 40.]
MATH 31 or MATH 71, MATH 42, MATH 43, MATH 53, MATH 54, MATH 63, MATH 66, MATH 73, MATH 76.
An advanced undergraduate or graduate level physics or mathematics course may be substituted, with permission from the physics or mathematics department undergraduate advisor. No course may count towards both the major and minor.
Off Campus Study
The Department of Physics and Astronomy sponsors a foreign study program (FSP) in South Africa during alternate winter terms. Twelve to sixteen students will be selected for the program; MATH 3 an introductory physics course (Physics 3, or 13 or 15), and one introductory astronomy course (Astronomy 2, or 3, or 15, or 25) are prerequisite courses. Students on the FSP get credit for three courses: PHYS 31.03, ASTR 61, and ASTR 81 (all of which count towards the astronomy or physics major). The FSP consists of five weeks of intensive course work on the campus of the University of Cape Town, followed by one week spent at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), which will include data taking, followed by independent research study on the Cape Town campus using the data collected, under close supervision of a faculty member. Dartmouth owns approximately a ten percent stake in the Southern African Large Telescope, which is at SAAO and is the largest optical telescope in the Southern Hemisphere. For further information, see Professors Chaboyer or Thorstensen.
Honors Program in Physics Or Astronomy
An honors student carries out a program of independent work in physics or astronomy under the supervision of a member of the faculty. This independent work may be done in the student’s senior year, but often begins earlier. It may be experimental, theoretical, or observational. A written report on the completed work is required.
Any major meeting the college requirements (as described in the Regulations section of this catalog) is eligible for admission to the departmental Honors Program. To enter the program eligible students should obtain the permission of the Department and of the faculty member who is to supervise the work. Seniors will receive information on the application process and subsequent deadlines early Fall term. Early consultation with the Department is encouraged.
All departmental Honors are considered individually and awarded by a vote of the faculty. To be considered for High Honors the student must defend an Honors Thesis based upon the independent work before a faculty committee. Students with an average in the major of 3.75 or higher who do not complete an honors thesis may be considered for Honors, as distinct from High Honors, provided they have completed three courses beyond the minimum number required for the major from among the list of courses numbered 60 or higher. One of the courses must be PHYS 76, PHYS 82, ASTR 81 or PHYS 87.
All Honors students must meet the minimum requirements of the regular major, and, ordinarily, should take physics, astronomy, and mathematics courses beyond those requirements. Special programs may be worked out for eligible students who wish to include extensive work in a field related to physics or astronomy.
Courses for Graduate Credit
Physics and astronomy courses offered for graduate credit are those numbered 61 or higher. The Department of Physics and Astronomy will allow graduate credit for any course offered by the Departments of Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Engineering Sciences, or Mathematics that receives graduate credit from that department.