Bachelor of Arts

Degree Program Hours (120)

The Bachelors of Arts in Physics prepares students interested in physics and planning to enter professional schools in business, education, journalism, law, and medicine, and for liberal arts students desiring a strong background in physical science but with career objectives in other areas. The flexible program offers the opportunity for parallel studies in another discipline and/or pre-professional preparation. Students wishing to pursue careers as professional physicists or graduate study in physics should seek the Bachelor of Science degree in physics.

Lower Division Preparation

These are required courses and form the common prerequisities to the B.A. Program

Course Description Credits Prerquisite Offered
CHM 1045 General Chemistry I 3 None Fa, Sp, Sum
CHM 1045L General Chemistry Lab I 1 CHM 1045 (co) Fa, Sp, Sum
CHM 1046 General Chemistry II 3 CHM 1045, CHM 1045L Fa, Sp, Sum
CHM 1046L General Chemistry Lab II 1 CHM 1046 (co) Fa, Sp, Sum
MAC 2311 Calculus I 4 MAC 1114 or MAC 2147 or placement test Fa, Sp, Sum
MAC 2312 Calculus II 4 MAC 2311 Fa, Sp, Sum
MAC 2313 Multivariable Calculus 4 MAC 2312 Fa, Sp, Sum
PHY 2048 Physics with Calculus I 4 MAC 2311 (pre or co) Fa, Sp, Sum
PHY 2048L General Physics Lab I 1 PHY 2048 (pre or co) Fa, Sp, Sum
PHY 2049 Physics with Calculus II 4 PHY 2048 Fa, Sp, Sum
PHY 2049L General Physics Lab II 1 PHY 2049 (pre or co) Fa, Sp, Sum

To qualify for adminssion into the program, FIU undergraduates must have met all lower division requirements including CLAST, completed 60 semester hours, and must be otherwise acceptable into the program.

Additional Lower Division Requirements

Course Description Credits Prerquisite Offered
PHY 1033 First-Year Physics Seminar 1 None Fa, Sp
MAP 2302 Differential Equations 3 MAC 2312 Fa, Sp, Sum

Upper Division Program (60 total hours, 48 hours must be 3000 level or above)

Below are the required upper division courses

Course Description Credits Prerequisite Offered
PHY 3106 Modern Physics I 3 PHY 2049 Fa, Sp
PHY 3802L Intermediate Physics Lab I 3 PHY 3106 (pre or co) Fa, Sp
PHY 3513 (or PHY3113) Thermodynamics (or Methods in Theoretical Physics) 3 PHY 2048, PHY 2049 (MAC 2313) Fa (Sp)
PHY 4221 Intermediate Classical Mechanics 4 MAC 2313,PHY 2048, PHY 2049 Fa
PHY 4821L Advanced Physics Lab 3 PHY 2048, PHY 2049 Sp
PHY,PHZ,AST 3(4)xxx Approved Upper Division Electives 15
3xxx,4xxx Upper Division Electives (Physics or non-Physics) 29