Program Requirements and Opportunities
Published annually, the Course Catalog sets out the requirements of the academic programs--the majors, minors, and concentrations. Each Bryn Mawr student must declare a major before the end of the sophomore year. Students may also declare a minor or a concentration, but neither is required for the A.B. degree. Students must comply with the requirements published in the Course Catalog at the time when they declare the major, minor and/or concentration.
The Course Catalog also sets out the College requirements. Students must comply with the College requirements published at the time they enter Bryn Mawr College.
For more information, visit the Catalog Homepage to view the current content. To view Catalogs from previous academic years, visit the Catalog Archives page.
Students may complete a major or minor in Physics. Within the major, students may complete a minor in educational studies or complete the requirements for secondary education certification. Students may complete an M.A. in the combined A.B./M.A. program. The courses in Physics emphasize the concepts and techniques that have led to our present way of modeling the physical world. They are designed both to relate the individual parts of physics to the whole and to treat the various subjects in depth.
Opportunities exist for interdisciplinary work and for participation by qualified majors in research with members of the faculty and their graduate students. In addition, qualified majors may take graduate courses.
Required Introductory Courses for the Major and Minor
The introductory courses required for the physics major and minor are PHYS 121 and PHYS 122 and MATH 101 and MATH 102. Students are encouraged to place out of MATH 101 and 102 if that is appropriate. Although College credit is given for a score of 4 or 5 on the AP tests and for a score of 5 or above on the IB examination, the AP and IB courses are not equivalent to PHYS 121 and PHYS 122 and advanced placement will not, in general, be given. However, students with a particularly strong background in physics and mathematics are encouraged to take the departmental placement examination between the summer before entering Bryn Mawr and the end of the first week of classes in the fall semester or consult with the department major advisor. Based on the results or discussion, the department may place students in a more advanced course.
Major Requirements
The physics major provides depth in the discipline through a series of required courses, as well as the flexibility to choose from a range of electives in physics and related fields. This allows students to follow various paths through the major and thus tailor their program of study to best meet their career goals and scientific interests.
Beyond the two introductory physics courses (PHYS 121 and 122) and the two introductory mathematics courses (MATH 101 and 102), eleven additional courses are required for the major with 14 credits in total.
Eight courses (7 credits) must be:
• PHYS 201
• PHYS 214
Contact Us
Department of Physics
Park Science Building
Bryn Mawr College
101 N. Merion Avenue
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010-2899
Phone: 610-526-5358