| FALL SEMESTER | SPRING SEMESTER | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Course | Credits | Course | Credits |
| PHY 471 a | 3 | PHY 410 b | 3 | ( MATH ) c | ( 3 ) | ( MATH ) c | ( 3 ) |
| IAH 201 d | 4 | ( PHY 472 ) a | ( 3 ) | ( PHY 432 ) e | ( 3 ) | PHY ELECTIVE f | ( 3 or 4 ) |
| ELECTIVE g | ( 3 ) | AST 301 h | 1 | Total Credits | 16 | Total Credits | 13 or 14 |
( a ) PHY 471, Quantum Physics I, is a B.S. degree requirement. Phy 472, Quantum Mechanics II, is a recommended elective for students who plan to go on for an advanced degree. Phy 471 is a prerequisite for PHY 410, Thermal and Statistical Physics, which is also a required course. Courses in parentheses are elective courses, not required for the degree, but a student planning graduate work should seriously consider taking many of the courses recommended above.
( b ) PHY 410, Thermal and Statistical Physics, is also required for the B. S. degree. The Spring semester of the Junior year is the best time to take this course because it is a prerequisite for the senior courses AST 401, Stars, and AST 402, Galaxies .
( c ) For the B. S. in Astronomy and Astrophysics the mathematics requirement is satisfied after the student has completed MTH 235. However, students who plan to continue their studies after the B. S. are encouraged to take additional mathematics. Our recommedation is that the graduate school bound students consider courses in Partial Differential Equations ( MTH 442 ), Boundry Value Problems ( MTH 443 ), Complex Analysis ( MTH 425 ), Advanced Calculus ( MTH 424 ), and Applied Linear Algebra ( MTH 415 ). Of course, the student is urged to follow his or her own interests in mathematics in satisfying this requirement.
( d ) Eight credits of Integrative Studies in the Arts & Humanities is a University requirement that, for a major in astrophysics, is best satisfied in the junior and/or senior years. The Fall semester of the junior year, suggested above, is an appropriate time to begin this two-semester sequence with the course, IAH 201, which is a prerequisite to every second semester course.
( e ) PHY 432, Optics II, is a course to be considered as a possible physics elective. However, its prerequisite is PHY 431, Optics I, which is a Spring semester course. PHY 432 is a valuable course for someone planning to seek employment in industrial or government laboratories. Modern optics subjects such as holography, non-linear optics, Piezo-electric control, and Fourier optics are some of the topics included in the laboratory as well as the theoretical portion of the course.
( f ) Physics electives are an important consideration for students who expect to go on to graduate school in a Ph.D. program. Two possibilities are PHY 431, Optics, and PHY 440, Electronics. Both are Sprong semester courses. Some students may also be able to fit in PHY 431 in the sophomore year.
( g ) Students planning graduate study are advised to take both semesters of the Mechanics sequence, PHY 321 in the Spring of the sophomore year and PHY 422, Mechanics II, in the Fall of the junior year.
( h ) The Junior Research Seminar, AST 301 is intended to be a junior year course. It can be used to satisfy part of the Tier II writing requirement along with the Senior Thesis, AST 410.