Becoming a Physics Major
Declaring a Physics Major or Minor
To begin the process of declaring a major or minor in physics, please review the requirements for your program of choice and use the Major/Minor Worksheet to begin planning your course schedule. Once you have completed this worksheet, you can set up an appointment with the Undergraduate Advising Head to discuss your plan and formally declare your major or minor.
Choosing an Introductory Physics Sequence
At Brandeis, we offer three sequences for introductory physics, PHYS 10a/b, PHYS 11a/b and PHYS 15a/b.
- PHYS 10a/b is an algebra-based introduction to mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and waves and optics that is intended for non-majors. This course sequence is suitable for students who have never taken physics before. Note that this sequence does not satisfy the requirements of the major or upper level physics prerequisites.
- PHYS 11a/b is a calculus-based introduction to mechanics, and electricity and magnetism intended for physics majors and interested non-majors. This course sequence is suitable for students who have never taken physics before or have seen physics at the high school level.
- PHYS 15a/b is a calculus-based advanced introduction to mechanics, and electricity and magnetism intended for physics majors and interested non-majors. This course sequence is suitable for students who have a strong math background and who may or may not have seen physics at the high school level.
To determine which sequence is best suited for you, you can take our placement assessment.
AP Credit:
Students who wish to claim AP credit should discuss course options with the Physics Undergraduate Advising Head. In general, students who have attained a grade of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Examination C are recommended to enroll in the advanced introductory sequence, PHYS 15a,b. In some cases, students may test out of the introductory requirements. A student who has attained a grade of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Examination Physics B may obtain credit for PHYS 10a,b.
Course Planning
To assist with course selection, the department has developed sample course plans for students interested in a physics major.
Sample BSc Track
|
Year |
Fall |
Spring |
|
1 |
PHYS 11a or 15a PHYS 19a MATH 10a or 10b or 15a or 22a |
PHYS 11b or 15b PHYS 19b MATH 10b or 15a or 22a or 20a or 22b |
|
2 |
PHYS 20a MATH 15a or 22a |
PHYS 31a MATH 20a or 22b |
|
3 |
PHYS 30a PHYS 31b |
PHYS 29a or ENGR 11a PHYS 40a |
|
4 |
PHYS or science electives PHYS 39a or ENGR 11a |
PHYS or science electives |
Sample BA track:
|
Year |
Fall |
Spring |
|
1 |
PHYS 11a or 15a PHYS 18a or 19a MATH 10a or 10b or 15a or 22a |
PHYS 11b or 15b PHYS 18b or 19b MATH 10b or 15a or 22a or 20a or 22b |
|
2 |
PHYS 20a MATH 15a or 22a |
PHYS 31a MATH 20a or 22b |
|
3 |
PHYS 39a PHYS elective |
PHYS 40a |
Electives in Physics
Elective physics courses are usually offered every other year, and include:
- PHYS 100a: Classical Mechanics
- PHYS 102a: General Relativity
- PHYS 104a: Condensed Matter Physics
- PHYS 105a: Biological Physics
- PHYS 107b: Particle Physics
- PHYS 108b: Astrophysics
- PHYS 110a: Mathematical Methods for the Sciences
- PHYS 111a: Physical Continuum Mechanics
- PHYS 159b: Programming in Physics
Note that PHYS 100a is strongly recommended as an elective for all majors.
Students can also take graduate courses covering previously treated subjects at a more advanced level, for instance PHYS 161a,b and 162a,b.
Note that undergraduates are not permitted to enroll in physics courses numbered above 160 without the explicit approval of their appropriate major advisers.
Science Breadth Courses:
In addition to electives in physics, our majors are expected to take electives across the School of Science, Engineering and Technology. While any Math course (numbered above 22) and Computer Science course (numbered above 20) count towards this requirement, we recommend the following depending on your specific interests:- Math class: MATH 35a Advanced Calculus and Fourier Analysis, MATH 37a Differential Equations, MATH 40a Introduction to Applied Mathematics, MATH 122a Numerical Methods and Big Data, MATH 123a Principles of Mathematical Modeling, MATH 125a Mathematics for Machine Learning, MATH 126a Introduction to Stochastic Processes and Models
- CS classes: COSI 21a Data Structures and the Fundamentals of Computing, COSI 104a Introduction to Machine Learning, COSI 123a Statistical Machine Learning, COSI 143b Data Management for Data Science, COSI 149b Practical Machine Learning with Big Data, COSI 165b Deep Learning, COSI 180a Algorithms, BCBP 200b: Reading in Macromolecular Structure-Function Analysis
- ENGR 11a: Introduction to Design Methodology
- ENVS 110a: Data Analysis for Environmental Studies
- QBIO 110a: Numerical Modeling of Biological Systems
- QBIO 120b: Quantitative Biology Instrumentation Laboratory
- NPHY 115a: Dynamical Systems
Other Interdisciplinary Options:
Students are encouraged to construct other tracks that might better suit their needs in consultation with their advisers. For instance:
- Students can complete the physics major while also completing pre-health requirements (please reach out to pre-health advising to schedule course requirements).
- Students interested in both physics and biology or life sciences should consult our interdisciplinary Biological Physics Program.
- Students considering a career in physics and engineering should consult the Engineering Program.