Undergraduate Education
Highlights for Undergraduates
For an overview of our undergraduate programs, with links to most of the pages below, go here.
Undergraduate Manual
A compilation of the most relevent pages below may be found in our Undergraduate Manual.
Admission to the Undergraduate Concentration
Students typically declare a field of concentration (major or minor) at the end of their sophomore year. General information and requirements for admission to a concentration in physics or in physics and astronomy, and typical freshman and sophomore year programs, are given in the pages listed below.
General Information and Requirements
Sample Program leading to a Concentration in Physics
Sample Program leading to a Concentration in Physics and Astronomy
Miscellaneous Sundry Advice
Requirements and Sample Programs for the Undergraduate Degree
General information, requirements, and sample programs for completing a BS or BA degree, or a minor, in physics or in physics and astronomy, are given in the pages listed below.
General Information and Requirements
BS degree in Physics
BA degree in Physics
BS degree in Physics and Astronomy
BA degree in Physics and Astronomy
Minor in Physics or in Astronomy
Information and Sample Programs for Double Degrees, and Multi-Disciplinary Programs
Our degree programs, especially the BA, have substantial room for electives. This flexibility can be exploited to produce a broad range of customized study plans. For some sample programs combining a major in physics with other areas of interest, go to the pages listed below.
Information for Double Majors
Certificate in Biological/Medical Physics
Premedicine & Biological/Medical Physics
BA degree in Physics with Preparation for Law School
BA in Physics Followed by MS (or MAT) in Education with NYS Secondary Physics Teacher Certification (4+1)
Course Information
For general information about introductory sequences and courses for non-majors, go here.
For information about AP and Transfer credit, go here.
For a listing of courses in Physics, go here.
For a listing of courses in Astronomy, go here.
Course listings include links to current course home pages.
Cluster Information
In the Rochester Curriculum, students choose to take two clusters of three related courses in an area (either the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences) different from that of their major. For information about the clusters in which the Department of Physics and Astronomy participates, go here.
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
The Department strongly encourages and facilitates undergraduate involvement in its research programs. Each year, a sizeable fraction of the upperclass Department majors participate in research projects under the guidance of faculty members. Opportunities for summer research are provided by the Department's REU Program (funded by the National Science Foundation) which offers stipends for undergraduate research during a 10 week period each summer. Both University of Rochester and external students may apply. For details on the REU program, go here. The Department also hosts the annual Rochester Symposium for Undergraduate Physics Students (RSPS), a Northeast regional conference on undergraduate research. For information about the RSPS, go here. Other opportunites for undergraduate research may be found at the College's Office of Undergraduate Research. Reports on undergraduate research projects may be found in the University's Journal of Undergraduate Research.
Senior Theses in the Department
For a listing of senior theses written by BS students in the Department, go here.
Teaching Internship Program
The Department offers an internship program for undergraduate science majors designed to provide training in classroom teaching and in the use of computer-related technology for instruction. For further details, go here.
Society of Physics Students (SPS) and Sigma Pi Sigma
The SPS (the undergraduate student physics club) is a national organization affiliated with the American Institute of Physics and the American Physical Society. The Rochester chapter sponsors lectures by the faculty on topics of current interest, co-sponsors an annual colloquium by a distinguished visiting scientist, and offers tutoring for introductory physics courses. Sigma Pi Sigma is the national Physics Honor Society associated with the SPS. For more information, go here.
Awards and Prizes
The Department presents a number of different awards and prizes in recognition of outstanding achievement at various stages of a student's career. For details of available awards and prizes, go here. For a list of undergraduate student recipients of these awards, go here.
3/2 Bachelor's/Master's Program
The Department offers a 3/2 Bachelor's/Master's program for UR undergradutes, which allows qualified undergraduates to receive both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree within five years of study. UR students seeking admission to the 3/2 program should apply during the Spring of their junior year. For further information, go here. A special 3/2 program with an emphasis on medical physics is available. For further details, go here.
Early Admission to the Graduate Program
The Department encourages especially qualified UR undergraduates to consider applying for early admission to the Department's graduate program in the spring of their junior year. For further information, go here.
Undergraduate Statistics
For statistics on majors in physics and astronomy at the University of Rochester, and where they go following graduation, go here.
Official University Undergraduate Bulletin
For the Official University of Rochester Undergraduate Studies Bulletin, go here.
Important Dates and Deadlines
For the official Undergraduate Calender of the University's Office of the Registrar, go here.
Diversity
The University of Rochester and the Department of Physics & Astronomy are dedicated to addressing the problem of under-representation of women and minorities by providing a climate in which all students have the resources they need to succeed. Activities in support of female students are coordinated by the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Program. Activities in support of students from under-represented groups are coordinated by Beth Olivares, Director of the University's McNair Program and Director of the Kearns Center for Diversity and Leadership in Science and Engineering (beth.olivares@rochester.edu, (585) 275-7531). The University's statement on diversity may be found here.
Further Information
For help or further information pertaining to any aspect of the Undergraduate Program, please contact the Secretary for Undergraduate Affairs:
Janet L. Fogg-Twichell
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Bausch & Lomb 211
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY 14627-0171
(585) 275-6679
janf@pas.rochester.edu
Or contact the appropriate Faculty Undergraduate Advisor:
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