Physics and Astronomy

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Local:$ 46.8 k / Year(s) Foreign:$ 46.8 k / Year(s) Deadline: Jan 1, 2025
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The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers separate majors in Astronomy, Physics and Engineering Physics. Moreover, the Department provides minor and modified major in Physics and Astronomy. 

The physics and astronomy majors at Dartmouth are designed to provide students with a solid foundation in analytic thinking, problem solving, and the fundamentals of physics and astronomy. The introductory courses are offered at a number of levels: you can begin a major at Dartmouth even if you've never had any physics or astronomy before. There are also introductory sequences designed for students with advanced placement in just math, or in both math and physics. Later on, a wide variety of upper-level electives allows each student to tailor the physics and astronomy majors to match their own interests. 

Students who are interested in both the fundamental aspects of physics and in practical applications may want to consider the Engineering Physics major. This program offers a broad array of courses drawn from both the Physics and Astronomy department and the Thayer School of Engineering. 

Students who complete a major in Astronomy:

  • Are critical thinkers who can apply scientific reasoning to new situations
  • Are effective written and oral communicators
  • Can solve problems using logical, mathematical and computational skills
  • Can design and execute an astronomical observing program
  • Can formulate the major open questions in astronomy and evaluate the results of recent studies
  • Can effectively search, understand and utilize the professional astronomical literature
  • Can analyze astronomical data and utilize statistical methods
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the key concepts in the core areas of astronomy and physics:

    - movement and patterns of celestial objects in the sky
    - planets, stars and galactic structure
    - the interstellar medium
    - galaxies
    - cosmology
    - mechanics, electricity and magnetism, relativity and quantum mechanics.

Students graduating with a B.A. in physics from Dartmouth go on to careers in business, industry, law, teaching, and medicine, as well as to graduate school in physics, astronomy, history of science, and earth science. 

Requirements for the Major in Physics

Prerequisite: MATH 3 (Introduction to Calculus), MATH 8 (Calculus of Functions of One and Several Variables), MATH 13 (Calculus of Vector-Valued Functions), and MATH 23 (Differential Equations); PHYS 13 and PHYS 14. Students with advanced placement may substitute PHYS 15 (Introductory Physics I, Honors Section) and PHYS 16 (Introductory Physics II, Honors Section) for PHYS 13 (Introductory Physics I) and PHYS 14 (Introductory Physics II).

Students completing a major in physics are required to take a minimum of eight courses in physics, including PHYS 19 (Introductory Phyiscs III (fall)), PHYS 24 (Quantum Physics of Matter: An Introduction), PHYS 41 (Electricity and Magnetism), PHYS 42 (Introductory Quantum Mechanics), PHYS 43 (Statistical Physics), PHYS 44 (Mechanics), and two electives including the culminating experience. Students taking PHYS 15 may substitute a third elective for PHYS 19. The major requires one upper-level laboratory course; PHYS 47 (Optics), PHYS 48 (Electronics: Introduction to Linear and Digital Circuits), PHYS 76 (Methods of Experimental Physics) or ASTR 61 (Observational Techniques in Astronomy). Elective courses are PHYS 30 (Biological Physics), PHYS 31 (Explore Physics), PHYS 47, PHYS 48, ASTR 15 (Stars and the Milky Way) or ASTR 25 (Galaxies and Cosmology), and all physics and astronomy courses numbered in the sixties, seventies and nineties. Courses numbered in the forties may be taken in any order. Students planning graduate study in physics or another science, are encouraged to take PHYS 66 (Relativistic Electrodynamics), PHYS 76, PHYS 91 (Intermediate Quantum Mechanics) and other advanced courses in physics and astronomy. Graduate courses in physics and astronomy are open to qualified undergraduates. Students should consult the Undergraduate Advisor about additional courses in mathematics and other science departments.

Students are required to complete a culminating activity in the major. For the physics major this requirement may be satisfied by receiving credit for one of the following courses: PHYS 68, Introductory Plasma Physics; PHYS 72, Introductory Particle Physics; PHYS 73, Introductory Condensed Matter Physics; PHYS 74, Space Plasma Physics; PHYS 77, Introduction to General Relativity and Gravitation; PHYS 76, Methods of Experimental Physics; PHYS 82, Special Topics Seminar; ASTR 74, Astrophysics; ASTR 75, High Energy Astrophysics; ASTR 81, Special Topics in Astronomy; PHYS 87, Undergraduate Research. The culminating experience is included in, not in addition to, the eight courses required for the major.

All major programs require an average GPA of 2.0 in all courses counted toward the major, including prerequisites.

The Department of Engineering Sciences and the Department of Physics and Astronomy offer a major in Engineering Physics. This major features a 5/5 split in courses, unlike a modified major which requires six courses from one field and four from the other.

The prerequisite courses for the Engineering Physics major are MATH 3 (Introduction to Calculus), MATH 8 (Calculus of Functions of One and Several Variables), MATH 13 (Calculus of Vector-Valued Functions), MATH 23 (Differential Equations), PHYS 13 (Introductory Physics I) and PHYS 14 (Introductory Physics II), CHEM 5 (General Chemistry); and COSC 1 (Introduction to Programming and Computation) and COSC 10 (Problem Solving via Object-Oriented Programming) or ENGS 20 (Introduction to Scientific Computing).

The required or core courses for this program are:

  • Engs 22 (Systems)
  • Engs 23 (Distributed Systems and Fields)
  • Engs 24 (Science of Materials)
  • Phys 19 (Introductory Physics III)
  • Phys 24 (Introductory Physics IV)
  • Phys 43 (Statistical Physics)
  • [Students taking Physics 15 and 16 may substitute a third elective for Physics 19.]

In addition, there are four electives--two from each department. You must select two electives from the following list:

  • Engs 25 Thermodynamics
  • Engs 33 Solid Mechanics
  • Engs 34 Fluid Mechanics
  • Phys 42 Introductory Quantum Mechanics
  • Phys 68 Introductory Plasma Physics
  • Phys 91 Intermediate Quantum Mechanics
  • Phys 73 Introductory Condensed Matter Physics or Engs 131 Science of Solid State Materials
  • Phys 66 Relativistic Electrodynamics or Engs 120 Electromagnetic Fields and Waves
  • Phys 44 Mechanics or Engs 140 Applied Mechanics: Dynamics

and any two electives* from the Engineering Sciences Department: Engs 21 and higher, excluding Engs 80 and 87, or from the Physics and Astronomy Department which fulfill the straight Physics major.

You must also complete a culminating experience course which can be one of the following:

  • Phys 68 Introductory Plasma Physics
  • Phys 72 Introductory Particle Physics
  • Phys 73 Introductory Condensed Matter Physics
  • Phys 74 Space Plasma Physics
  • Phys 76 Methods of Experimental Physics
  • Phys 82 Special Topics Seminar
  • Phys 87 Undergraduate Research (honors thesis)
  • Engs 86 Independent Project
  • Engs 88 Honors thesis
  • Engs 89** Engineering Design Methodology and Project Initiation [which must be taken as part of the two-course design sequence 89/90]
  • An advanced engineering sciences course with a significant design or research project, normally taken in the senior year, chosen from an approved list. 

All major programs require an average GPA of 2.0 in all courses counted toward the major, including prerequisites.

Students who major in Engineering Physics or major in Physics with an Engineering Sciences minor can enter the professionally-accredited Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) program at the Thayer School and complete the requirements for the B.E. degree with an additional year of study beyond the A.B.  Students interested in pursuing the B.E. are strongly encouraged to work closely with their major advisor to choose their elective courses. 

Requirements for the Major in Astronomy

Prerequisite: MATH 3 (Introduction to Calculus), MATH 8 (Calculus of Functions of One and Several Variables), MATH 13 (Calculus of Vector-Valued Functions); and two courses from the introductory physics sequence: PHYS 3 and 4 (General Physics I and General Physics II), or PHYS 13 and 14 (Introductory Physics I and Introductory Physics II), or PHYS 15 and 16 (Introductory Physics I, Honors Section and Introductory Physics II, Honors Section).

Students completing a major in astronomy are required to take ASTR 15 (Stars and the Milky Way), ASTR 25 (Galaxies and Cosmology), ASTR 61 (Observational Techniques in Astronomy) and one elective from ASTR 74 (Astrophysics), ASTR 75 (High Energy Astrophysics), ASTR 81 (Special Topics in Astronomy), ASTR 87 (Undergraduate Research in Astronomy).  Two additional courses must be selected from Physics and Astronomy courses numbered 19 or above. The remaining two courses may be selected from any Physics and Astronomy course numbered 19 or above, or given the interdisciplinary nature of astronomy, two suitable advanced courses from other science departments may be taken as part of the astronomy major, subject to department approval.

Graduate courses in Physics and Astronomy are open to qualified undergraduates. Students are required to complete a culminating activity in the major. For the astronomy major this requirement may be satisfied by receiving credit for one of the following courses: ASTR 74, Astrophysics; ASTR 75, High Energy Astrophysics; ASTR 81, Special Topics in Astronomy; ASTR 87, Undergraduate Research in Astronomy; PHYS 77, Introduction to General Relativity and Gravitation. The culminating experience is included in, not in addition to, the eight courses required for the major.

All major programs require an average GPA of 2.0 in all courses counted toward the major, including prerequisites.

Requirements for Physics and Astronomy Minors

Physics Minor

Prerequisite:MATH 3 (Introduction to Calculus), MATH 8 (Calculus of Functions of One and Several Variables), MATH 13 (Calculus of Vector-Valued Functions), MATH 23 (Differential Equations), or equivalents; PHYS 13 (Introductory Physics I) and PHYS 14 (Introductory Physics II) (or PHYS 3 and PHYS 4 (General Physics II), or PHYS 15 (Introductory Physics I, Honors Section) and PHYS 16 (Introductory Physics II, Honors Section)).

Four courses are required in addition to the prerequisites. One of these must be PHYS 19 (Introductory Phyiscs III (fall)) except that students taking PHYS 15 (Introductory Physics I, Honors Section) and PHYS 16 (Introductory Physics II, Honors Section) may substitute another elective for PHYS 19. The other three must be chosen from physics courses numbered 30, 31 or 40 and above, and/or astronomy 15 or 25 and above, at least one of which must be numbered above all of these.

Astronomy Minor

Prerequisites: MATH 3 (Introduction to Calculus), MATH 8 (Calculus of Functions of One and Several Variables) or equivalents;  PHYS 13 (Introductory Physics I) and PHYS 14 (Introductory Physics II) (or PHYS 3 and PHYS 4 (General Physics II), or PHYS 15 (Introductory Physics I, Honors Section) and PHYS 16 (Introductory Physics II, Honors Section)).

Four courses are required in addition to the prerequisites. One of these must be ASTR 15. The other three are ASTR 25, ASTR 61 (Observational Techniques in Astronomy), and ASTR 81 (Special Topics in Astronomy). Any physics or astronomy course numbered 20 or above may be substituted for one of these three.

Note that ASTR 25 (Galaxies and Cosmology) has PHYS 14 (Introductory Physics II) as prerequisite.

Students interested in such careers as engineering physics, geophysics, biophysics, chemical physics, medicine, medical imaging, and other health professions can propose a modified major consisting of ten courses (at least six from the Physics and Astronomy Department). It is also possible to modify the physics major with courses outside the science division (for example, with courses in history, government, education or literature). In all cases, the student prepares a written proposal explaining how the courses form a unified and intellectutally coherent program of study, which is then approved by the department chair.

A modified major must be approved by the Registrar and must satisfy the requirements given in the ORC. The most important requirement is that the major be "planned as a unified, coherent whole." To ensure this, the student is required to provide a written rationale of the intellectual coherence of the proposed program, which must be approved by the major advisor (or other representative) of both departments involved.

1.       SAT Reasoning or ACT (with Writing);

2.       2 SAT Subject Test Scores;

3.       The common application essay;

4.       Within the Common Application, Dartmouth’s writing supplement requires that applicants write a brief response to one of the following supplemental essay prompts. Candidates choose one topic and respond;

5.       A counselor recommendation and two teacher recommendations. In addition, a peer recommendation is strongly encouraged;

6.       Resume;

7.       Brief abstract of an independent research project;

8.       IELTS or TOEFL (no minimum scores).

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