Graduates holding the bachelor's degree in physics find employment as laboratory or theoretical research assistants in physics or engineering, high-level medical technicians, science writers and editors, computer programmers, and secondary school teachers. A bachelor's degree in physics can be an ideal background for advanced study in other sciences, engineering, and the business and medical professions. A graduate degree in physics opens a broad spectrum of opportunities in pure and applied research.

Special Programs or Opportunities

One-to-one student-faculty interaction is possible and is encouraged by the department. Computer use at all levels of instruction is afforded by means of terminals in the Joseph Henry Physics Building. Very modern equipment is available in all laboratories. Opportunities for valuable experience, training, and financial support exist in the form of undergraduate assistantships in the research and teaching laboratories. The Society of Physics Students sponsors popular talks, tours to nearby laboratories, and social events. The society offers tutorial services, computer clinics, and has its own library. It conducts tours of our facilities for students and the general public. It also supplies information on opportunities after the B.S. degree. The department has a chapter of Sigma Pi Sigma, the national physics honor society.

For students interested in engineering, there are available 3-2 programs with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Clarkson University, SUNY at New Paltz, and SUNY at Binghamton. Students in these programs spend their first three years at this campus and the last two at the other. The tuition is at the University at Albany rate for the first three years only. Upon successful completion of the programs, students are awarded a B.S. in Physics from the University at Albany and a B.S. in Engineering from the other institution.

Degree Requirements for the Major in Physics

General Program B.S. A combined major and minor sequence totaling 65 credits: An introductory sequence of A Phy 120N, 124N, 220, 221, 224, 225; A Phy 229, 315, 321, 332, 344, 403 or 403Z, 421, 431; A Mat 112 or 118, 113 or 119, and 214; A Chm 120N, 121N, 122A, 122B; and 3 credits as advised from the fields of science and mathematics. With departmental approval A Phy 105N and A Phy 108N may be substituted for A Phy 120N and A Phy 124N.

Teacher Education Program B.S. A combined major and minor sequence totaling 65 credits: An introductory sequence of A Phy 120N, 124N, 220, 221, 224, 225; A Phy 321, A Phy 315 or 403 or 403Z, and 8 credits of electives in physics at the 300 level or higher; A Bio 110F or N and 111N; A Chm 120N and 121N; A Chm 122A and B; A Mat 111 or 112 or 118, 113 or 119, and 214; and 6 credits selected from A Atm 320, A Atm 321, A Atm 407, and A Geo 100F or N. With departmental approval A Phy 105N and A Phy 108N may be substituted for A Phy 120N and A Phy 124N.

Students interested in a career in secondary school teaching must apply for and be admitted to the Teacher Education Program administered by the Department of Educational Theory and Practice before they can be officially enrolled in this major in the Teacher Education Program. Qualified students may apply after satisfactorily completing one year of undergraduate study and a minimum of 24 graduation credits. Admission requirements are described in this bulletin under the section headed "Department of Educational Theory and Practice." Students admitted to the program must complete the teacher education professional requirements described in this bulletin under "Undergraduate Professional Requirements" within the section headed "Department of Educational Theory and Practice." They must also complete those courses within the major and related fields that are listed in this section.

Honors Program

The honors program in physics is designed for outstanding students enrolled in the general program.

Students may apply for admission to the honors program by submitting a letter of request to the department chair no later than April 15 of the sophomore year (for admission in the fall) or November 15 of the junior year (for admission in the spring). Junior transfers may apply at the time of their admission to the University. Primary emphasis will be placed on indications of academic ability and maturity sufficient for applicants to pursue with distinction a program involving independent research.

The minimum requirements for admission follow:

1. Completion of A Phy 120N, 124N, 220, 224 or their equivalents;

2. An overall grade point average of 3.30;

3. A grade point average of 3.60 in physics courses required for the major;

4. Written recommendations from at least three faculty members, one of whom, preferably, should be from outside the Department of Physics.

Students in the program must maintain both a minimum grade point average of 3.30 overall and of 3.60 in physics courses taken to satisfy major requirements during the junior and senior years. The progress of participants in the honors program will be reviewed at the end of the junior year by the Departmental Honors Committee. Students not meeting the standards above at that time may be precluded from continuing in the program during their senior year.

Students in the honors program are required to complete a minimum of 71 credits as follows: 62 of the 65 credits specified for the general program in physics (the 3-credit elective requirement is waived); 3 credits of Honors Seminar in Physics (A Phy 498); and 6 credits of Independent Study in Physics (A Phy 497). The independent study must include an honors research project culminating in a written report by the end of the student's last semester.

After completion of the requirements above, the records of candidates will be reviewed by the Departmental Honors Committee. After consideration of overall academic record, performance and accomplishments in the independent study project(s), the quality of the Honors Seminar, and the evaluations of departmental faculty members who have supervised these activities, a recommendation for or against a degree with honors will be made by the committee to the departmental faculty. The final recommendation will be made by the departmental faculty and transmitted by the chair.

Combined B.S./M.S. Program

The combined B.S./M.S. program in physics provides an opportunity for students of recognized academic ability and educational maturity to fulfill integrated requirements of undergraduate and master's degree programs at the beginning of the junior year. A carefully designed program can permit a student to earn the B.S. and M.S. degrees within nine semesters.

The combined program requires a minimum of 138 credits, of which at least 30 must be graduate credits. In qualifying for the B.S., students must meet all University and college requirements including the requirements of the undergraduate major described previously, the minimum 60-credit liberal arts and sciences requirement, general education requirements, and residency requirements. In qualifying for the M.S., students must meet all University and college requirements as outlined in the Graduate Bulletin, including completion of a minimum of 30 graduate credits and any other conditions such as a research seminar, thesis, comprehensive examination, professional experience, and residency requirements. Up to 12 graduate credits may be applied simultaneously to both the B.S. and M.S. programs.

A Phy 519 may be substituted for A Phy 403 or 403Z in meeting the B.S. requirements, enabling Phy 519 to be one of the graduate courses applied simultaneously to the undergraduate and graduate programs.

Students are considered as undergraduates until completion of 120 graduation credits and satisfactory completion of all B.S. requirements. Upon meeting B.S. requirements, students are automatically considered as graduate students.

Students may apply to the Graduate Committee for admission to the combined degree program in physics at the beginning of their junior year or after the successful completion of 56 credits, but no later than the accumulation of 100 credits. A cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher and three supportive letters of recommendation from faculty are required for consideration.

Courses

A Phy 100N Contemporary Astronomy-The Cosmic Connection (3)
General Education: NS
Modern developments in astronomy, the birth and death of stars, solar and planetary science, neutron stars and black holes, galactic structure, cosmology, theories of the origin and future of the universe.

A Phy 103N Exploration of Space (3)
General Education: NS
The solar system, modern developments in planetary and space science; human exploration of space; space travel and future colonization.

A Phy 104N Physical Science for Humanists (3)
General Education: NS
How the universe works. A historical approach to the development of the laws of physics from the classical physics of Newton to the present. Emphasizes the people and events of the revolution in physics in the 20th century. Unraveling of the structure and properties of the nuclear atom or from raisin pudding to quarks. Intended for nonmajors.

A Phy 105N General Physics I (3)
General Education: NS
Vectors, kinematics, dynamics, vibrations and waves, sound, fluids, and thermodynamics. Three class periods each week. May not be taken for credit by students with credit for A Phy 120N. Prerequisite(s): three years of high school mathematics.

A Phy 106 General Physics Lab (1)
Laboratory experiments to complement the topics being studied in A Phy 105N. One laboratory each week. Corequisite(s): A Phy 105N.

A Phy 107 Problem Solving: General Physics (1)
Applications of the principles and methods studied in general physics. Assignments selected with the aim of aiding the student in developing a more thorough understanding of the subject matter of general physics. Individual assignments can be arranged for students with special needs or interests. Corequisite: A Phy 105N.

A Phy 108N General Physics II (3)
General Education: NS
Electrostatics, circuit electricity, magnetism, geometrical and physical optics, atomic and nuclear phenomena. Three class periods each week. May not be taken for credit by students with credit for A Phy 124N. Prerequisite(s): A Phy 105N.

A Phy 109 General Physics Lab (1)
Laboratory experiments to complement the topics in A Phy 108N. One laboratory period each week. Corequisite(s): A Phy 108N.

A Phy 110 Problem Solving: General Physics (1)
Applications of the principles and methods studied in general physics. Assignments selected with the aim of aiding the student in developing a more thorough understanding of the subject matter of general physics. Individual assignments can be arranged for students with special needs or interests. Corequisite(s): A Phy 108N.

A Phy 120N Introductory Physics I (4)
General Education: NS
Study of fundamental physical phenomena. Topics include kinematics and dynamics of particles and rigid bodies and wave motion. Four class periods each week. Prerequisite(s) or corequisite: A Mat 111 or 112 or 118. May not be taken for credit by students with credit for A Phy 105N.

A Phy 122 Problem Solving: Introductory Physics I (1)
Application of the principles and methods studied in Introductory Physics I (A Phy 120N). Assignments selected with the aim of aiding the student in developing a more thorough understanding of the subject matter in A Phy 120N. Individual assignments can be arranged for students with special needs or interests. Corequisite: A Phy 120N.

A Phy 124N Introductory Physics II (4)
General Education: NS
Study of fundamental physical phenomena. Topics include heat and thermodynamics, kinetic theory of gases, and electricity. Four class periods each week. May not be taken for credit by students with credit for A Phy 108N. Prerequisite(s): A Mat 113 or 119 (may be taken as corequisite); A Phy 120N.

A Phy 126 Problem Solving: Introductory Physics II (1)
Application of the principles and methods studied in Introductory Physics II (A Phy 124N). Assignments selected with the aim of aiding the student in developing a more thorough understanding of the subject matter in A Phy 124N. Individual assignments can be arranged for students with special needs or interests. Corequisite(s): A Phy 124N.

A Phy 201L Physics and Buddhism (3)
General Education: HA
Parallels between modern physics and Eastern thought with emphasis on the Buddhist concept of interdependence of all phenomena. Nonmathematical discussion of ideas of atomic and particle physics, relativity and quantum theory, in comparison with the psychology and philosophy of Theravada, Zen, and Tibetan Buddhism. May not be used to satisfy major or minor requirements in physics. A Phy 201E is the writing intensive version of A Phy 201L; only one may be taken for credit.

A Phy 201E Physics and Buddhism (3)
General Education: HA & WI
May not be used to satisfy major or minor requirements in physics. A Phy 201E is the writing intensive version of A Phy 201L; only one may be taken for credit.

A Phy 202N Environmental Physics (3)
General Education: NS
Study of the collection, evaluation, and interpretation of data and the modeling and analysis of urban and environmental problems. Topics include population, pollution, mass transportation systems, comparison of various energy sources such as solar, nuclear, and fossil fuel, and effective utilization of natural resources. Three class periods each week. Prerequisite(s): algebra.

A Phy 220 Introductory Physics III (3)
Study of fundamental physical phenomena. Topics include electricity, magnetism, and optics. Three class periods each week. Prerequisite(s): A Phy 124N.

A Phy 221 Introductory Physics Lab I (1)
Experiments in mechanics, electricity, and optics. One laboratory period each week. Corequisite: A Phy 220.

A Phy 224 Introductory Physics IV (3)
Study of fundamental physical phenomena. Topics include relativity and quantum theory with applications to atomic, nuclear, and solid state physics. Three class periods each week. Offered spring semester only. Prerequisite(s): A Phy 220.

A Phy 225 Introductory Physics Lab II (1)
Experiments in optics, atomic and nuclear physics. One laboratory period each week. Corequisite: A Phy 224.

A Phy 229 Mathematics in Physics (4)
The physical applications of analytic and numerical methods are studied in such topics as differential equations, Fourier series, Laplace transforms, matrices and vectors. Prerequisite(s): A Phy 124N; prerequisite(s) or corequisite: A Mat 214.

A Phy 305 Physics Principles in Nuclear Medicine (3)
Basic physics in nuclear medicine, radioactive nuclides, radionuclide scanning, radiation chemistry, biological effects of radiation and radio-pharmaceuticals, clinical radiation pathology, radiation hazards and safety, waste disposal. Three class periods a week. Offered fall semester only. Prerequisite(s): A Phy 108N or A Phy 224 or equivalent.

A Phy 315 Electronics (3)
Transistors and their characteristics; electronic circuits, field effect transistors and applications, amplifiers, low and high frequency response; operational amplifiers; consideration of control-circuit design; fast-switching and counting devices; integrated circuits and their designs. Two class periods and one three-hour laboratory each week. Offered fall semester only. Prerequisite(s): A Phy 220.

A Phy 316 Electronics: Projects (3)
Independent projects involving laboratory work in the study of electronic circuits using linear and/or digital devices. (Each student is expected to undertake a project that requires originality and broadens knowledge of the area.) Special attention is paid to counters, registers, encoders, decoders, and digital applications. Offered spring semester only. Prerequisite(s): A Phy 315.

A Phy 321 Intermediate Mechanics (4)
Fundamentals of Newtonian mechanics. conservation theorems, central force motion, gravitation, the special theory of relativity, rigid-body problems, kinematics of two-particle collisions, motion in a noninertial reference frame Lagrange equations, Hamilton's equations. Four class periods each week. Offered fall semester only. Prerequisite(s) or corequisite(s): A Phy 224 and 229.

A Phy 321C Intermediate Mechanics (4)
Fundamentals of Newtonian mechanics, conservation theorems, central force motion, gravitation, the special theory of relativity, rigid-body problems, kinematics of two-particle collisions, motion in a noninertial reference frame, Lagrange equations, Hamilton's equations. Four class periods each week. This course may be taken only by students in the 3-2 Chemical Engineering Program. Prerequisite(s): A Phy 220.

A Phy 332 Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism (4)
Electrostatics and magnetostatics; sources, fields in various materials and configurations. Maxwell's equations; their bases and application in induction and the behavior and propagation of fields in guides and various unbounded media. Four class periods each week. Offered spring semester only. Prerequisite(s): A Phy 229 and 321, or permission of instructor.

A Phy 344 Introductory Quantum Mechanics (3)
The quantum mechanics of simple physical systems. Topics include the particle-wave duality of matter, the uncertainty principle, the Schrödinger equation, Hermitian operators, bound states, the harmonic oscillator, reflection coefficients and barrier penetration, and perturbation theory. Three classes each week. Offered fall semester only. Prerequisite(s): A Phy 229 and 321.

A Phy 353 Microprocessor Applications (3)
Applications of microprocessors to data collection and process control; the capabilities of typical microprocessors and the techniques used to interface them to external devices; input/output programming, use of the data and address busses; interrupt handling, direct memory access, and data communications; characteristics of peripheral devices such as keyboards, printers, A/D and D/A converters, sensors, and actuators. Three class periods each week. Prerequisite(s): A Csi 201N or 204 or equivalent. An elementary knowledge of electricity is helpful.

A Phy 360 Modern Optics (3)
Matrix methods of geometrical optics, diffraction theory, optical Fourier transforms, lasers, holography, Brillouin scattering, and an introduction to nonlinear optics. The course includes frequent demonstrations. Prerequisite(s): A Phy 220 and 229.

A Phy 403 Intermediate Physics Laboratory I (3)
Selected experiments to complement the intermediate courses. Includes laboratories in the area of electronics, electricity, and magnetism and modern physics. Methods of physical measurements and error analysis are emphasized. The student is given the opportunity and shown the need to use the computer in data analysis. Special projects can be arranged for advanced students. Two three-hour laboratory periods each week. A Phy 403Z is the writing intensive version of A Phy 403; only one may be taken for credit. Offered fall semester only. Prerequisite(s): A Phy 332 or permission of instructor.

A Phy 403Z Intermediate Physics Laboratory I (3)
General Education: WI
A Phy 403Z is the writing intensive version of A Phy 403; only one may be taken for credit. Offered fall semester only. Prerequisite(s): A Phy 332 or permission of instructor.

A Phy 408 (= A Chm 408) Polymer Chemistry and Physics (3)
Structure, synthesis, and morphology of polymers; polymerization reactions; molecular weight determination; introduction to thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties; design of polymers, graft, and copolymers; processing and selected applications including adhesion, coatings, and films. A term paper is required. Only one of A Phy 408 & A Chm 408 may be taken for credit. Prerequisite(s): A Chm 340B or permission of instructor.

A Phy 421 Modern Physics I (3)
Applications of quantum mechanics to atomic, molecular, solid state, and particle physics. More advanced topics in quantum mechanics are also developed. These include symmetry and conservation laws, many-particle systems, and degenerate perturbation theory. Special emphasis is placed on the hydrogen atom, angular momentum, spin, and the Pauli exclusion principle. Three class periods each week. Offered spring semester only. Prerequisite(s): A Phy 344.

A Phy 431 Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics (3)
Thermodynamic systems and variables; the laws of thermodynamics. Thermodynamic potentials and applications, ideal and real gas relations; changes of phase, introduction to probability theory; elementary kinetic theory of gases; micro and macro-states of simple quantum-mechanical systems; Fermi-Dirac, Bose-Einstein, and Maxwell-Boltzmann statistics. Three class periods each week. Prerequisite(s): A Mat 214 and A Phy 224.

A Phy 454 Microprocessor Applications Laboratory (3)
Complements the theoretical development presented in A Phy 353. Centers around practical laboratory applications in both hardware and software of a particular microprocessor. Students prototype a minimum system and expanded system. Applications include keyboard, printer, display, A/D, D/A, and control functions. A knowledge of a microprocessor and digital logic functions is desirable. Prerequisite(s): A Phy 315 or permission of instructor or A Phy 353.

A Phy 462 (formerly A Phy 362) Physics of Materials (3)
The physics of real materials: the structure of crystalline and amorphous solids; x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy; the thermodynamics and kinetics of phase transformations; crystallographic defects and their relation to mechanical properties. Prerequisite(s): A Phy 124N and 229.

A Phy 464 Materials Characterization (3)
A laboratory and lecture course designed to give students experience with modern methods of materials characterization such as electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, optical absorption, nuclear magnetic resonance, neutron activation, Auger spectroscopy, particle induced x-ray emission, Rutherford backscattering and nuclear reaction analysis. Prerequisite(s): A Phy 362 or permission of instructor.

A Phy 465 Materials Fabrication (3)
A laboratory and lecture course designed to give students experience in modern methods of materials fabrication and modification such as thin-film evaporation, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition, electrodeposition, doping by ion implantation and diffusion, and ion beam mixing. Prerequisite(s): A Phy 464 or permission of instructor.

A Phy 466 X-ray Optics, Analysis and Imaging (3)
A broad survey of x-ray optics and their uses. Introduction to the theory of x-ray interaction with matter, including refraction, diffraction, total reflection, image formation, fluorescence, absorption spectroscopy, and the effects of Compton scattering, photo-electric absorption, and surface roughness. Applications include x-ray astronomy, microscopy, lithography, materials analysis and medical imaging. Prerequisite(s): Phy 332 and Phy 224 or equivalent.

A Phy 497 Independent Study in Physics (1-3)
Independent study under the direction of a faculty member with whom students have made arrangements. After one or more hourly meetings per week, the student reads and discusses specialized material beyond that normally covered in a course or carries out experiments and/or calculations in which independence is required. A written report is submitted on the work of each semester. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite(s): junior or senior class standing.

A Phy 498 Honors Seminar in Physics (3)
A seminar specifically designed for students admitted to the department's honors program. Topics are determined by the Departmental Honors Committee. Prerequisite(s): admission to honors program.