Career and Academic Paths

The career opportunities for physics majors are numerous and varied. Many of UMBC’s physics majors go on to pursue advanced degrees in physics and allied fields of science and engineering at the nation’s leading graduate schools. Other physics students find employment immediately upon graduation. Recent graduates are working in electro-optics, space physics, computer modeling and semiconductor research, among other fields, with employers such as Northrop Grumman, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the National Security Agency and Lawrence Livermore Laboratories. Other graduates have gone on to medical or law school or to other careers for which the problem-solving skills and understanding of the physical world learned in physics courses prepare them.

Several graduates of the physics B.S. program have chosen a career teaching high school physics. Additional students, who wish to pursue a career in teaching, have enrolled in the new B.A. program in physics education. The number of students enrolled in the physics education program is expected to increase rapidly due to the shortage of high-school physics teachers.

The UMBC Department of Physics offers both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Applied Physics and Atmospheric Physics. Undergraduates making satisfactory progress in their physics and mathematics courses may obtain permission from their advisor to take graduate-level courses.

The areas of research emphasis in the graduate programs are non-linear and quantum optics, solid-state materials and nanophysics, photonics, atmospheric physics and astrophysics. All faculty have active research programs, several of which are internationally known. The external research funding of the department exceeds $6 million per year. These funds come from such agencies as NASA, the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research and the National Security Agency.

The department plays a major role in UMBC’s Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET) with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. There are 16 JCET research faculty affiliated with the Department of Physics. The department also houses the Joint Center for Astrophysics with NASA’s Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics.

Academic Advising

All students considering a major or minor in physics, or a minor in astronomy, are strongly encouraged to contact the department as soon as possible. There is a special faculty advisor for freshmen and new students. After their first year, all majors are assigned to a permanent physics faculty academic advisor until they graduate.

In addition to following each student’s progress through the academic program, the faculty advisor is available to discuss such subjects as career goals, summer internships and opportunities for graduate study.

B.S. in Physics

Major Program

Physics Courses (47 credits)

PHYS 121
Introductory Physics I
PHYS 122
Introductory Physics II
PHYS 122
Introductory Physics Laboratory
PHYS 220
Introduction to Computational Physics
PHYS 224
Introductory Physics III
PHYS 303
Thermal and Statistical Physics
PHYS 320L
Electronics for Scientists
PHYS 321
Intermediate Mechanics

PHYS 324
Modern Physics
OR
PHYS324H
Modern Physics Honors

PHYS 330L
Optics Laboratory
PHYS 331L
Modern Physics Laboratory (This course requirement is waived for students who complete PHYS324H)
PHYS 407
Electromagnetic Theory
PHYS 408
Optics
PHYS 424
Introduction to Quantum Mechanics

Other Courses (25 or 26 credits)

MATH 151
Calculus I
MATH 152
Calculus II
MATH 251
Multivariable Calculus
MATH 221
Linear Algebra
MATH 225
Differential Equations

CMSC 104
Problem Solving and Computer Programming
OR
CMSC 201
Computer Science I for Majors

CHEM 101
Principles of Chemistry I

PHYS 305
Stellar Astrophysics
PHYS 315
Galaxies and the Interstellar Medium
PHYS 316
Extra-galactic Astronomy and Cosmology
PHYS 335
Physics and Chemistry of the Atmosphere
PHYS 402
Nuclear Physics
PHYS 403
Solid-State Physics
PHYS 415
Observational Astronomy
PHYS 418
Semiconductor Optical Devices
PHYS 425
Relativistic Physics
PHYS 428
Integrated Optics and Holography
PHYS 430
Introduction to Materials
PHYS 440
Computational Physics
PHYS 480
Mathematical Physics
PHYS 490
Senior Seminar
PHYS 499
Senior Research

B.A. in Physics Education

Students enrolled in the physics education B.A. program must satisfy requirements in physics, education and those needed for teacher certification. Therefore, it is essential that students in this program work closely with advisors in both the physics and education departments when choosing courses.

Major Program

Physics Courses (31 credits)

Education Courses (33 credits)

Other Courses (42 credits)

Physics Minor Program

To obtain a minor in physics, a student must complete at least 22 credits, including PHYS 121, 122, 224, and four upper-division lecture or laboratory courses (12 credits) chosen by the student with the consent of the physics advisor. If PHYS 122L is included among the courses, the requirements can be satisfied with only 21 total credits. Students interested in the physics minor should contact the department for details.

Astronomy Minor Program

A minor in astronomy is offered to students who are preparing for a career in astronomy or astrophysics or to those who are interested in an in-depth survey of modern astronomy. The minor is open to students with a major in any discipline. The minor consists of 18 credits: PHYS 121, 122, 305, 315, 316 and 415. PHYS 122 is a prerequisite to the last four courses. Students have the opportunity to use the department’s 0.8 meter Cassegrain telescope in research projects that are integrated into the astronomy courses. Students pursuing the astronomy minor will be assigned an advisor in the Department of Physics.

Honors Program

Students must apply for admission to the departmental honors program by the end of the first semester of their junior year. There is a university requirement of a GPA of 3.5 or better in the major and at least nine credits of honors course work. For physics majors, these requirements are met by taking PHYS 490H: Senior Seminar, PHYS 499H: Senior Research Physics and six credits of elective courses. PHYS 490H: Senior Seminar is taken in the semester prior to PHYS 499H: Senior Research. An honors course in mathematical physics is also offered (PHYS 480H).

Combined B.S./M.S. Program

This program is open to highly qualified advanced undergraduate students majoring in physics. UMBC Graduate School regulations allow nine graduate-qualified credits to be taken as an undergraduate and applied toward the M.S. degree. For the combined B.S./M.S. program in physics, these include PHYS 407, 408 and 424. The subsequent 21 graduate credits are taken as a graduate student and are selected according to the individual student’s interests with the approval of a graduate advisor, but they must include PHYS 605.

Students wishing to participate in the B.S./M.S. program must apply before the end of the junior year. Application to the Graduate School for admission to the program must be made at least one semester prior to completion of the requirements for the B.S. degree. Graduate School regulations require the maintenance of a 3.0 GPA in
courses taken for the M.S. degree.

Student Organizations

UMBC’s chapter of the Society of Physics Students is open to all students. In 1999, it received an “Outstanding Chapter” award from the national office of the society. The chapter has its own study room in the Physics Building and sponsors activities such as on-campus speakers and social events. In addition, UMBC has a chapter of Sigma Pi Sigma, the national honor society in physics.

Special Opportunities

Undergraduates have the opportunity to participate for credit or as student assistants in faculty research programs. The department also employs students as tutors and laboratory assistants.