Print this page.About the Program
The Department of Physics and Astronomy’s undergraduate program in physics is designed to provide a fundamental understanding of both experimental and theoretical physics. The applied major offers computer, electrical, or mechanical options and is appropriate if you are seeking employment by industrial or governmental laboratories upon completing your baccalaureate degree. All of the majors provide a strong basis for graduate study in physics. By a suitable choice of electives you will also be prepared for graduate study in the other sciences, mathematics, medicine, or engineering or to enter the University’s special teacher education program that leads to a master’s degree and teacher certification.The department also offers a minor in astronomy.
Career Opportunities
Most new inventions that change our lives involve electric and magnetic fields. Future transportation, communication, and even games involve science and technology based upon fundamental physics. Today, physicists study energy and the structure of matter in either basic or applied research and development. To be recognized as a full professional, you’ll generally need to have earned a master’s or doctoral degree. However, with an undergraduate degree you can find many opportunities in fields such as computers, medicine, business, teaching, and criminology, to name a few. Among those with graduate degrees, approximately half join educational institutions as teachers/researchers. Others seek professional and management positions in business, industry, and commercial and government research endeavors.
The University Career Center is available to assist you in choosing a career direction and in increasing your marketability upon graduation. For additional information, call the center at 803-777-7280.
Admission/Progression Requirements
To be admitted into the College of Arts and Sciences, you must meet all University admission requirements. For freshmen these include a completed application, nonrefundable application fee, high-school record complete up to the time of application (including record of at least 20 units of study earned as required by the University), and entrance examination scores (either SAT or ACT). Details for all applicant categories can be found in the Undergraduate Bulletin. To major in physics, a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 (on a 4.00 scale) and a minimum grade of “C” in the core courses are needed. You will be expected to maintain a semester, yearly, and cumulative grade point average of 2.00. Your academic record will be reviewed at the end of each spring semester.
Program of Study (128 hours)
Your studies will be structured around 43–54 credit hours in courses that fulfill the general education requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences; 30–32 hours (general major), 36–40 hours (intensive major), 50–51 hours (applied computer option), 54–56 hours (applied electrical option), or 54–57 hours (applied electrical option) in major requirements; and enough cognate and elective hours to fulfill the 128-hour minimum. General education requirements include courses in areas such as English, mathematics, physics, computer science, foreign languages, and the social sciences. Your major courses can vary considerably according to your chosen major option. The department also offers a minor in astronomy for interested students. To minor in astronomy, you must first complete the Descriptive Astronomy I course and its lab. You will then take 18 credit hours of astronomy courses such as Introduction to Radio Astronomy and Introduction to Relativistic Physics.
Of Special Interest
Extensive research in both theoretical and experimental physics is carried out by USC’s physics faculty and students. Experimental research is conducted both on-campus in condensed matter laboratories and computational facilities and off-campus at major national and international laboratories. Some of the research groups and areas include the Complex Problems Group, the Condensed Matter Group, the Astronomy Group, the Foundations of Quantum Theory Group, and the High-Energy Physics Group. Research may be done by a large team observing particles from a huge accelerator or by two or three individuals discussing quantum theory at a blackboard. Both undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to participate.