Seminars & Events
Natural Science & Mathematics Colloquium
Most Wednesdays at 4:40 in Schaefer 106
Program Highlight
The Physics Club organizes many activities for all students who enjoy physics.
SMP Spotlight
Roger Ding (2012), “An Individual Atom Magneto-Optical Trap on a Chip” (mentor: Josh Grossman)
Roger received the Department Award in Physics. He is currently pursuing his PhD in physics at Rice University.
Academic Opportunities
The Physics Department has five overlapping options for study:
- Physics Major with Concentration in Fundamental Physics
- Physics Major with Concentration in Applied Physics
- Physics Major with preparation for the Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
- Physics Minor
- Dual Degree Program in Physics & Engineering.
Outlines of each course of study follow below. For more details, please refer to the Course Catalog.
|
Physics Major with Concentration |
Physics Major with Concentration |
| Required courses | |
| Fundamentals of Physics 1* | Fundamentals of Physics 1* |
| Fundamentals of Physics 2* | Fundamentals of Physics 2* |
| Fundamentals of Physics 3 | Fundamentals of Physics 3 |
| Mechanics | Electronics |
| Advanced Physics Laboratory | Advanced Physics Laboratory |
| Electricity & Magnetism | Electricity & Magnetism |
| Quantum Mechanics | Quantum Mechanics |
| Statistical Mechanics | Intro to Computer Science 1 or General Chemistry 2 |
| St. Mary's Project (8 credits) | Topics in Applied Physics 1 |
| Topics in Applied Physics 2 | |
| Calculus 1 | Calculus 1 |
| Calculus 2 | Calculus 2 |
| Vector Calculus | Vector Calculus |
| Linear Algebra | Linear Algebra |
| Elective (one of the following) | |
| Mathematical Methods in Physics, Optics, Astrophysics & Cosmology Senior Seminar in Physics, Differential Equations, Physical Chemistry, Independent Study (PHYS 399/499) |
Mechanics, Optics, Astrophysics & Cosmology, Statistical Mechanics, Senior Seminar Physics, Differential Equations, Physical Chemistry, Software Engineering 1, Partial Differential Equations |
| The St. Mary's Project is recommended but not required for the Concentration in Applied Physics |
|
* General Physics 1 & 2 may be substituted for Fundamentals of Physics 1 & 2, respectively, but the Fundamentals of Physics courses are recommended.
Physics major with preparation for the Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
To prepare for the MAT and a career as a secondary physics teacher, a students should complete the physics major and an educational studies minor. Courses for the educational studies minor and recommended physics electives are listed here.
Dual Degree Program
- We are proud to partner with the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland in a dual-degree program. After spending three years at St. Mary's College of Maryland, completing the College, Department, and Engineering requirements, the student then attends the Engineering School for two additional years.
- In addition to the physics major requirements, the student must take General Chemistry 1 and 2 and Differential Equations.
- Instead of an SMP (for the Concentration in Fundamental Physics) or Applied Physics Topics courses (for the Concentration in Applied Physics), the department accepts the work done at the University of Maryland as a replacement.
