Co-Directors of Undergraduate Studies

Faculty

Marina Artuso, Stefan Ballmer, Steven Blusk, Duncan Brown, Craig Cahillane, Simon Catterall, Eric Coughlin, Walter Freeman, Jay Hubisz, John Laiho, M. Lisa Manning, Georgia Mansel, Alan Middleton, Alexander Nitz, Liviu Movileanu, Alison Patteson, Joseph Paulsen, Ivan Pechenezhskiy, Britton Plourde, Jennifer Ross, Matthew Rudolph, Christian Santangelo, Jennifer Schwarz, Rafael Silva Coutinho, Tomasz Skwarnicki, Mitchell Soderberg, Paul Souder, Scott Watson, Denver Whittington

Physicists idealize the behavior of matter and energy in terms of mathematical representations called the “fundamental laws of nature” and seek to explain the properties of nuclei, atoms, molecules, and systems of these particles (gases, liquids, crystals, etc.). Undergraduate courses provide a background in classical physics, quantum mechanics, and laboratory techniques.

The physics minor provides students a foundation of quantitative, logic, and problem-solving skills using physics as a base. The minor offers a wide array of specialty courses from quantum physics and astronomy to biophysics and computational physics. A physics minor is a strong supplement to any major. Students with technical focus will gain a broader understanding of the fundamental principles that are applied in their field of study, while students with non-technical background will gain a substantial base of knowledge in the physical sciences alongside their other work. All students will benefit from the critical reasoning and rigorous problem-solving skills developed in the study of physics.

Other information about physics can be found on the Internet at physics.syr.edu.