Undergraduate Information

We offer you a full suite of degree options:

Bachelor of Science in Physics: Our department’s flagship program is rigorous but customizable for your particular interests.
Bachelor of Science in Physics with an Astronomy Emphasis: The most popular modification to the standard physics B.S. degree. The Astronomy Emphasis designation will appear on your transcript.
Bachelor of Arts in Physics: Our department’s most flexible degree option is designed to ensure that you will find the right plan of study for your interests.
Double Major: We will help you distinguish yourself and improve your position in applications to prestigious graduate schools, leading professional programs, or career-track openings in government and industry.
Double Degree: We’ve teamed up with the UMKC School of Computing and Engineering to create a well-structured path for you to obtain two independent B.S. degrees in Physics and Electrical Engineering in only five years.
Physics or Astronomy Minor: You may not realize it, but after completing our two-semester introductory physics series of courses you are already about halfway toward getting a Physics or Astronomy Minor onto your transcript!
Easy integration with minors from other departments: The B.S. and B.A. degrees in Physics are designed to be flexible enough for you to accommodate the minor requirements of virtually any other department that offers one.

With a bachelor's degree in Physics you will:

Have a functional understanding of the fundamental theoretical and experimental methods of physics and astronomy.
Possess well rounded experience with the vital areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Know how to think critically and analytically.
Be able to integrate your knowledge, experience, and thinking skills to solve new and challenging problems in your chosen career field.

If you participate in undergraduate research you will:

Be able to communicate effectively with technical and nontechnical audiences with clear and articulate oral or written discourse.
Understand how to make effective use of diverse information resources such as published scientific literature, technical databases, and other forms of authoritative internet-based content.

Graduates with physics degrees generally find that:

The rigorous training they receive in a physics program helps their career advancement regardless of whether or not their chosen career field is science and technology related.
Their broad exposure to different areas of science is beneficial if they take on leadership positions in organizations with diverse science and engineering components.

Admissions Criteria:

Course Offerings:

Theory and Simulation: General scientific interest, rigorous survey, technical foundation, and advanced theory classes that cover the full spectrum of physical phenomena and their mathematical models.
Laboratory and Experiment: Introductory, computer interfacing, electronics, and advanced laboratory classes that cover a wide range of practical skills.
Astronomy: General scientific interest and technical classes that cover astronomical entities from stars to galaxies to the cosmos as a whole along with the methods used to observe them.
Read our catalog pages for details.