Mar 28, 2024  
2017 Undergraduate Catalog 1.2 (SUMMER - FALL) 
    
2017 Undergraduate Catalog 1.2 (SUMMER - FALL) [ARCHIVED CATALOG - Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

Physics (B.S.) - Hegis Code 1902


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Programs of Study

(Bachelor of Science Degree)

Physics is the science concerned with the nature of matter, energy, and the interrelationships between them. Common cross-disciplines include engineering physics, chemical physics, geophysics, biophysics, and mathematical physics.

Engineering is the application of physics to real-world problems. Engineers are the people who design the automobiles, the bridges, the computer chips, the electronic devices, the artificial limbs, and all of the other technological wonders of our civilization.

Between these two fields, there is a mixed area that might be called applied physics or research engineering. It calls for people with a practical physics background who do engineering-development and research in industry.

Students considering public school teaching as a career should refer to the programs in education, listed alphabetically in this section of the catalog.

The B.S. in physics is designed for students who wish to practice applied physics or research in government or industry, pursue a graduate degree in physics, engineering, or education; or who simply want a more intensive background in physics for careers in technical management, high school physics teaching, and other technical fields.

The 2 - 2 transfer option in engineering provides the basic courses typically found in the first two years of engineering programs. Students have the advantages of small classes and close contact with the faculty as they master their foundation courses in science, mathematics, and introductory engineering at Utica College. After two years, students transfer to an engineering school to complete their work at the junior-senior level, and they will receive their degree from that institution. Utica College students have successfully transferred into engineering programs at Syracuse, Clarkson, RIT, and Union among others.

The 3 - 2 transfer option in engineering is similar to the 2 - 2 program but includes another year of study at Utica College in which students take more physics, math, and core courses for a total of at least 96 hours. With this additional course work, students will transfer to an engineering school where they will take junior level engineering courses. Upon the completion of 32 hours at the transfer college (and receipt of an official transcript), students will earn a B.A. in physics from Utica College. When the students have satisfied the requirements from the engineering school, typically after another year of study there, they will earn a second degree, in engineering. In effect, one year of college work counts for the degree at two institutions, and students will have a liberal arts degree in addition to the engineering degree. This degree should be considered by those seeking a career in technical management.

Total credit hours required for degree: 128

Learning Objectives

BS students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate a conceptual, theoretical and practical understanding (including hands-on work) in the Classical Mechanics topics such as Newton’s laws of motion, static and dynamic equilibrium, kinematics, work, energy, impulse and momentum and relativistic mechanics (special relativity), simple harmonic motion, oscillation, and Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics.
  • Demonstrate a conceptual, theoretical and practical understanding (including hands-on work) in the Electricity and Magnetism topics such as Electric forces and fields, Gauss’s Law, the electric potential, electric potential energy and work, Kirchhoff’s Laws, DC and AC circuits, including R, RC and LRC circuits, dielectrics, magnetic forces and fields, and Ampere’s Laws, diamagnetism, paramagnetism, ferromagnetism, electrodynamics, Maxwell’s Equations, and the Wae Equation.
  • Demonstrate a conceptual, theoretical and practical understanding (including hands-on work) in the Quantum and Modern Physics topics such as quantization of energy, particle-like properties of radiation, wave-like properties of mater, the Bohr atom, wavefunctions, Schrodinger’s Equation in 1-, 2-, and 3- dimensions, particle-in-a-box, the harmonic oscillator, one-electron atoms, quantum distribution functions, quantum statistics, and applications of these topics to nucleare, condensed matter and/or elementary particle physics.

Academic Requirements


See Core  section of this catalog.

Core: 34 - 55 Credit Hours


25-27 Credit Hours


Additional Physics Course Requirements


2 - 2 Option in Engineering:


No additional requirements at Utica College

Not required to take MAT 317 

3 - 2 Option in Engineering:


  • Physics (any level) - Physics Electives (6)
  • Physics (300,400 level) - Physics Electives (3)

9 Credit Hours


12 Credit Hours


26 Credit Hours


Free Electives


Students in the 3 - 2 engineering option must take a sufficient number of free electives to reach a total of 96 hours at UC. They must transfer 32 hours to UC from their engineering school. Students majoring in physics take sufficient free electives to reach a total of 128 hours at UC and should consult with their adviser on elective courses of particular interest for a specific career path.

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Programs of Study