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Plan Your Major

The Physics Major is at minimum comprised of 33 credits (8 4-credit courses and 1 1-credit course, PHYS 489).  The following table outlines courses recommended to majors as well as those mandatory to the Physics Major and Physics Major with an Astronomy Emphasis.  For more information on astronomy at Macalester, visit the Astronomy Home. The department also offers a minor consiting of 5 courses: 226, 227, 331, and any two courses numbered above 331.

Course Prerequistes Fall Spring 226: Principles of Physics I 227: Principles of Physics II PHYS 226 331: Modern Physics PHYS 227   334: Optics PHYS 227 alternate years next offered 2007   340: Digital Electronics MATH 137  alternate years next offered 2008 348: Laboratory Instrumentation PHYS 227   440: Observational Astronomy PHYS 113 PHYS 120 or PHYS 113 PHYS 331/CHEM 331   alternate years next offered 2008 443: Electromagnetic Theory I: Vacuum PHYS 227 MATH 237   444: Electromagetic Theory II: Material Media PHYS 443   460: Astrophysics PHYS 113 PHYS 331   alternate years next offered 2009 461: Mechanics PHYS 227 MATH 237 MATH 312   468: Statistical Mechanics PHYS 331 MATH 237 alternate years next offered 2007   481: Quantum Mechanics PHYS 331 MATH 237 MATH 312   489: Physics Seminar Senior Standing

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