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.

Blue Courses are required by the Physics Major and Astronomy Emphasis

Orange Courses are additionally required by the Physics Major

Green Courses are additionally required by the Astronomy Emphasis

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		alternate years next offered 2011
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
481: Quantum Mechanics	PHYS 331 MATH 237 MATH 312
489: Physics Seminar	Senior Standing

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