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Chapter 1
Introduction
The Department of Physics & Astronomy at Stony Brook University is one of the top Physics departments in the country as
well as a nationally recognized program in Astronomy. Our research activities span a broad range, and are at the forefront of
their fields, giving our students great opportunities for study. Our own facilities are complemented by the unique resources
available at nearby Brookhaven National Laboratory. Recent external rankings 1 of the department are available.
Why study Physics or Astronomy Physics considers the most fundamental forces of nature, and applies the knowledge
gained to obtain detailed understanding of complex systems. Astronomy seeks to understand the structure and evolution of
the Universe on all scales. In both cases, asking good questions of our understanding of nature often leads to unexpected
discoveries. The study of radioactivity eventually led to an understanding of supernovae (when stars explode), and the study of
atomic spectroscopy led to the development of the laser and the discovery of the Universe’s expansion.
At the introductory level, the study of these disciplines serves to demystify our technological world both by explaining
the basic ideas behind many technologies, and by introducing the scientific process (quantified critical thinking). Further study
leading to a Minor, Bachelor of Science Degree, or Bachelor of Arts degree, teaches one classical and quantum physics and how
to test theories against reality in the laboratory; this training in independent thinking is valuable for further studies in science,
and also in other walks of life.
This guide is intended to provide an explanation of the undergraduate program in Physics (see Chap. 2), specific courses
(see Sec. 2.9), and to provide various resources (see Chap. 4) such as whom to contact with questions, information on careers
(see Sec. 4.9), and so on. Information specific to the undergraduate program in astronomy is located on a separate web site 2 .
This document is available both as a web page at
http://www.astro.sunysb.edu/dugs/ug/ug/index.html
and as an Adobe Acrobat file at
http://www.astro.sunysb.edu/dugs/ug/ug.pdf
1 http://insti.physics.sunysb.edu/physics/rankings.htm
2 http://www.astro.sunysb.edu/astro/UGProgram/index.html
3