Academic Catalog - Virginia Military Institute Admissions

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physics CURRICULUM Physics is the study of the basic laws that describe all natural phenomena, and it is often instrumental to the development of new technologies. At VMI dedicated faculty mentors help cadets develop strong analytical reasoning, laboratory, computational, and technical communication skills. They also provide our majors with the opportunity to combine skills developed in their coursework with the creativity needed to solve real-world problems in independent research projects in pure and applied physics. Mathematics is an integral part of the study of physics, and it is essential for students to come with strong mathematics skills to successfully pursue the physics major. While the physics curriculum is rich in applied mathematics, it is also a wellbalanced program with many opportunities to develop hands-on laboratory and computer programming skills and to probe the relationship between experiment and mathematical theory that is the hallmark of physics. The physics curriculum is a flexible curriculum that provides an excellent opportunity for the development of intellectual breadth while also building strong scientific and technical skills. Our degree programs offer a generous complement of electives, allowing cadets to obtain one or more minors or even to double major in select cases. This flexibility allows each cadet to point the degree along the career path that they wish to pursue. Historically, physics has been a very marketable degree that graduates use to follow a wide range of career paths in the military, industry, and in education. Our B.S. physics degree program offers solid training for many technical career paths or for graduate study in physics and other closely allied technical fields. In addition to the core curriculum requirements, it includes 15 credit hours of free electives, 6 credit hours of humanities and social science electives, and 12 hours of technical electives. Our B.S. in physics with a concentration in nuclear energy is specifically designed to prepare students for work in the nuclear power industry, the Navy’s NUPOC program, or for graduate study in Nuclear Engineering. It includes 12 credit hours of free electives, 6 credit hours of humanities and social science electives, 6 credit hours of technical electives, and 6 credit hours of physics electives (at the 300 or 400 level). Our B.A. physics degree program is well suited to the student who wants to major in physics but who also has strong interests in the humanities or social sciences. The B.A. degree program is also designed to allow those cadets interested in teaching physics at the high school level to work toward teacher certification while they complete their physics degree. With 21 credit hours of free electives, the B.A. option allows a cadet to pursue a second area of study in depth, and it is expected that some of the free elective hours will be used to obtain a minor or to pursue a double major. There are also 9 hours of technical electives and 9 hours of physics electives (at the 200, 300, or 400 level). Finally, cadets pursuing the B.A. are required to meet a four semester foreign language requirement or demonstrate equivalent proficiency. The department houses a generous complement of wellequipped classrooms, teaching laboratories and faculty research laboratories. The teaching laboratories include two general physics laboratories, an electronics and interfacing laboratory, an optics laboratory, and a modern physics laboratory. The department has a small accelerator and nuclear physics laboratory in the basement of Mallory Hall, and the VMI Observatory, a short drive from Post, has a 20-inch reflecting telescope and an array of smaller telescopes that are used in our astronomy courses and for faculty and cadet research projects. Faculty conduct research with cadets in laboratories devoted to organic thin film device fabrication and characterization, laser physics and fiber optics, solid state and gas phase laser spectroscopy, and astronomy. Every cadet who completes the degree program will work one-on-one or in a small group with a faculty mentor on a research project. Cadets majoring in physics and the fulltime physics faculty form a close-knit academic community in which cadets can pursue a deeper understanding of the physical world while also preparing for a broad array of career paths. MINOR IN PHYSICS A minor in physics is offered to cadets who desire to complement their major area of study with additional work in the field of physics. The requirements that must be satisfied are as follows: 1. General Physics Sequence PY 160, PY 161, PY 155, and PY 156 2. Modern Physics PY 335 Modern Physics I 3. At least 9 additional hours of courses are required. Those courses must be selected from the following: AT 306, PY 253W, PY 254, PY 308, PY 333W, PY 334, PY 341, PY 342, PY 344, PY 336, PY 441, PY 446, PY 453, PY 257, PY 459, PY 460. 4. A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required in all courses required for the minor. A cadet who wishes to apply for the physics minor must do so prior to the spring semester of the Second Class (junior) year. Contact the head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy for details. MINOR IN ASTRONOMY A minor in astronomy is offered to cadets who desire to complement their major area of study with additional work in the field of astronomy. The student must complete the following courses: PY 160-161 and PY 155-156 AT 201 - The Solar System AT 204 - Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe AT 301 - Observational Techniques AT 306 - Introductory Astrophysics A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required in all courses required for the minor. 68
Virginia Military Institute 12-13 Catalogue SYNOPSIS OF THE B.S. CURRICULUM IN physics FOURTH (Freshman) CLASS First Semester Semester Subject Hrs. Credit CH 111 Lab for CH 131.............................................. 1 CH 131 Chemical Science I........................................ 3 WR 101 English Composition I*.................................. 3 HI 103 World History................................................. 3 MA 123 Calc. with An. Geom. I*.................................. 3 PY 160 General Physics I........................................... 3 PY 155 Lab for General Physics I............................... 1 PE 105/102 Wellness Concepts or Boxing....................... 1 / 2 AS, MS, or NS................................................ 1 TOTAL .................................................................18 1 / 2 Second Semester Semester Subject Hrs. Credit CH 112 Lab for CH 132.............................................. 1 CH 132 Chemical Science II....................................... 3 WR 102 English Composition II*.................................. 3 HI 104 World History................................................. 3 MA 124 Calc. with An. Geom. II*................................. 3 PY 161 General Physics II.......................................... 3 PY 156 Lab for General Physics II.............................. 1 PE 105/102 Wellness Concepts or Boxing....................... 1 / 2 AS, MS, or NS................................................ 1 TOTAL ................................................................18 1 / 2 THIRD (Sophomore) CLASS First Semester Semester Subject Hrs. Credit MA 103 Matrix Algebra............................................... 2 MA 215 Calc with An. Geom. III.................................. 4 PY 238 Laboratory Techniques.................................. 2 PY 254 Optics............................................................ 3 PY 253W Optics Lab..................................................... 1 PE 101/300 Swimming or Physical Cond..................... 1 / 2 -1 Free Elective.................................................. 3 AS, MS, or NS................................................ 1 TOTAL .......................................................... 16 1 / 2 -17 Second Semester Semester Subject Hrs. Credit MA 311 Elem. Dif. Eq.................................................. 3 PY 223 Programming & Data Analysis....................... 2 PY 257 Electronics and Interfacing............................ 4 PS 344 Leadership in Organizations.......................... 3 Tech Elective.................................................. 3 PE 101/300 Swimming or Physical Cond..................... 1 / 2 -1 AS, MS, or NS................................................ 1 TOTAL .......................................................... 16 1 / 2 -17 SECOND (Junior) CLASS First Semester Semester Subject Hrs. Credit MA 301 Higher Math Engr. Sc..................................... 3 PY 341 Elec. & Mag. I................................................. 3 PY 333W Modern Physics Lab...................................... 1 PY 335 Modern Physics I........................................... 3 Hum. or Soc. Science Elective...................... 3 AS, MS, or NS................................................ 2 TOTAL .................................................................... 15 Second Semester Semester Subject Hrs. Credit PY 336 Modern Physics II.......................................... 3 PY 342 Elec. & Mag. II .............................................. 3 PY 441 Classical Mechanics I.................................... 3 Tech Elective.................................................. 3 Free Elective.................................................. 3 PE Elective......................................................... 1 / AS, MS, or NS................................................ 2 TOTAL ................................................................17 1 / 2 FIRST (Senior) CLASS First Semester Semester Subject Hrs. Credit PY 420 Capstone I..................................................... 2 PY 459 Intro. Quantum Mech..................................... 3 Hum. or Soc. Science Elective...................... 3 Tech Elective.................................................. 3 Free Elective.................................................. 3 PE Elective.................................................... 1 / AS, MS, or NS................................................ 2 TOTAL ................................................................16 1 / 2 Second Semester Semester Subject Hrs. Credit PY 421 Capstone II.................................................... 1 PY 446 Thermal Physics............................................ 3 SE 300 Public Speaking............................................. 1 Tech Elective.................................................. 3 Free Elective.................................................. 3 Free Elective.................................................. 3 PE Elective.................................................... 1 / AS, MS, or NS................................................ 2 TOTAL ................................................................16 1 / 2 Total Hours: 136 (includes 45 hours of physics courses) See text for a discussion of elective requirements *Minimum grade of C required 69
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CORRESPONDENCE For prompt attention
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INSTITUTE CALENDAR 2012-2013 CRITIC
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The Institute An Education for Lead
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Admissions Requirements General. Th
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Virginia Military Institute 12-13 C
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COSTS AND Payment schedule TUITION,
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FINANCIAL AID The purpose of the VM
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