Physics majors can select from two curricular options: a B.A. or B.S. in Physics. The B.A. gives students the flexibility to combine physics with another focus area in an interdisciplinary program, in particular Physics Education, Biophysics, Information Technology/Data Science, or Technical Writing.
Degree Requirements
- Students who change degree programs and select this major must adopt the most current catalog.
- Grades below "C" (2.0) in any required physics or mathematics courses are not acceptable; they must be repeated with a higher grade.
- Students must achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all courses taken that could meet major requirements. All attempts that could meet requirements are included in the major GPA calculation. All attempts of courses listed for the major taken beyond the minimum required are included in the GPA calculation (e.g., additional restricted electives).
- The Departmental Residency Requirement consists of at least 15 semester hours of regularly scheduled 3000-4000 level courses taken from the UCF Department of Physics.
- Physics majors are discouraged from taking courses as a transient student at a Florida College System institution, except in situations where one semester of a two semester sequence has already been taken at the Florida College System institution.
- All prerequisites of courses taught within the College of Sciences will be enforced.
- Courses designated in 2 (Common Program Prerequisites) are usually completed in the first sixty hours.
- Upon reaching junior standing (60 hours), Physics majors are expected to have completed the following courses and associated chemistry laboratories. These classes are prerequisites for advanced science classes and students entering the major without these classes will be unable to register for most of the advanced courses.
- CHM2045C - Chemistry Fundamentals I
- CHM2046 - Chemistry Fundamentals II
- CHM2046L - Chemistry Fundamentals Laboratory
- MAC2311C - Calculus with Analytic Geometry I
- MAC2312 - Calculus with Analytic Geometry II
- PHY2048 and PHY2048L - General Physics Using Calculus I course and lab (or PHY2048C)
- PHY2049 and PHY2049L - General Physics Using Calculus II course and lab (or PHY2049C)
Degree Requirements
Core Requirements: Additional
21 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Basic core fulfilled by completing all of the required GEP and CPP courses (MAC2311C, PHY2048/PHY2049L (or PHY2048C), MAC2312, MAC2313, CHM2046, CHM2046L, PHY2049/PHY2049L (or PHY2049C).
- Complete the following:
- MAP2302 - Ordinary Differential Equations I (3)
- PHY3101 - General Physics Using Calculus III (3)
- PHY3220 - Mechanics I (3)
- PHY3323 - Electricity and Magnetism I (3)
- PHY3513 - Thermal and Statistical Physics (3)
- PHY4604 - Wave Mechanics I (3)
- PHZ3113 - Introduction to Theoretical Methods of Physics (3)
Core Requirement: Laboratory
3 Total Credits
- Complete the following:
- PHY3802L - Intermediate Physics Laboratory (3)
Core Requirements: Technical Writing Specialization
30 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Complete the following:
- ENC3241 - Writing for the Technical Professional (3)
- ENC4218 - Visual Technical Communication (3)
- ENC4280 - Technical Writing Style (3)
- ENC4290 - Usability Testing for Technical Communication (3)
- ENC4293 - Documentation and Project Management (3)
- Earn at least 9 credits from the following types of courses: Restricted Electives: Select 9 credits from upper division PHY, PHZ, or AST courses. The elective courses will be selected with advisor approval.
- Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: Directed Electives: Select 6 credits from upper division writing or communication courses. The elective courses will be selected with advisor approval. ENC 4262 - International Technical Communication Credit Hours: 3 ENC 3455 - Writing about Science and Technology Credit Hours: 3 ENC 3314 - Writing and Rhetoric Foundations Credit Hours: 3 ENC 3351 - Writing for Publication Credit Hours: 3 ENC 3250 - Professional Writing Credit Hours: 3 LIT 4433 - Literature of Science and Technology Credit Hours: 3 Additional restricted/directed electives can be taken as approved by an advisor.
Grand Total Credits: 54
Total Semester Hours Required: 120
Electives
- To fulfil the 120 hours required in this degree, complete additional elective courses that are selected with advisor approval.
Foreign Language Requirements
Graduation
- Proficiency equivalent to one year of college instruction in a foreign language taught by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures or Judaic Studies. Standardized examinations for foreign languages may be used to meet the requirement.
Departmental Exit Requirements
- Grades below "C" (2.0) in any required physics or mathematics courses are not acceptable; they must be repeated with a higher grade.
- Students must achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all courses taken that could meet major requirements.
- All attempts that could meet requirements are included in the major GPA calculation. All attempts of courses listed for the major taken beyond the minimum required are included in the GPA calculation (e.g., additional restricted electives).
- Students will be required to take a nationally normed test in Physics during their last year.
- Students will have an exit interview in their last semester with a representative of the Physics Undergraduate Committee.
University Minimum Exit Requirements
- A 2.0 UCF GPA.
- 42 semester hours of upper division credit completed.
- 60 semester hours earned after CLEP awarded
- 30 of the last 39 hours of course work must be completed in residency at UCF.
- A maximum of 45 hours of extension, correspondence, CLEP, Credit by Exam, and Armed Forces credits permitted.
- Complete the General Education Program, the Gordon Rule, and nine hours of Summer credit.
Honors In Major
- Application and admissions through The Burnett Honors College and department. More information about Honors in the Major can be found at honors.ucf.edu/research.
Related Programs
Advising Notes
- Contact your college advisor in the College of Sciences Advising Services (COSAS) office (CSB 250) for more information about overall progress toward your degree, GEP and other university requirements, academic probation, special problems as well as general academic advising.
Transfer Notes
- Lower division courses do not substitute for upper division courses.
- Courses transferred from private and out-of-state schools must be evaluated for equivalency credit. The student must provide all supporting information.
- Submit your requests for course evaluations at https://sciences.ucf.edu/cosas/ and click on "COS Course Evaluation".
- The following substitutions for common program prerequisites are acceptable if taken prior to transferring to UCF:
- CHM2045C: may use CHM1040 plus CHM1041 or CHM2040C plus CHM2041C
Program Academic Learning Compacts
- Program Academic Learning Compacts (student learning outcomes) for undergraduate programs are located at: http://www.oeas.ucf.edu/alc/academic_learning_compacts.htm
