Physics B.S.

Institutional Accreditation

Information on FGCU institutional accreditation is available at www.fgcu.edu/accreditation

Admissions Information for the 2024-2025 Catalog Year

If you are not yet an FGCU student, visit the Admissions Office Website

If you are a newly-admitted FGCU student please be sure to sign up for an Eagle View Orientation session. As part of this session you will be meeting with an academic advisor who will assist you in registering for classes for your major.

Admission Deadlines

Visit the Admissions Office Web site for information on admission deadlines of the university.

Admissions Information for the 2022-2023 Catalog Year

If you are not yet an FGCU student, visit the Admissions Office Website

If you are a newly-admitted FGCU student please be sure to sign up for an Eagle View Orientation session. As part of this session you will be meeting with an academic advisor who will assist you in registering for classes for your major.

Admission Deadlines

Visit the Admissions Office Web site for information on admission deadlines of the university.

Degree Maps are to be used as a general guideline for students. Some students scheduling needs may vary based upon completed courses and transfer credits. Please see your advisor for assistance and verification.

2024-2025 Physics B.S. Degree Map

Additional Graduation Requirements include:

• A minimum of 120 credit hours.
• A minimum of 48 of the 120 hours must be at the upper division (3000 - 4999) level.
• A cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all coursework attempted at FGCU.
• A minimum grade of C for each course used to satisfy the following categories: common prerequisites, required courses in the major, and courses in the concentration.
• Satisfaction of the College-Level Skills and foreign language entrance requirements.
• Satisfaction of the Service Learning requirement (See www.fgcu.edu/connect).
• Satisfaction of the residency requirement: thirty of the last sixty credits must be completed at FGCU.
• Completion of the summer course enrollment requirement.
• Submit an online Application for Graduation via Gulfline by the deadline listed in the FGCU Academic Calendar.
• Transfer Notes and Acceptable Substitutes

For All Majors: Students are strongly recommended to select required lower division electives that will enhance their General Education coursework and that will support their intended baccalaureate degree program. Students should consult with an academic advisor in their major degree area.

Official Course Descriptions

Search for official course descriptions by using the Course Description Search utility.

Go to the Course Descriptions Search Web page, then follow these steps:

1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select a course prefix from one of the SUBJECT dropdowns (required)
3. Enter search words in the TEXT field (optional, but will narrow the search results)
4. Press Search

Getting started with the Course Schedule Search

Search for program courses by using the Course Schedule Search utility.

Go to the Course Schedule Search Web page, then follow these steps:

1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select one or more of the search options to narrow your results (for example, CAMPUS, COLLEGE, DEPARTMENT, LEVEL, PREFIX*, COURSE ATTRIBUTE**).  For virtual or web courses, select VIRTUAL in the CAMPUS field.
3. Press Search.

*A course prefix is a three-letter designator for a major division of an academic discipline (for example, ACG for Accounting , BSC for Biological Science, ENC for English Composition).  See the Degree Requirements page for a list of courses (with prefix and number) that can be used to fulfill degree requirements.

**A course attribute identifies specific characteristics of courses that can be used in a Degree Evaluation to satisfy a degree requirement. (Course attribute examples are Humanities courses - GEHM and Social Science courses - GESO.)

Content/Discipline Knowledge and Skills
Graduates will be able to:

1. Develop a conceptual understanding of physics principles. They will be able to demonstrate concepts in Newtonian Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Electricity and Magnetism, Optics, Relativity and Quantum Mechanics.
2. Develop relevant laboratory and computational skills. They will be able to apply the scientific method to design, execute, and analyze an experiment. In addition, they will be able to explain their scientific procedures as well as their experimental observations
3. Develop advanced problem solving skills. They will be able to apply advanced mathematics to solve complex problems involving physical phenomena.
4. Develop the observation, reflection, and critical thinking skills that are vital to working physicists.

Content/discipline knowledge and skills are assessed at the College and Program levels through exams, laboratory assessment, design projects, teamwork assessment, and assignments in one or more of the following courses: PHY 3101 Intro to Modern Physics, PHY 3221 Intermediate Mechanics, PHY 3323 Electricity and Magnetism, PHY 3513 Thermal-Statistical Physics, PHY 4151C Computational Physics, PHY 4604 Introduction to Quantum Theory, PHY 4821L Advanced Physics Laboratory, AST 3211 Essentials of Astrophysics.

Communication Skills
Graduates will be able to:

1. Create written communications through lab reports or in a professional setting, such as scientific or professional journal articles or poster presentations.
2. Create oral presentations about scientific information in Physics in a class room, in a campus research activity, or in a professional setting, such as scientific conference or professional meeting.
3. Conduct physics research under faculty supervision, and to gather and evaluate information, including literature search and the use of technology in searching information.

Communication skills are assessed at the College and Program levels through exams, laboratory assessment, research papers and presentations in one or more of the following courses: PHY 4821L Advanced Physics Laboratory, PHY 4XXX (4911) Senior Project in Physics, PHY 4XXX (4912) Senior Project Presentation, PHY 4XXX (4931) Senior Capstone in Physics

Critical Thinking Skills
Graduates will be able to:

1. Analyze professional decisions based on the concepts and knowledge of physics.
2. Conduct physics research under faculty supervision.
3. Find, understand and assess extant scientific literature relevant to a chosen topic of study.
4. Know how to apply standard laboratory and computational techniques and use basic scientific instruments in experiments, to study physical phenomena.

Critical thinking skills are essential in all aspects of applying physical theory to the understanding of the world, especially selecting relevant levels of theory, approximations and the applicable mathematical analysis tools used in applying those theories. As such, there is critical thinking in all of the courses in the curriculum. At the upper levels, these skills culminate in the following courses: PHY 4151C Computational Physics, PHY 4XXX (4911) Senior Project in Physics, PHY 4XXX (4912) Senior Project Presentation, PHY 4XXX (4931) Senior Capstone in Physics

Tuition and Fees

Information on Tuition, Fees and estimated total Cost of Attendance is available on the Office of the Bursar web site.

Financial Aid Opportunities

Visit FGCU's Financial Aid Web site for information about grants, additional scholarships, loans, and student employment.