Bachelor of Science BS Mathematical Physics Concentration BS Biophysics Concentration BS Mathematics and Physics Engineering Physics Major Bachelor of Arts BA Teaching Physics Minor Undergraduate Studies

The Biophysics Concentration in the Bachelor of Science in Physics Degree Program

(updated on November 13, 2009)

 

This concentration addresses the growing interest and excitement in biophysics.  It offers ideal preparation for biological research in physics graduate schools and industry, and is appropriate for other graduate departments such as biology, biophysics, and biomedical engineering, and as a medical school track. The degree is a track within the B.S. in Physics, officially a 'B.S. in Physics with a Biophysics Concentration'. Thus the program can be described in terms of certain substitutions in the course requirements for the standard B.S. in Physics. Four physics courses and two open electives are replaced by a "biogroup" of five courses and a technical elective described below. All substitutions must be approved by a physics faculty committee.

The following table illustrates the curriculum of the Bachelor of Science in Physics with Biophysics Concentration. Those courses in the standard B.S. program that are replaced are shown in brackets; their replacements are either found in the same entry or in the biogroup.

Course

 

Yr*

Cred

Course

 

Yr*

Cred

PHYS 121 or 123

Intro Mech

1

4

CHEM 105 (or 111)

Chem 1

1

3 (4)

PHYS 122 or 124

Intro E&M

1

4

CHEM 106 (or ENGR 145)

Chem 2

1

3 (4)

PHYS 221

Modern

2F

3

CHEM 113

CLab

1

2

PHYS 203

Elec Lab

2F

4

ENGR 131****

CompPro

1

3

PHYS 204

Instr Lab

2S

4

MATH 121 or 123

Calc 1

1

4

PHYS 250

CompMeth

2S

3

MATH 122 or 124

Calc 2

1

4

PHYS 310

Clas. Mech

2S

3

MATH 223 or 227

Calc 3

2F

3

PHYS 301

Adv Lab 1

3F

3

MATH 224

Diff E

2S

3

PHYS 303***
AdvLabSem
3F
1
        

PHYS 313

Thermo

3F

3

B-group 1*****

biogroup

1

4(3)

PHYS 331

QM 1

3F

3

B-group 2*****

biogroup

2

4(3)

[PHYS 302]

[Adv Lab 2]

   

B-group 3*****

biogroup

3

3

PHYS 324

E&M 1

3S

3

B-group 4*****

biogroup

3

3

[PHYS 332]

[QM 2]

   

B-group 5*****

biogroup

4

3(4)

[PHYS 315]

Tech elective**

[Solid State]

4F

3

PHED 2 semesters

   

0

PHYS 325

E&M 2

4F

3

Subtotal

   

42 (44)

PHYS 351***

Sr BioPrj

4

4

SAGES first/Univ sem

Breadth requirements******

  
1&2

10

12
PHYS 352***
SrProjSem
4
2

[Open electives]

Open electives*******

[15 credits]

 

8

[PHYS 316]

[Nuc Par]

           

Subtotal

   

50

Total

   

127

* course usually taken in this year, offered only in F = fall, S = spring

** Suggested technical electives include PHYS 315, 316, 326, 327.

*** PHYS 303 + PHYS 352 satisfy the SAGES departmental seminar requirement. PHYS 351 is an approved SAGES capstone course.

**** or other approved computational course

***** B-group 1-5 are to be chosen from among approved biology, biophysics, biochemistry, biomedical engineering courses, including certain prerequisites as needed (e.g., chemistry). BIOL 214 and BIOL 215 are suggested for B-group 1 and 2.  The listing of credits includes numbers for the most likely choices of courses and, in parenthesis, possible alternatives.

******The breadth requirements include 6 hours of Social Sciences and 6 hours of Arts and Humanities. This may increase by 3 credits if the required Global and Cultural Diversity course is not also one of the breadth requirement courses. Courses required for the BS in Physics satisfy the 6 credit GER for Natural Sciences and Mathematics as well as the Quantitative Reasoning course requirement.

*******The number of open electives may vary as determined by the degree requirement that the total number of credits be at least 127.

Typical Schedule

 

Fall
(Class Hours-Lab Hours-Credit Hours)

Spring
(Class Hours-Lab Hours-Credit Hours)

First
Year

PHYS 121 or PHYS 123  Mechanics (4-3-4)
MATH 121 Calculus for Science and Engineering I (4-0-4)
CHEM 105 or CHEM 111 (3-0-3) or (4-0-4)
ENGR 131 Elementary Computer Programming (2-2-3)
FS** SAGES First Seminar (4-0-4)
PHED *** Physical Education Activities (0-3-0)

PHYS 122 or PHYS 124 Electricity & Magnetism (4-3-4)
MATH 122 Calculus for Science and Engineering II (4-0-4)
CHEM 106 or ENGR 145 (3-0-3) or (4-0-4)
CHEM 113 Chemistry Lab (1-3-2)
BIOGROUP Elective (3-0-3)
PHED *** Physical Education Activities (0-3-0)

Second Year

PHYS 203 Analog & Digital Electronics (2-4-4)
PHYS 221 General Physics III – Modern Physics (3-0-3)
MATH 223 Calculus for Science & Engineering III (3-0-3)
BIOGROUP Elective (3-0-3)
US** University Seminar (3-0-3)

PHYS 204 Advanced Instrumentation Lab (2-4-4)
PHYS 250 Mathematics, Physics and Computing (3-0-3)
PHYS 310 Classical Mechanics (3-0-3)
MATH 224 Differential Equations (3-0-3)
US** University Seminar (3-0-3)

Third Year

PHYS 301+303 Adv. Lab. Physics I + Seminar (0-8-4)+(1-0-1)
PHYS 313 Thermodynamics & Statistical Mech. (3-0-3)
PHYS 331 Introduction to Quantum Mechanics I(3-0-3)
BIOGROUP Elective (3-0-3)
Humanities/Social Science Elective (3-0-3)

PHYS 324 Electricity and Magnetism I (3-0-3)
BIOGROUP Elective (3-0-3)
Global and Cultural Diversity Elective  (3-0-3)
Humanities/Social Science Elective (3-0-3)
Open Elective (3-0-3)

Fourth Year

PHYS 351+352 Senior Physics Project+Sseminar (0-6-2)+(1-0-1)
PHYS 325 Electricity and Magnetism II(3-0-3)
PHYS 3** Physics Elective (3-0-3)
Humanities/Social Science Elective (3-0-3)
Open Elective (3-0-3)

PHYS 351+352 Senior Physics Project+Sseminar (0-6-2)+(1-0-1)
BIOGROUP Elective (3-0-3)
Humanities/Social Science Elective (3-0-3)
Open Elective (3-0-3)
Open Elective (3-0-3)

Physics Credits - 50,   Total Credits required for graduation 127

 

For more information, contact Prof. Gary Chottiner, gary.chottiner@cwru.edu or Prof. Robert Brown, rwb@po.cwru.edu .