Undergraduate Major Physics

Students in the College of Arts & Sciences do not declare a major until their sophomore year. Nevertheless, students can indicate their interest in majoring in physics on their application for admission to Cornell University. Information on applying to Cornell can be found at the College of Arts and Science and the main Cornell Admissions site. Click the Cornell Days Physics 2019 schedule for classes you can sit in on, faculty office hours, and informational sessions conducted by our Society of Physics Students. Physics 1116 is not available to visit on April 26.

Incoming freshmen interested in majoring in physics should attend our Orientation for Prospective Physics Majors time TBA. Freshmen can also request a current junior or senior majoring in physics to serve as an informal peer advisor. Prospective majors are encouraged to join the student-run Society of Physics Students, and are also welcome to discuss pre-major course selection with the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Sophomores meeting the entrance requirements for the major (at least 2 physics and 2 math courses taken at Cornell with an average grade of B- or higher in the aforementioned courses) may apply to the major by following these steps:

1) Download and fill out both sides of the Physics Major Form here: After completing as much of the form as possible, print the form and bring it to the meeting with the DUS, Prof. Kyle Shen to complete their physics major form and admission to the major.

2) Choose one or two possible physics major advisors. If students do not have any preferences, a major advisor will be assigned to them by the DUS.

3) After meeting with the Director of Undergraduate Studies, new majors will meet with their major advisors to go over their Physics Major Course Plan (2nd page of Physics Major Form).

The minimum grade for a course to count towards the physics major is a C-.

The Physics Core – All physics majors must complete a core of physics and mathematics courses as follows:

Three-semester introductory physics sequence plus special relativity:

Either:
PHYS 1112 – Physics I: Mechanics
PHYS 2213 – Physics II: Heat/Electromagnetism
PHYS 2214 – Physics III: Oscillations, Waves, and Quantum Physics
PHYS 2216 – Introduction to Special Relativity

Or its more analytic “honors” version:
PHYS 1116 – Physics I: Mechanics and Special Relativity
PHYS 2217 – Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism
PHYS 2218 – Physics III: Waves and Thermal Physics

PHYS 2207 students with life/chemical/health science interests who decide to switch to the physics major may complete:

PHYS 2207 – Fundamentals of Physics I
PHYS 2213 – Physics II: Heat/Electromagnetism
PHYS 2214 – Physics III: Oscillations, Waves, and Quantum Physics
PHYS 2216 – Introduction to Special Relativity

*NOTE: A transition from PHYS 2208 to PHYS 2214 is also possible for students with very strong math backgrounds.

Mathematics courses covering single and multivariable calculus, linear algebra, series representations, and complex analysis:

MATH 1910 – Calculus for Engineers or
MATH 1120 – Calculus II or
MATH 1220 – Honors Calculus II

Five upper-level courses beyond the three-semester introductory sequence, consisting of:

(1) The two-course sequence in modern physics:
PHYS 3316 – Basics of Quantum Mechanics
PHYS 3317 – Applications of Quantum Mechanics

(2) At least three semester hours of laboratory work selected from:
PHYS 3310 – Intermediate Experimental Physics
PHYS 3330 – Modern Experimental Optics (crosslisted)
PHYS 3360 – Electronic Circuits (crosslisted)
PHYS 4410 – Advanced Experimental Physics
AEP 2640 – Computer-Instrumentation Design (crosslisted)
ASTRO 4410 – Experimental Astronomy
BEE 4500 – Bioinstrumentation

(3) An intermediate course in classical mechanics:
PHYS 3318 – Analytical Mechanics

Physics 3314 and 3318 have been merged so all physics majors should take Physics 3318.

(4) An intermediate course in electromagnetism:
PHYS 3323 – Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism or
PHYS 3327 – Advanced Electricity and Magnetism

*NOTE: Students who complete the PHYS 1112–PHYS 2213–PHYS 2214 orPHYS 2207–PHYS 2213–PHYS 2214 introductory sequence are advised to complete the 1-credit course PHYS 2216 before taking PHYS 3316.

In addition to the core, each physics major must complete at least 15 semester hours of credit in an area of concentration that has been agreed upon by the student and major faculty advisor consistent with the guidelines found here.

A student may be granted honors in physics upon the recommendation of the Physics Advisors Committee of the physics faculty. There is no particular course structure or thesis requirement for honors. However, we do have a senior thesis option starting with our current junior class.

Below is an overview of the basic timeline that physics majors intending to pursue a senior thesis should follow.

A thesis is a rewarding experience and your opportunity to do cutting edge science, which can take a lot of time. You should plan to 1) already be involved in research by your junior year, and 2) plan your schedule to leave large blocks of time for your thesis research

Students intending on pursuing a senior thesis should ideally already be working in the research group in which they intend to write a senior thesis

Students working on a senior thesis are encouraged to consider staying over the summer to work on their thesis research (dependent on funding)

Students should have a minimum of a 3.3 GPA in order to pursue the senior thesis

Students should have completed all of their Core Requirements by the beginning of the senior year (exceptions made for students having only one Core Requirement remaining)

Students should fill out their senior thesis proposal by April 1 of their junior year, with the written permission of their faculty major advisor & thesis advisor. All thesis proposals are ultimately decided by the DUS.

Students should already be actively engaged in research leading towards their senior thesis by the spring of their junior year

Students should be pursuing thesis research either within the physics department, or if outside the physics department, that is physics­related (at the discretion of the DUS)

Students are welcome to pursue a physics major concurrently with another major; either in the college of Arts and Sciences or in another college through the concurrent degree option. Any course used to satisfy a requirement of another major may be used in satisfaction of physics major requirements only if the student’s concentration is within physics.

The concepts and methods of physics impact nearly all areas of human endeavor. The Department of Physics offers courses in physics for the entire Cornell community. There are general education courses for non-scientists, well-designed introductory sequences for science and engineering majors, more advanced courses for physics majors, and rigorous programs of graduate study, up to doctoral-level independent research.

i) An average of B- or better in two of the introductory physics courses

To earn a minor in physics, a student must complete the following requirements, with a minimum grade of C-:

1. Completion of one of the 3-course Introductory Sequences (including special relativity, either in 1116 or 2216)

3. An intermediate physics lab course, chosen from PHYS 3310, 3360, 4410, AEP 2640, BEE 4500, or ASTRO 4410.

4. One additional 3000+ level PHYS course of at least 3 credits.

*Students with credit for another quantum mechanics class (such as AEP 3610, CHEM 2870-2880 or ECE 4060) may substitute a different 3000+ level physics course for PHYS 3316.

Each year the Department of Physics gives five awards to outstanding undergraduate students:

The Yennie Prize
An award to the outstanding senior student majoring in Physics who shows unusual promise for future contributions to physics research, and who intends to earn the doctorate.

Professor Yennie was a long-time member of the Cornell Physics faculty, internationally known for his work in theoretical physics, especially in quantum electrodynamics. He was also known to his students and colleagues as a wise and dedicated teacher. This prize is endowed in Professor Yennie’s memory by his family and colleagues. The 2019 Yennie Prize was awarded to Benjamin Roberts.

Kieval Prize
Prize awarded to a senior Physics student who demonstrates unusual promise for future contributions to the physics research.

The funds for this award were given by the late Harry S. Kieval, Cornell ’36, a long-time professor of mathematics at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California. The 2019 Kieval Prize was awarded to Noah Sailer.

Hartman Prize
This prize honors Paul Hartman, who was a long-time professor in both departments and who played a crucial role in teaching experimental physics to students in both programs. The prize is awarded to recognize outstanding work in experimental physics by an undergraduate in Physics and/or Applied and Engineering Physics. The 2019 Hartman Prize was awarded to Benjamin Roberts in Physics and Yonghun Lee in Applied and Engineering Physics.

Erik Cassel '90 Prize
An award to an undergraduate majoring in physics who has demonstrated exceptional creativity and promise in applying computer programming to a project in physics or related fields. This award was established in memory of Erik Cassel, Cornell '90.

As a physics major, Erik developed the first data analysis software used in the department's introductory physics laboratory experiments. This accomplishment, and an innovative course project integrating physics content with computer graphics, laid the foundation for his successful career as a software engineer in two startups that made extensive use of physics and computer graphics. Erik's family provided the funds for the award. The 2019 Cassel Prize was awarded to Chase Goddard.

Bethe Thesis Prize
An award to a senior Physics student for an outstanding honors senior thesis. This prize commemorates Professor Hans Bethe (1906-2005) who performed pathbreaking research in the department from the 1930s to the 1990s. Funds for this award are provided by Peter Lyman, Cornell 1985. who has completed a senior thesisdemonstrated exceptional creativity and promise in applying computer programming to a project in physics or related fields. This award was established in memory of Erik Cassel, Cornell '90.