Physics Department

Undergraduate physics majors and physics/astronomy majors may pursue either a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree. Although the BA and BS programs have different objectives, both emphasize the basic principles of physics and their applications, an analytical approach to problem solving including the use of mathematical methods, and direct experience with physics laboratory and research techniques. The instructional facilities of the Department of Physics, housed in the new Mathematics and Science Center, include general and advanced physics laboratories; optics, analog and digital electronics, and microprocessor laboratories; and two observational astronomy facilities. One facility is a ten-station rooftop observing deck with small reflecting telescopes used for introductory astronomy. The other primary facility is the Emory observatory, which houses a research-grade, twenty-four-inch Cassegrain telescope for use in advanced astrophysics and astronomy courses. Faculty research laboratories and computer equipment are available to students engaged in research projects in condensed matter physics, biophysics, and nonlinear dynamics. Other specialized teaching facilities for physics and astronomy include a one-hundred-and-eighty seat lecture demonstration theater, a sixty-seat Zeiss Planetarium classroom, and a sixteen-station computational physics classroom/laboratory. The graduate school offers the master of science and doctor of philosophy degrees in physics.