Duke Physics

The central mission of the undergraduate program in physics is to teach students how physicists measure, describe, and explain natural phenomena through scientific investigation and critical thinking. Students learn concepts in physics, quantitative methods for analyzing data and developing theoretical insights, and experimental techniques for testing theoretical predictions and discovering new phenomena. The study of diverse applications as well as elegant theoretical formalisms reveals physics to be an exciting and highly rewarding discipline that has important connections to other sciences, engineering disciplines, and societal goals.

The Physics Department offers educational opportunities that are consistent with the broad principles of the School of Arts and Sciences. The undergraduate program for students pursuing a BS or BA degree in physics provides a solid and challenging education and prepares them to excel in diverse career paths where independent thinking, analytical skills, and experimental skills are useful. These paths include graduate or professional school, industrial research, and education, not just in physics but in other scientific, engineering, social, and professional fields.

For non-majors taking introductory physics as a part of their liberal arts or engineering program, the courses develop physical concepts and intuition along with the laboratory work and problem-solving skills required to succeed in their chosen course of study. Different introductory course sequences are designed to suit the different needs of Arts and Science majors and Engineering majors while emphasizing the core features of the physicist's perspective on the natural world. For students interested in physics as an elective part of a broad liberal arts curriculum, courses with few or no prerequisites develop conceptual understanding of topics of general interest. All physics courses encourage students to appreciate the relevance of physics in their everyday lives and to their future professions.

For majors:

1. Provide the necessary courses and training for students to acquire a deep physics foundation in their undergraduate education. Students attain a rigorous understanding of generally recognized core materials as well as a mastery of a few advanced topics covered in upper level courses. The training also includes an extensive laboratory component for validating concepts discussed in the classroom, learning experimental techniques, experiencing the discovery of new phenomena, and matching analytical or numerical models to observations.
2. Develop analytical and problem solving abilities. Complex problem solving through logical and critical thinking is strongly emphasized at all course levels. Students also obtain some exposure to numerical calculations and computer simulations.
3. Provide research experiences and communication skill through Independent Study courses. The department considers research experience to be a highly effective educational tool, showing students firsthand how physicists conduct scientific investigations and fostering independent and critical thinking. The department is committed to provide excellent research opportunities covering the full range of sub-disciplines represented by its faculty, and strongly encourages to engage in research and to write a senior thesis.
4. Provide career preparation. In addition to the traditional physics career path of pursuing graduate programs, physics majors have many other choices in interdisciplinary fields, such as medicine, biophysics, computer science, finance, law, engineering, and others. The department provides direct guidance to students interested in careers familiar to the faculty, and is prepared to help students interested in other career paths find appropriate counselors on campus.

    
For non-physics majors:

1. Guide students to develop an appreciation of the conceptual framework physicists use in analyzing physical systems and to learn how to obtain complete solutions to problems in their relevant subject domain. Students are challenged to apply learned concepts to new systems or situations, with a focus on mastering concepts and problem solving techniques.
2. Provide laboratory experience. Physics is an experimental science, and it is important to demonstrate that the principles and concepts apply to real world situations through hands-on experiments. The department is committed to provide laboratory components that are effective in engaging students, reinforcing classroom lessons, and emphasizing the relevance of idealized models for understanding real phenomena.
3. Provide useful and interesting courses accessible to students with majors outside science and engineering. The department offers freshman seminars and general interest courses emphasizing the impact of physics on human lives through its explanatory power, its intellectual impact on modern ways of thinking about the world, and its contributions to culture and technology.