Mission Statement
In fulfilling its part of the mission of the University, the Physics Department strives for excellence in 3 areas.
- Research: The Department creates and disseminates new scientific knowledge.
- Teaching: The Department offers courses in physics at the graduate and undergraduate levels that will help prepare students for professional careers in science, engineering, education, technology, and health care.
- Service: The Department offers courses that will help promote public awareness and understanding of science. The Department participates in outreach programs to the general public.
Physics Programs
The Physics Department's Mission Statement is implemented via (1) its undergraduate bachelor's programs, (2) its graduate programs, and (3) its teaching programs.
The bachelor's programs come in four versions: a BA degree and a BS degree, with the latter allowing for an optional applied or a professional emphasis.
The teaching programs come in two versions: a BS in Physics Teaching and a BS in Physical Science Composite Teaching.
There are two graduate programs leading to MS and PhD degrees.
The 4 types of bachelors programs have a common core of required and elective coursework components, and a research component. Likewise, the teaching programs have a common core of physics courses and teaching experiences. The graduate programs also have a common core of required and elective coursework components, and a research component. For assessment purposes we therefore have created three plans to treat the bachelor's programs, teaching programs, and graduate programs, respectively.