Physics

Physics is the science that studies the structure and properties of matter and transformations of energy. With math as the language and experimental verification as a guide, physical study has established the fundamental laws of nature that are the foundation of all natural science and technology. The study of physics includes learning the general principles and the phenomena that have been discovered and developing the skills that enable such knowledge to be advanced through research.


Departmental Honors
The departmental honors program in physics provides exceptional students with an opportunity to develop skills beyond the normal course work. It also acknowledges those students who have attained a level of achievement beyond what is normally expected of an undergraduate physics major.
To receive an honors degree with a major in physics, a student must meet the following criteria: • Present the results of the research project in a poster or in a paper prepared in the form of a scientific journal article at a regional or national meeting, to a faculty panel that will consist of no fewer than three Physics Department faculty members, or in a physics seminar.
In order to receive departmental honors recognition, the student must be recommended by the director of undergraduate studies. Upon recommendation, the Office of the University Registrar will be notified that the candidate has earned departmental honors recognition. This acknowledgement will appear on the student's diploma as well as on the transcript.

Elective Tracks
Students have available a variety of courses from which they may select the required credits of physics electives for the BS or BA degree. The department offers tracks that allow students to specialize in astronomy, biological physics, condensed matter physics, computational physics, energy storage, materials science, nanomaterials, or optoelectronics. Students may wish to pursue one of these tracks, or follow a general track in which they can choose any of the courses that are listed and are not required courses.
Note: Tracks are not indicated on the diploma.

Foreign Language Alternative (BS)
Students who elect an undergraduate program leading to the BS degree with a major in Physics have an option regarding the College of Arts and Science foreign language requirement. This requirement of 12 or 13 credits (depending on the language studied) may be satisfied alternatively by the substitution of an approved specialization. This consists of a minimum of 12 credits at the 2000/3000 level or above and may not include courses normally required of all physics majors. It is to be selected from an area with special relevance to physics and to the student's own interests and future plans.
Students have selected options in aerospace engineering, atmospheric science/geophysical fluid dynamics, radiation biology, chemistry, computer science, electrical engineering (circuits or computer hardware option), geology, nuclear engineering, material science, math and other areas. The choice and planning of an option must be done under the direction of the departmental undergraduate advisor.

Dual Degrees and Double Majors
Students may wish to pursue two baccalaureate dual degrees simultaneously. For example, this might include a BS in Physics and a BS in Engineering, which is the most common choice. In order to receive two baccalaureate degrees, a student must complete a minimum of 132 credits and complete all the specified requirements for both degrees.
Another degree option is a single baccalaureate degree with two majors (double majors), which may be developed with the concurrence of appropriate advisors in the two departments. A notation of the successful completion of the two areas appears on the student's transcript. Both departments must be in the College of Arts and Sciences. Double major options often chosen by a physics major are chemistry, mathematics or geology. Mathematics is a particularly viable double major because the extensive mathematics component normally required in the BS degree with a major in physics, if coupled with a specialization area chosen from mathematics, nearly completes the BS degree with a major in mathematics.
Careful planning, started early in the academic career, is required to meet the conditions of dual majors or dual degrees. Students who complete such programs obtain the maximum from their undergraduate experience.

About Physics
At the University of Missouri, the physics degrees are offered by the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Because the Department has a moderate size, graduate students are better able to maintain a close relationship with the faculty. Our facilities include various laboratories within the Physics Building as well as the Research Reactor. In certain cases, a student's work may be carried out at National Laboratories or in collaboration with other science and engineering departments.
The largest research area is in experimental and theoretical condensedmatter physics. Other research programs in which thesis work may be accomplished are biological physics and astronomy/astrophysics. Graduates have been very successful in continuing their careers in industry, national laboratories and academics.

Research Resources
The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers many opportunities for scientific research in internationally recognized programs. The main focus of research is in the areas of theoretical and experimental condensed matter physics, biological physics, astrophysics, and alternative energy. These research efforts are fostered by the existence of the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR), a 10 MW light-water moderated reactor that is the highest-power university research reactor in the country. Furthermore, many research activities involve facilities at National Laboratories such as Argonne, Oak Ridge, and NIST.

Financial Aid from the Program
The department of Physics and Astronomy is committed to the success of its incoming graduate students and several financial aid packages are available to give maximum support to students so that they can pursue their academic work free from financial problems. Incoming students are usually assigned as teaching assistants (TA), and in some special cases as research assistant (RA).

More Details
For more details on the graduate program please consult the departmental web site: https://physics.missouri.edu/graduate-program (https://physics.missouri.edu/graduate-program/)

PHYSCS 1007: Topics in Physics and Astronomy -Physical Science
Study of selected topics in physics and astronomy. Subjects and earnable credit may vary from semester to semester.

PHYSCS 1050: Concepts in Cosmology
This course explores the development of our understanding of the origin and evolution of the Universe. We will embark on a qualitative description of the Big Bang theory, the expansion of the universe and its current structure, the cosmic microwave background radiation, the existence of dark matter and dark energy and their implications for the Universe's ultimate fate.

PHYSCS 1100: Science and Inventions
This course covers the history of some of the most important inventions in science and their impact on past civilizations, current advances in science and inventions, funding and policies, and critical advances in technology required for future generations.

PHYSCS 1150: Concepts in Physics
Introduction to fundamental concepts of physics for non-science majors. Concepts include the conservation of energy, the second law of thermodynamics, and the special theory of relativity. Students learn to reason and apply these concepts through writing assignments.

PHYSCS 1200: Everyday Wonders: Explaining How Ordinary Things Work
How does an airplane fly? How does a steel boat float? How does your phone know when you are swiping the screen? Many things that seem wondrous can be explained using basic principles of physics. In this course students develop concepts in simple machines, fluids, waves, optics, and electricity as they explore real-world applications using simulations and hands-on experiments.

PHYSCS 2200: Life and the Universe
This course explores the connection between our everyday existence and the underlying physics' processes. Students will look at processes -essential to life -ranging from the very small (atomic level) to the very large (universe), and the many length scales in between (cellular level and human being level) as will as make connections between the laws of physics and the numbers that go into them and the prerequisites for the existence of life. This course explores the conceptual structure of modern physics from a humanistic perspective. Rather than describing the natural world "as it is", physical science weaves some key observations in a convincing and memorable narrative. It is not within its power to explain reality, but it can make it understandable, sometimes even predictable. Due to the presence of internal and external constraints, physical theories are akin to myths, i.e., fiction created by many authors over an extended period of time. The mythical character of a theory does not diminish its scientific validity -quite the contrary. Convincing myths are not easily found and better observations demand better myths. The mythical content of the theory is not some extraneous content that we introduce for the sake of popularization, but an essential part of the science itself. . STEM fields are amongst the areas of human endeavor that struggle with increasing their human diversity. Teaching of science rarely discusses the contributions or marginalizations of under-represented groups. Meanwhile, many women and indigenous cultures have contributed to progress in STEM but are often not recognized. In this course we will investigate these contributions, and the lack of recognition both historically and in the present day. The aim is to provide students with a better understanding of the advantages of and challenges in inclusive, diverse science. Initially the course will use astronomy as its frame of reference because the sky was one of the earliest laboratories and consequently it has a long history with many indigenous cultures developing their own cosmologies and ways of studying the sky. As we discuss the role of Indigenous peoples, people of color, and women, we will investigate the role of power structures as well as systemic biases in the marginalization of these groups. This class will be strongly discussion oriented, with assessment based on the development throughout the semester, of a final project. As many students will be pursuing graduate school in STEM fields, the final project will be to develop a Broader Impact statement. Many federal funding agencies request or even require that research grants include a component aimed at 'broadening participation', i.e. making STEM more inclusive and diverse. Student will work on a multipart assignment that will culminate in a Broader Impact statement that may well be directly applicable to an NSF GRFP (Graduate Research Fellowship Program) or NSF Post-Doctoral Fellowship. In addition to the Broader Impact statementstudents will give presentations and learn how to be more inclusive in their presentation design, following the principles of Inclusive Design for Learning. Graded on A-F basis only. . STEM fields are amongst the areas of human endeavor that struggle with increasing their human diversity. Teaching of science rarely discusses the contributions or marginalizations of under-represented groups. Meanwhile, many women and indigenous cultures have contributed to progress in STEM but are often not recognized. In this course we will investigate these contributions, and the lack of recognition both historically and in the present day. The aim is to provide students with a better understanding of the advantages of and challenges in inclusive, diverse science. Initially the course will use astronomy as its frame of reference because the sky was one of the earliest laboratories and consequently it has a long history with many indigenous cultures developing their own cosmologies and ways of studying the sky. As we discuss the role of Indigenous peoples, people of color, and women, we will investigate the role of power structures as well as systemic biases in the marginalization of these groups. This class will be strongly discussion oriented, with assessment based on the development throughout the semester, of a final project. As many students will be pursuing graduate school in STEM fields, the final project will be to develop a Broader Impact statement. Many federal funding agencies request or even require that research grants include a component aimed at "broadening participation", i.e. making STEM more inclusive and diverse. Student will work on a multipart assignment that will culminate in a Broader Impact statement that may well be directly applicable to an NSF GRFP (Graduate Research Fellowship Program) or NSF Post-Doctoral Fellowship. In addition to the Broader Impact statementstudents will give presentations and learn how to be more inclusive in their presentation design, following the principles of Inclusive Design for Learning. Graded on A-F basis only.
organic) and solid-state optoelectronics, designed both for graduate and undergraduate students of Physics, Chemistry and Electrical Engineering. This course covers the connections between the properties of matter and their atomic and electronic properties, especially by understanding macroscopic behaviors of condensed matter, such as magnetic ordering, vibrational properties, structural phase transitions, transport, optical properties and superconductivity. Graded on A-F basis only.

PHYSCS 8180: Topological Phenomena in Condensed Matter Physics
Introduction to the rapidly growing field of topological physics in condensed matter systems. The course will present essential mathematical tools such as group theory and topology, and discuss a broad spectrum of newly-discovered topological phenomena including topological insulators, topological superconductivity, topological photonics and topological phononics. Graded on A-F basis only.

Credit Hours: 3
Recommended: a course in Quantum Mechanics

PHYSCS 8301: Topics in Astronomy and Astrophysics
Selected topics from solar system, stellar, galactic and extragalactic astronomy and astrophysics. May be repeated to a maximum of six hours.