Bachelor of Science
The Bachelor of Science incorporates hands-on research and technical experience and
is a good choice for those who want to continue to graduate school and focus on a
research career. Students can investigate a variety of topics in detail, such as how
quantum mechanics limits Moore's law to where the atoms making up your body were created
in the universe. The department has four different B.S. concentrations: physics, applied physics, biomedical physics, and astronomy and astrophysics.
An integral portion of the B.S. program is student involvement in research projects in the areas of astrophysics, atomic physics, biophysics, physics of thin films, surfaces and plasmas, materials science, applied physics and photovoltaics. Our faculty have outstanding academic credentials and a solid record of scholarly accomplishments. Faculty research programs are supported by grants from federal agencies such as NSF, DOE, ONR, NREL and NASA, as well as private industry. For the last several years, UToledo has been one of a selected set of national sites supported by the NSF for undergraduate summer research participation, the REU program. Students will have access to the department's facilities, which include high-power lasers, positive and negative ion accelerators, and the Ritter Observatory's 1-meter telescope. A high-speed network provides access to the University's mainframes and to supercomputers off-campus.
The B.S. in physics requires 120 credit hours.
Concentrations: The student must choose one of the following concentrations:
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- Physics: PHYS 3180, and either 4580 or 4780.
- Astronomy and Astrophysics: ASTR 2010, 2020, 3880, 4810, 4820 and 4880.
- Applied Physics: PHYS 3180, 3610, 4510, and either 4580 or 4780, plus three hours of appropriate courses from physics or engineering, chosen with the advisor’s approval.
- Biomedical Physics: PHYS 3180, 4430, 4440, and either 4580 or 4780; and related courses BIOL 2150 and 2160 (which satisfies the related major-level course requirement above), plus EXSC 2510, 2520, 2530 and 2540 (or the alternate sequence EXSC 2460, 2470, 2560, and 2570).
- In addition to the above requirements, students should consider the following recommended electives: MATH 4740 and 4750.
These requirements along with an example four year plan of study can be found in the UToledo Course Catalog under Plan of Study.