College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Physics
www.kent.edu/physics

About This Program

The Bachelor of Science in Physics program is designed for students who want to pursue a career in physics or a related field. With a rigorous curriculum that includes advanced coursework in classical mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics and more, this program provides you with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in graduate school or the workforce. Read more...

Contact Information

• Hamza Balci | hbalci@kent.edu |
  330-672-2577
• Speak with an Advisor
• Chat with an Admissions Counselor

Program Delivery

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning a minimum 525 TOEFL score (71 on the Internet-based version), minimum 75 MELAB score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score or minimum 48 PTE Academic score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive Program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's Academic Policies.

Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the program's Coursework tab.

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

¹

Credit is not granted for both the PHY 13001/PHY 13002 and the PHY 23101/PHY 23102 series, nor for PHY 13012.

²

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

³

PHIL 21001 is highly recommended to fulfill the Kent Core Humanities category for the Pre-Medicine/Pre-Osteopathy/Pre-Podiatry concentration. This course also fulfills the global diversity requirement.

Applied Physics Concentration Requirements

¹

Maximum 6 credit hours of PHY 40096 may be applied toward the major.

Biological Sciences Concentration Requirements

¹

Recommended major electives: BSCI 40158, CHEM 30481, PHY 41010, PHY 44600.

Chemistry Concentration Requirements

¹

Students who have already completed CHEM 30481 and CHEM 30482 may not take and apply CHEM 20482 toward the program.

²

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

³

Maximum 6 credit hours of PHY 40096 may be applied toward the major.

Computer Science Concentration Requirements

¹

Maximum 6 credit hours of PHY 40096 may be applied toward the major.

Entrepreneurship Concentration Requirements

¹

Maximum 6 credit hours of PHY 40096 may be applied toward the major.

²

Recommended general electives: ENTR 47047 and one of the following: ENTR 37045, ENTR 37075, MKTG 35056.

Mathematical Physics Concentration Requirements

¹

Maximum 6 credit hours of PHY 40096 may be applied toward the major.

Pre-Medicine/Pre-Osteopathy/Pre-Podiatry Concentration Requirements

Research Concentration Requirements

¹

Maximum 6 credit hours of PHY 40096 may be applied toward the major.

Graduation Requirements

• The following courses may not count towards the Physics major requirements: PHY 11030, PHY 21040, PHY 21041, PHY 21430 and PHY 21431.

Foreign Language College Requirement, B.S.

• Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science degree in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete 8 credit hours of foreign language.¹ 
• The following programs are exempt from this requirement: The Bachelor of Science in Cybercriminology and the Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science.²
• Minimum Elementary I and II of the same language

¹

All students with prior foreign language experience should take the foreign language placement test to determine the appropriate level at which to start. Some students may start beyond the Elementary I level and will complete the requirement with fewer credit hours and courses. This may be accomplished by (1) passing a course beyond Elementary I through Intermediate II level; (2) receiving credit through one of the alternative credit programs offered by Kent State University; or (3) demonstrating language proficiency comparable to Elementary II of a foreign language. When students complete the requirement with fewer than 8 credit hours and two courses, they will complete remaining credit hours with general electives.

²

The Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science exemption exists under another college policy (Three-Plus-One Programs). The Bachelor of Science in Cybercriminology exemption is due to its extensive collaboration with and contribution from the Information Technology program in the College of Applied and Technical Studies, which does not have a foreign language requirement.

Roadmaps

Applied Physics Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Biological Sciences Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Chemistry Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Computer Science Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Entrepreneurship Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Mathematical Physics Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Pre-Medicine/Pre-Osteopathy/Pre-Podiatry Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Research Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

University Requirements

All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation.

NOTE: University requirements may be fulfilled in this program by specific course requirements. Please see Program Requirements for details.

Kent Core Requirements

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate technical and cognitive skills important in a good physicist, including the following:
   1. Think critically and analytically.
   2. Define a problem and how to solve problems.
   3. Understand advanced mathematics (e.g., calculus and differential equations) and computer skills.
   4. Use, design and even build lab equipment.
2. Demonstrate the traits important in a good scientist, namely, hard working, creative, meticulous, persistence, tenacious and self confidence.
3. Communicate results of their work to peers, to their instructors or supervisors, to various target groups within the physics community and to people outside the discipline.

Full Description

The Bachelor of Science degree in Physics is a professionally oriented program that serves as preparation either for graduate work in physics or for entrance into positions in a variety of industries or government service.

The Physics major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Applied Physics concentration prepares students for immediate entry into careers in industry. Course requirements include electronics, introduction to computer programming, and data analysis and computational physics techniques. While rooted in the basic principles of physics, this program is optimized for students concerned with the application of physics in practical devices and systems.
• The Biological Sciences concentration is interdisciplinary and for students with a strong interest in both physics and biology, who may wish to prepare for graduate study in biophysics or for work in a biotechnology company.
• The Chemistry concentration is interdisciplinary and designed for students with a strong interest in both physics and chemistry, who may wish to prepare for graduate study in chemical physics or for work in a high-technology materials-related research and development laboratory.
• The Computer Science concentration is interdisciplinary and provides a foundation in physics while emphasizing the use of computer software in scientific applications. Graduates are prepared for computer-related careers that require an understanding of the underlying science as well as knowledge of relevant computer applications.
• The Entrepreneurship concentration is interdisciplinary and designed to prepare physics majors for various aspects of starting or managing a scientific business.
• The Mathematical Physics concentration is interdisciplinary and provides students with a strong understanding of applied physical theory, its applications and the underlying mathematics. This training, valuable for start-up positions with a number of industries, may also serve as preparation for graduate work in either physics or mathematics.
• The Pre-Medicine/Pre-Osteopathy/Pre-Podiatry concentration is interdisciplinary and designed to prepare physics majors for further study leading to careers in medicine.
• The Research concentration prepares majors for further study at the graduate level. This program trains students in logical thinking and problem solving using both analytical and computational methods. It also furnishes students with a comprehensive understanding of the basic laws and principles that govern the physical world. Academic assessment and GRE scores keep the program up-to-date via curricular revisions. This program is a popular stepping stone to graduate degrees not only in physics, but also in engineering, astronomy/astrophysics and materials science.