Computational Physics Option
This option is available within the Physics major at the following location:
- Corvallis
Option Code: 592
Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:
- Organize and carry out long, complex physics problems.
- Decide on strategies to be used and assumptions that need to be made.
- Determine what constitutes sufficient evidence for a conclusion.
- Use both algebraic and geometric approaches in problem-solving.
- Computationally model the behavior of physical systems.
- Troubleshoot difficulties encountered in experiments or computations.
- Translate physical descriptions into mathematical equations, and conversely, explain the physical meaning of mathematical results.
- Examine intermediate results or other quantities that could be used to ensure a solution is physically reasonable.
- Identify what they don’t understand, and ask specific questions in order to gain understanding.
- Articulate where they experience difficulty; and take actions to move beyond that difficulty.
- Write effectively using professional norms.
- Present work verbally using professional norms.
- Use graphs and diagrams to convey their results.
- Write down clear step-by-step mathematical reasoning and equations.
- Collaborate with other students.
- Design an experiment to measure a given physical quantity.
- Make measurements on physical systems.
- Estimate sources of error in a measurement.
- Interpret their measurements, taking into account the limitations of the measurements and the limitations of models.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Math | ||
| MTH 251 | *DIFFERENTIAL CALCULUS | 4 |
| MTH 252 | INTEGRAL CALCULUS | 4 |
| MTH 253 | INFINITE SERIES AND SEQUENCES | 4 |
| or MTH 306 | MATRIX AND POWER SERIES METHODS | |
| MTH 254 | VECTOR CALCULUS I | 4 |
| MTH 255 | VECTOR CALCULUS II | 4 |
| MTH 256 | APPLIED DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS | 4 |
| MTH 341 | LINEAR ALGEBRA I | 3 |
| Chemistry | ||
| CH 231 & CH 261 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY and *LABORATORY FOR CHEMISTRY 231 | 5 |
| CH 232 & CH 262 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY and *LABORATORY FOR CHEMISTRY 232 | 5 |
| CH 233 & CH 263 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY and *LABORATORY FOR CHEMISTRY 233 | 5 |
| Physics Core | ||
| PH 211 & PH 221 | *GENERAL PHYSICS WITH CALCULUS and RECITATION FOR PHYSICS 211 | 5 |
| PH 212 & PH 222 | *GENERAL PHYSICS WITH CALCULUS and RECITATION FOR PHYSICS 212 | 5 |
| PH 213 & PH 223 | *GENERAL PHYSICS WITH CALCULUS and RECITATION FOR PHYSICS 213 | 5 |
| PH 315 | PHYSICS OF CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES | 3 |
| PH 335 | TECHNIQUES OF THEORETICAL MECHANICS | 3 |
| PH 365 & PH 366 & PH 367 | COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS LAB and COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS LAB and COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS LAB | 3 |
| PH 411 | ELECTRONICS | 3 |
| PH 422 | PARADIGMS IN PHYSICS: STATIC FIELDS | 3 |
| PH 423 | PARADIGMS IN PHYSICS: ENERGY AND ENTROPY | 3 |
| PH 424 | PARADIGMS IN PHYSICS: OSCILLATIONS AND WAVES | 3 |
| PH 425 | PARADIGMS IN PHYSICS: QUANTUM FUNDAMENTALS | 3 |
| PH 426 | PARADIGMS IN PHYSICS: CENTRAL FORCES | 3 |
| PH 427 | PARADIGMS IN PHYSICS: PERIODIC SYSTEMS | 3 |
| Senior-level Physics | ||
| PH 401 | RESEARCH | 3 |
| PH 403 | ^THESIS | 3 |
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| CAPSTONES IN PHYSICS: ELECTROMAGNETISM | ||
| CAPSTONES IN PHYSICS: THERMAL AND STATISTICAL PHYSICS | ||
| CAPSTONES IN PHYSICS: QUANTUM MECHANICS | ||
| Computational Physics Electives | ||
| Select 15 credits 1 | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 114 | |
- 1
15 credits of approved upper-division courses in physics or computational science at the 400 level or beyond, including at least one laboratory course, which form a coherent set. At least 8 of these credits must be in computational science.
- *
Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC)
- ^
Writing Intensive Course (WIC)
Option Code: 592