Program Requirements
- Total Units Required: 47-49
- Grade Requirement: Students must complete all coursework for the Astrophysics major with a grade of at least a C–.
Required Courses
Majors in Astrophysics are required to complete the following courses:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 1510 | Calculus I | 3 |
| MATH 1520 | Calculus II | 3 |
| MATH 2130 | Calculus III | 3 |
| MATH 2500 | Differential Equations | 3 |
| PHYSICS 1740 | Physics I | 3-4 |
| or PHYSICS 1760 | Focused Physics I | |
| PHYSICS 1741 | Physics I Laboratory | 1 |
| PHYSICS 1742 | Physics II | 3-4 |
| or PHYSICS 1762 | Focused Physics II | |
| PHYSICS 1743 | Physics II Laboratory | 1 |
| PHYSICS 2170 | Introduction to Quantum Physics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 2330 | Introduction to Astrophysics I: From Stars to Black Holes | 3 |
| PHYSICS 3332 | Introduction to Astrophysics II: Planets, Galaxies, and the Universe | 3 |
| PHYSICS 3322 | Physical Measurement Laboratory | 3 |
| PHYSICS 4021 | Electricity and Magnetism | 3 |
| Total Units | 35-37 | |
Required Advanced Courses
In addition to the above requirements, students who are earning the Astrophysics major are required to complete 12 credits of upper-level electives (3000 level and above). Students must receive letter grades for these advanced courses. Students will choose courses from the following list:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 4035 | Nuclear and Radiochemistry Lab | 3 |
| EEPS 3530 | Earth Forces | 4 |
| EEPS 4074 | Remote Sensing | 3 |
| EEPS 4734 | Planetary Geology | 3 |
| MEMS 3410 | Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 3321 | Electronics Laboratory | 3 |
| PHYSICS 3323 | Optics and Wave Physics Laboratory | 3 |
| PHYSICS 3330 | Planets and Life in the Universe | 3 |
| PHYSICS 4011 | Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 4022 | Electricity and Magnetism II | 3 |
| PHYSICS 4027 | Introduction to Computational Physics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 4063 | Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 4074 | Introduction to Particle Physics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 4077 | Physics of Finite and Infinite Nuclear Systems | 3 |
| PHYSICS 4646 | Galactic Astrophysics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 4660 | X-Ray & Gamma-Ray Astrophysics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 4676 | Astrophysics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 4678 | From Black Holes to the Big Bang | 3 |
| PHYSICS 4680 | Astrostatistics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 5470 | Intro to Elementary Particle Physics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 5500 | Solid State Physics II | 3 |
| PHYSICS 5580 | Relativistic Astrophysics | 3 |
Additional Information
Senior Honors
Students are encouraged to work toward Latin honors (i.e., cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude). To qualify, students must meet the academic requirements of the College and successfully complete a suitable project under the supervision of a faculty member in the department. The project, whether experimental or theoretical, should demonstrate the student's capacity for independent work. Honors candidates must apply to the Undergraduate Studies Committee no later than the the first day of classes of their senior year. The application should include a description of the proposed project, co-signed by the supervising professor. A written report of the completed work must be submitted to the committee by a March deadline. By enrolling in PHYSICS 4998 Honors Program, students may earn up to 6 units of credit for the honors project.
The Physics department also offers Physics majors the possibility to earn departmental distinctions. These distinctions require the same grade point average cutoffs as Latin honors but are calculated exclusively from the grades in Physics courses (i.e., all courses with the prefix PHYSICS). Three levels of distinction are offered: 1) highest distinction; 2) high distinction; and 3) distinction. The highest and high distinctions require at least one semester of undergraduate research and a senior thesis describing the results; these distinctions are limited to the top 15% (highest distinction) and the top 15% to 50% (high distinction) of the physics majors in their senior year as ranked by their GPA in Physics courses. Students who meet the GPA cutoff but who do not undertake undergraduate research and a senior thesis may only receive the third level of distinction.
Transfer Credit and Study Abroad
Students may transfer up to 9 credits of advanced coursework (3000+ level) to satisfy major requirements by taking comparable physics courses at another institution. Prior approval by the department is needed. Online or other distance learning courses are not eligible for transfer credit.
Contact Info
| Website: | http://physics.wustl.edu |