Mission Statement
The Department of Physics’s mission is to help students develop the analytical, experimental, and computational craft needed to study the physical universe. From their first course, students are welcomed into the close-knit, inclusive physics community, where they learn to collaborate respectfully and effectively. Students deepen their skills through curiosity-driven inquiry in open-ended labs, guided independent projects, and mentored research with faculty who contribute to the development of new knowledge.
Learning Objectives
- Students make correct predictions about physical systems using principles and methods of the physics core: classical mechanics, electromagnetic theory, quantum theory, and thermal/statistical mechanics. (CWLO #1 and #4)
- Students observe and measure the behavior of physical systems through the execution and interpretation of experiments, and they document their work using evidence such as graphs, tables, images, and equations. (CWLO #3, #4, and #6)
- Physics majors locate, interpret, and apply primary and secondary sources in their scientific writing. (CWLO #1 and #3)
- Students collaborate effectively as teams on tasks such as labs and homework solutions. (CWLO #1)
- Students’ scientific work and conduct adheres to the two ethical pillars of the American Physical Society: tell the truth and treat people well. (CWLO #2)
- Students apply physics research methods to answer curiosity-driven scientific questions, and they communicate their findings. (CWLO #1 and #3)
Outcomes revised May 2022
Webpage updated 3/19/2024