Bachelor of Science in Physics

The bachelor of science program includes appropriate course work in physics to prepare students for employment or graduate work in a variety of physics-related fields. Students are encouraged to speak to their advisor to select elective courses that will best meet their career needs. The BS in Physics requires a total of 75 units listed below; of those 7 units count towards the university's General Education requirements. 

Departmental Honors

To be awarded departmental honors in physics a student must:

  1. Achieve at least a 3.5 minimum grade point average in courses required for the major taken at California State University, San Bernardino and at least a 3.0 grade point average overall;
  2. Conduct advanced research on a topic approved by a faculty member who will serve as project director;
  3. Obtain written approval upon successful completion of the project from the project director and the chair, and present the results of the research to the department or at a research conference, and/or publish the results in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Requirements (75 units)

Total units required for graduation: 120

Requirements for the B.S. in Physics

(Program Code: PHYS)

Lower-division requirements (38)
CHEM 2100General Chemistry I4
CHEM 2100LGeneral Chemistry I Laboratory1
MATH 2210Calculus I4
MATH 2220Calculus II4
MATH 2310Applied Linear Algebra4
MATH 2320Multivariable Calculus4
PHYS 1500Tools for Physicists3
PHYS 2500General Physics I4
PHYS 2500LGeneral Physics I Lab1
PHYS 2510General Physics II4
PHYS 2510LGeneral Physics II Lab1
PHYS 2600LIntroduction to Electronics1
PHYS 2700Modern Physics3
Upper-division requirements (37)
PHYS 3100Mathematical Methods of Physics4
PHYS 3200Classical Mechanics4
PHYS 3300Computational Physics3
PHYS 3400Electricity & Magnetism3
PHYS 3500Statistical and Thermal Physics4
PHYS 3800Intermediate Physics Laboratory2
PHYS 4400Electricity & Magnetism II3
PHYS 4700Quantum Mechanics4
PHYS 4800Senior Thesis 2
Can substitute ASTR 4000 for PHYS 4800; both count towards the GE WI requirement
Eight or more units chosen from upper-division physics courses selected with the approval of the department:8
Data Acquisition and Control
Electronics
PHYS 4851-4853
Special Topics in Physics
PHYS 4851L-4852L
Special Topics in Physics Laboratory
Mathematical Methods of Physics II
Optics
Solid State Physics
Quantum Mechanics II
PHYS 5751-5753
Internship (max 3 units)
PHYS 5851-5853
Special Topics in Physics
PHYS 5851L-5852L
Special Topics in Physics Laboratory
PHYS 5951-5953
Independent Study (max 3 unit)
Astrophysics of Planetary Systems
Astrophysics of Galaxies and Cosmology
Total Units75