Undergraduate Definition and 624 Threads

I'm hoping you can give me some advice on undergraduate college choice for physics. Places being considered are Pomona, UCSB (CCS/Regents), UCSD (Regents), USC, Brandeis and possibly Reed. I know UCSB has an excellent graduate program, but would a smaller school such as Pomona or Brandeis be a...

I have worked with a professor within my Physics department for almost a full school year now on electron scattering simulations. I run some programs on my computer and analyze them with ROOT. This work has been rewarding as I have learned a lot, but I recently got offered a position in a...

Hello, I am currently a first-year undergraduate. Do most physics grad schools expect to see grad coursework in your schedule by the time you graduate? If you start earlier (e.g. second or third year) and do well, how much does this help an application? Of course I know that this helps an...

I don't know where I'm going wrong with this problem - I was so sure I had it right but the online grader tells me otherwise :oldfrown: Homework Statement An electron in a one-dimensional box has ground-state energy 2.60 eV. What is the wavelength of the photon absorbed when the electron...

The school I plan to attend does not have a physics major. However, it has a chemistry major, as well as applied mathematics, general mathematics, and theoretical mathematics majors. It also has a physics minor. My question is this: With a double major in chemistry and applied math (or even...

Hi, has anyone applied to Perimeter Institute 2016 Undergraduate summer program? I just wonder how competitive this program is.

I am currently a sophomore physics student at a relatively small liberal arts college. Research opportunities are extremely limited, but I am applying for a grant of up to $2500 to perform a research project for the school. I am having some trouble coming up with topics/projects that I could...

Hello all, This is most likely a question for those who have experience/knowledge of theoretical/mathematical physics at the graduate level and can provide recommendations following my criteria. Here is some background about me: I am a senior majoring in math and physics at a small...

I'm an international transfer student applying for UW Madison, Arizona State and Oregon State. My first choice would be Madison, but if I'm not accepted there, I'm going to one of the other two. The problem is, I'm not sure which has a better physics program. The rankings put Oregon state...

I am applying to an undergraduate summer school. I should write a CV, but I do not know how should I write it. I would be happy if anyone can help me with the same experience. Thanks.

I ask because I just received an offer from Cambridge and from a few great places in the US. I want to go on to do a PhD, probably in the United States. Finance isn't an issue. In your experience, does being from a place in the UK (albeit as great as Cambridge) put one at an automatic...

I am undergraduate physics student,and I want to become a theoretical physicist. I need some ideas about fields to look at it that can inspire me . I do not have specific field that I like the most in physics..so I need your help

Hey everybody, I'm currently at Miami-Dade College in Florida finishing up my last semester before I transfer. My classes this semester are Intr. to Diff equ, Calculus 3, physics 2 and the lab, and some bs general requirement. I have a 3.95 GPA, my only B is in a Biology course I took. I haven't...

Hi folks, This is a question about how to calculate entropy change when there is a temperature change involved. I got the correct answer to this, but I don't actually understand why it's correct..! Any help is much appreciated. Homework Statement One mole of liquid bromine is heated from 30...

well ,for the introduction i am someone whose parents named him faiz .. i am very very very much interested and good at physics and mathemetics , and i swear i don't have something more appealing than these two in my life .Today i am posting here after a long time and even that for a reason very...

I'm halfway through my junior year and I'm hoping to do Quantum Optics or Particle Physics in graduate school (I'm doing the recommended courses for both since I'm still undecided). Besides the math required from the physics major (ie. Calculus, linear algebra, ODEs, PDEs, complex analysis)...

I am a senior in high school who is anxious to begin my physics major. Next year, I will likely attend UC Berkeley or UT Austin. I have general question, but if someone has information particular to these schools, that would be appreciated too. What does the course load for a first year physics...

I am from India and am deeply interested in Physics. I wish to pursue a Bachelors in Physics(or maybe Astronomy). So, what is better? Doing it here in India and going abroad for Masters or going abroad for Bachelors?

Hello, I am currently in a pretty terrible situation and I need some advice how I can get out of this mess. I graduated from high school 2009 and after a gap year I began studying business. I didn't like it at all so I quit after two semesters. At the time I was reading a lot of popular...

Hello, I am a first year undergraduate student studying geophysics. While I love geophysics and all the geosciences, I'm very interested in going into environmental law. Is this a plausible undergraduate degree for a career in environmental law? I have always loved studying government and...

Hi, I'm a recent graduate from a civil engineering program in the US and got hired as a civilian nuclear engineer for the navy. For various reasons, I would sooner or later like to go back to school to study physics and go on to get a phd. I am afraid that already having an undergraduate degree...

Hey everyone, I'm new here but have been following a lot of the threads recently. I just wanted your opinions on what elective units I should study whilst doing a undergraduate degree in Physics. I've been told Computer Science units will be handy as well as more Maths but is there anything...

Hey Y'all! I apologize for the length of my post, but it is an issue that has been causing me a lot of stress! I'm currently a sophomore student at a California community college and I intend to transfer into an undergrad Physics program. I really would prefer to go out of state and have always...

Hi everyone! I'm at the end of the second semester in an mechanical engineering undergraduate course. I love spacecraft s, rocketry, aircraft and all that aerospace stuff, so I'm decided that, so long I finish my undergraduate, I'm going to pursue a major in aerospace (maybe something related...

I have the opportunity to attend both universities. Obviously Texas a&m is a more respected college on the face value, but what about the Tech honors college? Does that change the 'prestige' and chance of graduate school admissions? Also, Is it better to have a higher GPA at a less prestigious...

I'm applying for joint honor course in Mathematics and Physics and single honor course in Theoretical Physics at universities in the UK. I am struggling with putting into words what I enjoy about physics and mathematics in my personal statement. I have the other paragraphs in place (I think)...

Can anyone give a comparison of the workload's in terms of hours your likely to have as a Physics undergrad compared to an Engineering (EEE specifically) one? (UK university's incase it's country dependent) I'm trying to decide which course to take and although I'm more interested in Physics...

Hello, I recently went through Griffiths' Quantum Mechanics text and there is a chapter called the Adiabatic Theorem that includes Berry phase and the Aharonov-Bohm effect. As I found them very interesting, I would appreciate if anyone could provide me with some good sources(books, internet...

Homework Statement Planning a new stunt where he will be shout out of a cannon into the back of a speeding utility vehicle the sit slopes downhill at 10 degrees and the cannon will launch him at 35Km/Hr at and angle of 30 degrees as shown in the attached picture Homework Equations I cannot...

I am currently an NE major, but I am on the verge of switching to Physics at the start of my 2nd year. I have received B's in Calc 2-3 and in Engineering Physics I ( a massive weed out course) 120 students started out in that class, only 26 are registered in the 2nd Engineering Physics class(...

Hello everyone, I am a Physics education major in the Philippines.I am now on the stage of doing an undergraduate thesis as a requirement for my degree. I would like to ask for suggestion out there, for an interesting topic to be considered. I would really appreciate topics that gives a little...

I am a rising college junior with major in the mathematics and an aspiring mathematician in the theoretical computer science and analysis. I wrote this post because I have been suffering from a problem regarding to my time management and planning skills. I have been using the planner and...

Good day, Did anyone here use Serge Lang's "Algebra" as an undergraduate text?

Hello! On this Fall Semester, I will be taking the Linear Algebra with Proofs (Friedberg), Analysis I (Rudin-PMA) or Abstract Algebra I (Dummit/Foote), and Combinatorics (Brualdi). Since I can take only one from Analysis I or AAI on Fall, I am trying to figure out if the introductory...

Hey PF, I'm currently double majoring in engineering and physics. I want to be a licensed engineer and go on to grad school to study molecular engineering or something similar. However, I love my physics department. It's smaller so students get more funding and attention and way more...

Hey! So I am in a bit of a situation, let me explain: I did my GCE A Levels (British high school curriculum) and did not do too well in Physics in particular, due to some serious health issues. I am now in university. I started out taking a biology major and, after continuously dealing...

Dear Physics Forum advisers, I am a rising college junior (five-years tract) with a major in mathematics and an aspiring mathematician in the fields of theoretical computing and cryptography. I apologize for this sudden interruption but I wrote this email to seek your advice on the impact of...

So, for next fall I was thinking of taking: 1) GR 2) E and M 1 3) Abstract Algebra 1 4) not sure I was thinking of taking either graduate quantum or taking graduate E and M instead of the undergrad version and instead take a second math course. Now, I have taken undergrad quantum, but I was...

So I'm sitting on a happy GPA and an acceptance letter to transfer to a nice school for the rest of my undergrad, my dreams of a PhD looking bright, and this terror just grips me like a swimsuit out of water. I've never actually talked to a professor about how research works. I've read a lot...

I was wondering this because an undergraduate degree in any engineering make them an Engineer

Fall internships for undergraduates? I have myself in quite the pickle. I'm entering my senior year of college pursuing a BS in Physics and a minor in Math. I go to a small university near LA. I was just offered a paid internship across the country by NASA for this upcoming fall. Of course I...

Hello, I'd like to create a list of short, intensive physics and/or math courses offered around the world. I'm primarily focuses on the U.S. as that is where I live but for the sake of completeness, anywhere would be good. The courses I'm looking should be short, usually 1-3 weeks in length and...

Background: Undergraduate majoring in physics to work in research, hopefully in astrophysics or cosmology. 1.5-2 years behind where I should be academically and (if all goes well) about to start courses relevant to major. My questions are these: 1) How should I study basic mathematics...

I've just made it through my freshman physics year (covering introductory Linear algebra, Mechanics, Single- and multivariable calculus, Thermodynamics, Wave Theory, and Scientific computing). Due to some health issues, I am essentially unable to attend lectures, but I am, to be frank, a gifted...

I am an Engineering Physics student with a concentration in Spacecraft Systems. I am more or less quite new to Physics and Engineering and have only completed introductory physics courses (class mechanics, optics, thermo, EM) and am starting Modern Physics in the fall. I have for some time...

Hello and other pleasantries Physics forum fellows, I have an interesting dilemma that hopefully your experience could help me solve. I am a recently graduated International Baccalaureate student and I now have the choice to face either $152,000 of debt at the University of Illinois Urbana...

The way that my undergraduate career went, I had the opportunity to finish a MS at the same time as my BS within 4 years and now believe I will now have an opportunity to continue my MS to a PhD. I've heard that this typically isn't very good for employment opportunities, but would this be the...

I am an undergrad student and i have been through a first easy course on electrodynamics and i have used the book of Griffiths which let me satisfied.But the next two courses i will be taking are notoriously hard mathematics-wise so i want a step-up from Griffiths.I want a mathematically...

I have studied physics during my undergraduate years but I want to relearn everything as I came to my realization that I'm weak because of the quality of education I got. So far, I want to know if my order of study is good. Classical Mechanics: An Introduction to Mechanics by Kleppner and...

OK so I currently attend The University of North Texas, which is by no means a prestigious school for physics. I am a physics major with 72 hours of coursework under my belt. I plan to attend graduate school and would like to get into a good school for something in the realm of theoretical...