Physics

In Depth

As a physics major or minor, you will begin with the study of the fundamentals of how nature works: motion, energy, electrodynamics, and thermodynamics. From there, a tour of modern physics, establishing the need for the study of the quantum world and Einstein’s theories of relativity. Physics majors take traditional mathematics courses essential to the field, along with a course on mathematical physics, which serves as a foundation to the Junior and Senior years. In these years, the advanced treatment of concepts in physics is explored: Classical Mechanics, Electromagnetic Theory, Thermal Physics, Quantum Mechanics, and an Advanced Laboratory course. Additionally, majors can choose from a number of electives: Astrophysics, Nuclear and Particle Physics, Computational Physics, and more. Each major, in both their junior and senior year, participates in the Physics Seminar series, where students pick a topic to explore in detail and then present to their peers. Since some of our students begin their major in their sophomore year, our curriculum allows for students to complete the major in three years. Nearly all Physics majors have an additional minor, and many have a second major.

Our department faculty are active teacher-scholars, with research experience in theory and experiment. We frequently bring students into our research programs via internal and external funding, and encourage them to present their work at national and regional conferences. Many students use the junior seminar as a prelude to a summer research internship at other universities through the NSF REU program or at national labs and centers. Students can participate in the SMC chapter of the Society for Physics Students and can operate the telescopes at the Holcomb Observatory on campus. Physics majors also have the opportunity to work as a laboratory assistant or peer tutor.

Physics Learning Outcomes

Careers

Our alumni have found success in research, industry, and education. Recent Physics graduates are employed at firms including:

• Lockheed-Martin
• B.F. Goodrich Aerospace
• Microsoft
• Biogen Idec
• Ingersoll-Rand

and a variety of schools and colleges including:

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• University of Rochester

Graduate Study

Recent Physics graduates have gone on to graduate programs at:

• Brandeis
• Boston University
• Notre Dame
• University of Massachusetts Amherst
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Utah

Internships

The Academic Internship Program at Saint Michael’s is an experience whereby students, participating employers and the College enter into a partnership designed to give students career-related, pre-professional work by fulfilling academically meaningful work assignments for their employers. Internships are supervised work experiences in both the public and private sectors. They are designed to enhance and supplement formal education and promote personal and career development.

Physics majors at Saint Michael’s have done internships with the National Weather Service, the University of Vermont Biophysics Lab, and the State of Vermont Forensics lab.

Research

Student participation in research activities is encouraged and a number of our students have taken advantage of on-campus student/faculty research activities, off-campus internships and National Science Foundation-sponsored programs such as Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) during the summer. Research interests of the faculty include:

• space
• fusion and astrophysical plasma physics
• optical properties of condensed-matter systems
• high energy physics and cosmology

Current and prospective undergraduate research students in the natural sciences, math, and engineering can find research opportunities at http://www.webguru.neu.edu/.