Students with a strong interest in physics and related sciences will find at Lehigh a faculty keenly interested in fostering their growth through courses, research opportunities, and individual interactions. Because we have active graduate and research programs in physics, we provide facilities and expertise that allow undergraduate physics majors to thrive.

Our undergraduate research opportunities are particularly noteworthy. Undergraduate student research is arranged informally as early as the sophomore (or occasionally freshman) year at the initiation of the student or formally as a senior research project. In addition, the Lehigh physics department has one of the longest running and most successful summer research programs for undergraduates. Funding from several sources, including the University and the National Science Foundation, provides support which allows most of our upper- level physics majors along with a number of undergraduates from other institutions to spend ten summer weeks on campus, during which they carry out individual research projects with faculty members while living together on campus. Joint academic and social events take place during this time, which is capped by a day-long seminar at which each student presents his or her research results.

Undergraduate Degrees (top)

Lehigh offers the following undergraduate degrees in physics, astrophysics, and astronomy: the Bachelor of Science in Physics, the Bachelor of Arts with a major in Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences, the Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics in the College of Engineering and Applied Science, the Bachelor of Arts with a major in Astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Bachelor of Science in Astrophysics. The first three of these share a common core of physics and mathematics courses, students can defer choosing from among them until after the first year, and changes can be made rather easily even later.

Students who want a strong fundamental physics and mathematics background may choose the Bachelor of Science in Physics program in the College of Arts and Sciences. This program prepares students not only for employment following graduation, but also for graduate work in physics or other science and engineering fields.

Students who are interested in pursuing a career that involves physics along with a broader background in other topics may choose the Bachelor of Arts with a major in physics in the College of Arts and Sciences. This is best suited, for example, for students interested in teaching physics in secondary school or in pursuing a career such as technical law or business, or combining physics with another major or minor. The many electives available in this major allow students maximum flexibility in designing programs best suited for their particular interests.

The Engineering Physics (EP) major in the College of Engineering and Applied Science is designed for students with an interest in both physics and its applications. Within EP there are two concentrations to choose from, Solid State Electronics and Optical Sciences. Our EP program, which is designed to fit accreditation guidelines for engineering physics, contains a number of engineering courses and has a strong applied flavor.

Astrophysicists apply physics and mathematics to the study of planets, stars, galaxies, pulsars, black holes, quasars and the universe, among many other fascinating objects in order to understand their origin, evolution and ultimate fate. Students who major in astronomy or astrophysics usually have very inquisitive minds and a good aptitude for physics and mathematics. The bachelor degree programs in astronomy and astrophysics provide the student with a solid background in laboratory and theoretical astrophysics as well as in the fundamentals of physics and mathematics. Research opportunities are available to supplement classroom instruction.

The bachelor of science degree in astrophysics is designed for students who wish to go on to graduate studies in astrophysics with the goal of becoming professional astronomers. Professional astronomers generally find positions at colleges, and universities, national labs, NASA or its contractors and in various space industries. This degree also prepares you for many jobs in related fields such as computer science, mathematics or physics.

The bachelor of arts degree in astronomy is intended for students who desire a broad background in astronomy, mathematics and physics but do not plan to do graduate work in astrophysics. With this broad background, the student is well prepared in many fields of endeavor, including planetarium and museum work, teaching astronomy at colleges and universities, secondary education, science writing, or, in fact, in many professions in which the ability to learn is critical.

Both of these degrees can be profitably combined with physics, mathematics, and other sciences producing excellent double majors or double degrees.

A minor program in astronomy is also available for students who wish to enlarge their potential for a career choice or who may be eager to learn more about astrophysics than an introductory course can provide.

Core Courses (top)

The following courses are common to all three of the physics and engineering physics programs:

• Chem. 21, 22
• Math. 21, 22, 23, 205, 322
• Phys. 11, 12, 21, 22, 31, 190, 212, 213, 215, 171, 362.

Dual-Degree Programs (top)

In addition to Lehigh's three undergraduate degrees in physics, there are several five- year, dual-degree programs involving physics: The Arts- Engineering program (see the Arts-Engineering section of the catalog), the combination of the Bachelor of Science program in the College of Arts and Sciences with Electrical Engineering, and the combination of Electrical Engineering and Engineering Physics (see the Electrical Engineering and Engineering Physics section of the catalog).

Course Home Pages (top)

Physics 21

Transfer Credit (top)

Information about transfer credit is available in pdf format. Click here. If you do not have the Acrobat reader, use the following link to download the version appropriate for your computer: Download acrobat reader

Words from our Graduates (top)

While anecdotal testimonials should always be considered with skepticism, it is impressive how many of our physics and engineering physics graduates tell us how valuable their choice of major has been to them as they have progressed through their careers. This is true not only of those who have become professional physicists, where the connection is obvious, but also of those whose careers have been quite varied. They tell us that their basic knowledge of science and mathematics and their problem-solving skills have allowed them to tackle situations that others with less fundamental education could not handle. Even in non-technical areas, they have valued the problem-solving skills that they developed at Lehigh in their physics courses.

Other Sources of Information (top)