Requires at least 23.5 hours in physics and must include the following courses:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Major Courses | ||
| PHY 123 | General Physics I - Studio Format | 4 |
| or PHY 113 | General Physics I | |
| or PHY 111 | Mechanics Waves and Heat | |
| PHY 124 | General Physics II - Studio Format | 4 |
| or PHY 114 | General Physics II | |
| PHY 215 | Elementary Modern Physics | 3 |
| PHY 230 | Electronics | 3-4 |
| or EGR 311 | Control Systems and Instrumentation | |
| PHY 262 | Mechanics **** | 3 |
| PHY 265 | Intermediate Laboratory I | 1 |
| PHY 266 | Intermediate Laboratory II **** | 1 |
| PHY 381 | Research (for a minimum of 1.5 hours) *,** | 1.5-3 |
| PHY 325 | Biophysical Methods Laboratory | 1-1.5 |
| or CHM 370L | Biochemistry Lab | |
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Biophysics | ||
| Physics of Biological Macromolecules | ||
| Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics * | ||
or CHM 341 | Physical Chemistry I | |
| Bioinformatics | ||
| Computational Systems Biology | ||
In addition, Graduate courses in BME or medical physics may also be substituted with permission of the instructor, office of academic advising, advisor and chair | ||
| Co-Requirements | ||
| MTH 113 | Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
| MTH 205 | Introduction to Linear Algebra and Differential Equations | 4 |
| or MTH 121 & MTH 251 | Linear Algebra I and Ordinary Differential Equations | |
| CHM 111 & 111L | College Chemistry I and College Chemistry I Lab | 4 |
| CHM 122 & 122L | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I Lab | 4 |
| CHM 280 | College Chemistry II | 3 |
| BIO 150 & 150L | Biology I and Biology I Lab | 4 |
| BIO 160 & 160L | Biology II and Biology II Lab | 4 |
| BMB 370 | Biochemistry I: Macromolecules and Metabolism | 3 |
- *
Substitutions for PHY 341, PHY 230, PHY 262, PHY 266 and PHY 381 will count toward the required hours in physics.
- **
Students may substitute CHM 391/ CHM 392 or BIO 391/ BIO 392/BIO 393/ BIO 394 for PHY 381 in consultation with their advisor. Substitutions for PHY 341 and PHY 381 will count toward the required hours in physics.
- ***
Students must earn a minimum C grade in MTH 113 as well as MTH 205 or MTH 121/MTH 251.
- ****
Students may substitute EGR 211 for the combination of PHY 262 and PHY 266. Students who make this substitution do not need to take PHY 262 or PHY 266 to fulfill requirements for the major.
Students are advised to complete math requirements as early as possible. Students are strongly encouraged to take either CSC 102 or CSC 111; early in their curriculum if possible. CSC 111 would be appropriate for majors who are interested in further study in computer science, such as through a double major or minor in Computer Science. Otherwise, we encourage our majors to take CSC 102.
No student may be a candidate for a degree with a major in biophysics with a grade less than C in General Physics without special permission of the department. Students must achieve a minimum GPA of 2.0 in physics courses for graduation. In addition, all major students must complete a senior survey and participate in a senior focus group held during their senior year
Physics Concentrations
Students who wish to focus their coursework in a specific subarea of physics may pursue a Physics Concentration. Pursuit of a Physics Concentration does not change the degree, which may be a Bachelor of Arts in Physics, a Bachelor of Science in Physics, or a Bachelor of Science in Biophysics. A concentration requires 3 courses, although some of the courses selected may have additional prerequisite courses. These courses may also count towards the requirements for their BA or BS degree. A course, however, can only be counted toward one concentration. A minimum overall GPA of 2.0 must be earned on all Wake Forest courses taken to complete the concentration. The requirements for the concentration are those that are in effect at the time of the declaration of the concentration.
Quantum Information Sciences Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PHY 343 | Quantum Physics | 3 |
| Select two of the following options: | ||
| Introduction to Quantum Computing | ||
| Physical Optics and Optical Design | ||
| Introduction to Solid State Physics | ||
Computational Physics
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CSC 102 | Problem Solving with Python * | 3 |
| Select two of the following options: | ||
| Physics of Biological Macromolecules | ||
| Computational Physics | ||
| Introduction to Quantum Computing | ||
Highly qualified majors are invited by the department to apply for admission to the honors program in physics through the major advisor. To be graduated with the designation “Honors in Physics,” students must:
- pass PHY 381
- write a paper on the results of the research in that course
- pass an oral exam on the research and related topics given by a committee of three physics faculty members
- obtain a GPA of at least 3.3 in physics and 3.0 overall