Physics Major Course Requirements
The courses required for a major in physics at Rutgers, Newark are listed below. Please contact the Physics Undergraduate Program Coordinator, Dr. Diane Jammula, for advising.
Required Introductory Courses
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits | Offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21:750:213 | University Physics I | 4 | Fall |
| 21:750:205 | Introductory Physics Laboratory I | 1 | Fall |
| 21:750:214 | University Physics II | 4 | Spring |
| 21:750:206 | Introductory Physics Laboratory II | 1 | Spring |
*With permission can substitute General Physics for University Physics.
Required Core Courses
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits | Offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21:750:316 | Introduction to Modern Physics | 3 | Fall |
| 21:750:333 | Applications of Mathematics to Physics | 3 | Fall |
| 21:750:315 | Introductory Thermodynamics | 3 | Spring |
| 21:750:361 | Mechanics I | 3 | Fall (NJIT or RU-NB) |
| 21:750:385 | Electromagnetic Fields and Waves | 3 | Fall (NJIT or RU-NB) |
| 21:750:461 | Computational Methods in Applied Physics* | 3 | Spring |
| 21:750:404 | Quantum Mechanics | 3 | Spring |
| 21:750:407 | Advanced Physics Laboratory I | 3 | Spring (NJIT) |
| 21:750:491/492 | Physics Seminar (writing intensive) | 1 | Fall & Spring |
*New course. Can substitute a physics elective until the course is offered.
Practical Experience in Physics - Pick 1 of the below experiences. Discuss with the Physics Undergraduate Program Coordinator and arrange with a faculty member.
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits | Offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21:750:485/486 | Individual Research in Physics | 3 | Fall, Spring, & Summer |
| 21:750:493/494 | Independent Study in Physics | 3 | Fall, Spring, & Summer |
*With permission can substitute off-campus summer physics research (such as an REU), project, or internship.
Required Math Courses
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits | Offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21:640:135 or 21:640:155 | Calculus I or Honors Calculus | 4 | Fall, Spring, & Summer |
| 21:640:136 or 21:640:156 | Calculus II or Honors Calculus | 4 | Fall, Spring, & Summer |
| 21:640:235 | Calculus III | 4 | Fall, Spring, & Summer |
Physics Major Electives - Pick 2 of the below courses.
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits | Offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21:750:450 | Physics Education | 3 | Fall & Spring |
| 21:640:314 | Elementary Differential Equations | 3 | Fall, Spring, & Summer |
| 21:640:331 | Introduction to Partial Differential Equations | 3 | Spring |
| 21:640:350 | Linear Algebra | 3 | Fall, Spring, & Summer |
| 21:640:473 | Numerical Analysis | 3 | Fall, Spring, & Summer |
| 21:640:475 | Applied Mathematics I | 3 | Fall |
| 21:640:476 | Applied Mathematics II | 3 | Spring |
| 21:750:320 | Astronomy & Astrophysics I | 3 | Fall (NJIT) |
| 21:750:321 | Astronomy & Astrophysics II | 3 | Spring (NJIT) |
| 21:750:322 | Observational Astronomy | 3 | Spring (NJIT) |
| 21:750:361 | Mechanics II | 3 | Spring (NJIT) |
| 21:750:386 | Electromagnetic Fields and Waves II | 3 | Spring (NJIT) |
| 21:750:418 | Fundamentals of Optical Imaging | 3 | Spring (NJIT) |
| 21:750:420 | Special Relativity | 3 | Fall & Spring (NJIT) |
| 21:750:421 | General Relativity | 3 | Fall & Spring (NJIT) |
| 21:750:446 | Solid State Physics | 3 | Fall & Spring (NJIT) |
| 21:750:480 | Special Topics in Applied Physics | 3 | Fall (NJIT) |
*Course offerings are subject to change. With permission can substitute another 3-credit physics course at the 300 level or above.
A grade of D or lower for any class will not count towards the physics major.
Physics Major and Minor Course Requirements are also listed in this google document.
Pathways in the Physics Majors are available in this google document.
Pathways in the Physics Major with SASN Requirements are in this google document.