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Home Undergraduate Program Majors, Emphases & Minors

Majors, Emphases & Minors

Major, emphasis, emphases, minors, programs
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For up to date degree information, including course requirements and 4-year degree plans, please visit the Physics program page in the general catalog.  To declare a major or minor, or determine which classes to register for next, please meet with our undergraduate academic advisor regularly.  We communicate with our majors through a weekly email newsletter using a email list-serve.  If you are not receiving them, please reach out to our advisor at:  uadvising@physics.utah.edu.

To see a future teaching schedule and see when classes will be tentatively taught, visit our P&A Four Year Teaching Plan directly through this Google Sheet.

The most recent archived version our Undergraduate Handbook can be found here.  Note that this handbook PDF file was archived before April 24, 2026.

What is a Physics Degree?

A degree in physics can be a 4-year degree starting with college algebra. All of the physics degrees and emphases require a calculus-based introductory physics sequence with labs, a course in modern physics, thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, a practical physics course, and an advanced physics course. Most degrees and emphases also require a course in classical mechanics, advanced electrodynamics, and quantum mechanics. The degrees differ in the number of semesters of each of these courses, the number and type of required practical courses, and the requirements for the depth and breadth courses. All degrees and emphases also require calculus I - III, linear algebra and differential equations. Most emphases require partial differential equations and complex variables, or equivalent.

Degree Options:

All of the degrees and emphases in physics have similar requirements in the first two years, so it is possible to explore the major before making a final decision on the degree program or emphasis.

Our Base Physics major is intended for students to gain familiarity with physics, but is lightweight and flexible enough to pursue other interests including double majors in other fields.    Taking an emphases will enable you to specialize more, and emphases are recommended if you’re interested in graduate education in Physics & Astronomy.

Please see the Physics program page in the university catalog for more information about specific course requirement for the Base Major and specific emphases.  Click on the accordions below to learn more about the different degree emphases that we offer.

Program Learning Outcomes:

PROBLEM SOLVING

Physics students: (a) can identify the essential physical principles underlying both idealized and real world problems. (b) can express problems in the language of mathematics, and (c) solve problems alone and in teams using a variety of tools including estimation, simplified models, computational methods, and graphical representations.

SCIENCE METHODS

Physics students: (a) can articulate the role of observation and the interplay between experiment and theory in scientific progress. (b) can collect and analyze experimental data, and (c) estimate and understand the statistical significance and confidence levels of an experimental result.

SCIENCE COMMUNICATION

Physics students can present experimental results and complex physics principles in both written and oral formats with proper citations.

SCIENCE AND SOCIETY

Physics students: (a) can apply physics concepts to contemporary systems, and (b) recognize the contributions and value of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and identities within physics and science.

Last edited in June 2026.