The Physics major is designed to give the student a broad and thorough understanding of the fundamentals of physics. Therefore, the emphasis is on this general understanding rather than on specialized skills, although some specialized courses are among the options open to the student. Those considering a physics major are urged to consult a departmental adviser early, in order to discuss the content of the major and also the opportunities after graduation. Recent graduates have entered graduate work in a number of scientific fields, and others have gone on to jobs in academic, industrial, and government laboratories.
Declaring the Major
Students may declare a physics major when all of the prerequisites for the major have been completed or their equivalent with a 2.0 grade-point average (GPA) in the prerequisites and a 2.0 GPA in all University courses. For further information regarding the prerequisites, please see the Major Requirements tab on this page.
The department will consider applications to declare a physics major throughout the academic year. Students (continuing and transfer) declaring must furnish a copy of their grade record or past transcripts which include the prerequisite courses or their equivalents. Students must have their records reviewed and have a departmental file prepared by the undergraduate advisors in 368 or 374 Physics North prior to seeing a faculty major adviser for departmental approval of the petition to declare a physics major. Students should be prepared to discuss a tentative schedule of their upper division courses.
Honors Program
Students with an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.3 or higher in all courses in the major, upper division courses in the major, and all University courses may be admitted to the honors program. A major advisor should be consulted before the student's last year of residence. This program requires completion of the major, at least one semester of PHYSICS H190, and a senior thesis, PHYSICS H195A and PHYSICS H195B.
Minor Program
The department also offers a minor program in Physics. Students may petition for a minor in Physics from the time that the requirements are complete until the student graduates from the College of Letters & Science. Students who have completed the requirements for the minor will be required to furnish transcripts (official or unofficial) to the undergraduate advisors (in 368 or 374 Physics North) to show their work and GPA in physics and math. After completing a confirmation of minor program petition (available in 368 or 374 Physics North), the students will be directed to a faculty major adviser who will approve the completion of the minor program.
In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, listed on the College Requirements tab, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.
General Guidelines
All courses taken to fulfill the major requirements below must be taken for graded credit, other than courses listed which are offered on a Pass/No Pass basis only. Other exceptions to this requirement are noted as applicable.
No more than two upper division courses may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's double major and no more one course may be used to fulfill minor program requirements with the exception of minors offered outside of the College of Letters & Science.
A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 must be maintained in both upper and lower division courses used to fulfill the major requirements.
For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.
Lower Division Requirements
In addition to the requirements below, students who are unfamiliar with a computer programming language are encouraged to include an introductory course in computer science. Physics 77 is strongly recommended for Physics Majors.
Students who are interested in graduate school should consult Physics Undergraduate Advisors for more information on additional recommended courses.
Minor Requirements
Students who have a strong interest in an area of study outside their major often decide to complete a minor program. These programs have set requirements.
General Guidelines
All minors must be declared before the first day of classes in your Expected Graduation Term (EGT). For summer graduates, minors must be declared prior to the first day of Summer Session A.
All upper-division courses must be taken for a letter grade.
A minimum of three of the upper-division courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements must be completed at UC Berkeley.
A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required in the upper-division courses to fulfill the minor requirements.
Courses used to fulfill the minor requirements may be applied toward the Seven-Course Breadth requirement, for Letters & Science students.
No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs.
All minor requirements must be completed prior to the last day of finals during the semester in which the student plans to graduate. If students cannot finish all courses required for the minor by that time, they should see a College of Letters & Science adviser.
All minor requirements must be completed within the unit ceiling. (For further information regarding the unit ceiling, please see the College Requirements tab.)
Undergraduate students must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.
For a detailed lists of L&S requirements, please see Overview tab to the right in this guide or visit the L&S Degree Requirements webpage. For College advising appointments, please visit the L&S Advising Pages.
All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley and must be taken for a letter grade.
The American History and American Institutions requirements are based on the principle that all U.S. residents who have graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.
All undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass this campus requirement course in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses are plentiful and offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.
College of Letters & Science Essential Skills Requirements
The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer/data science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course taken for a letter grade.
The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work taken for a letter grade.
In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing, and critical thinking the College of Letters and Science requires two semesters of lower division work in composition in sequence. Students must complete parts A & B reading and composition courses in sequential order by the end of their fourth semester for a letter grade.
College of Letters & Science 7 Course Breadth Requirements
The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship. Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.
Unit Requirements
120 total units
Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units
Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside your major department
Residence Requirements
For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters & Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes at Cal for four years, or two years for transfer students. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you graduate early, go abroad for a semester or year, or want to take courses at another institution or through UC Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to meet an L&S College adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.
Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.
Senior Residence Requirement
After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your B.A. degree), you must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.
You may use a Berkeley Summer Session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the college.
Modified Senior Residence Requirement
Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP), Berkeley Summer Abroad, or the UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.
Upper Division Residence Requirement
You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding UCEAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your major.
Student Learning Goals
Mission
The goal of the Physics major is to provide students with a broad understanding of the physical principles of the universe, to help them develop critical thinking and quantitative reasoning skills, to empower them to think creatively and critically about scientific problems and experiments, and to provide training for students planning careers in physics and in the physical sciences broadly defined including those whose interests lie in research, K-12 or college teaching, industrial jobs, or other sectors of society.
Physics majors complete a program which includes foundational lower division course work in math and physics and in-depth upper division course work. These topics are traditionally broadly divided into classical and modern physics. Some core topics, such as special relativity, classical optics, and classical thermodynamics, are covered only in lower division courses. Other topics, such as quantum mechanics, classical mechanics, statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, and optics, are covered first at an introductory level in lower division and then at a more advanced level in the upper division courses. Advanced elective courses provide students the opportunity to further their knowledge in specific areas (such as atomic physics, condensed matter physics, optical properties, quantum computing, biophysics, astrophysics, particle physics). A two-semester upper division laboratory course provides additional training in electronic instrumentation, circuits, computer interfacing to experiments, independent project design, and advanced laboratory techniques experiments. This laboratory course also provides the capstone experience to the core courses, bringing the knowledge gained in different courses together and making the connection between theoretical knowledge taught in textbooks/homework problems and the experimental foundations of this knowledge. Activities outside the classroom, such as independent research or study, allow students to further develop their knowledge and understanding.
A student graduating from Berkeley with a major in physics will understand classical and modern physics (as outlined in the course requirements below) and will also acquire the skills to apply principles to new and unfamiliar problems. Their understanding should include the ability to analyze physical problems (often posed as word problems), be able to derive and prove equations that describe the physics of the universe, understand the meaning and limitations of these equations, and have both physical and numerical insight into physical problems (e.g., be able to make order-of-magnitude estimates, analyze physical situations by application of general principles as well as by textbook type calculations). They will also have developed basic laboratory, library, and computational skills, be familiar with important historical experiments and what physics they revealed, and be able to make both written and oral presentations on physics problems posed to them. At graduation, physics majors will have a set of fundamental competencies that are knowledge-based, performance/skills-based, and affective.
Learning Goals for the Major
Graduates will have the following:
Mastered a broad set of knowledge concerning the fundamentals in the basic areas of physics (quantum mechanics, classical mechanics, statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, optics, and special relativity). This does not refer to knowledge about specific facts, but rather to a working knowledge of fundamental concepts that can then be applied in many different ways to understand or predict what nature does.
An understanding of the physical principles required to analyze a physical question or topic, including those not previously seen, and both quantitative and qualitative physical insight into these principles in order to understand or predict what happens. This includes understanding what equations and numerical physical constants are needed to describe and analyze fundamental physics problems.
A set of basic physical constants that enable their ability to make simple numerical estimates of physical properties of the universe and its constituents.
An understanding of how modern electronic instrumentation works, and how both classical and modern experiments are used to reveal the underlying physical principals of the universe and its constituents.
An understanding of how to use computers in data acquisition and processing and how to use available software as a tool in data analysis.
An understanding of modern library search tools used to locate and retrieve scientific information.
Skills
Graduates will have the following abilities:
Solve problems competently by identifying the essential parts of a problem and formulating a strategy for solving the problem. Estimate the numerical solution to a problem. Apply appropriate techniques to arrive at a solution, test the correctness of the solution, and interpret the results.
Explain the physics problem and its solution in both words and appropriately specific equations to both experts and non-experts.
Understand the objective of a physics laboratory experiment, properly carry out the experiments, and appropriately record and analyze the results.
Use standard laboratory equipment, modern instrumentation, and classical techniques to carry out experiments.
Know how to design, construct, and complete a science-based independent project (specifically in the area of electronics).
Know and follow the proper procedures and regulations for safely working in a lab.
Communicate the concepts and results of their laboratory experiments through effective writing and oral communication skills.
Affective
Graduates will be able to do the following:
Successfully pursue career objectives in graduate school or professional schools, in a scientific career in government or industry, in a teaching career, or in a related career.
Think creatively about scientific problems and their solutions, to design experiments, and to constructively question results they are presented with, whether these results are in a newspaper, in a classroom, or elsewhere.
Major Map
Major maps are experience maps that help undergraduates plan their Berkeley journey based on intended major or field of interest. Featuring student opportunities and resources from your college and department as well as across campus, each map includes curated suggestions for planning your studies, engaging outside the classroom, and pursuing your career goals in a timeline format.
Use the major map below to explore potential paths and design your own unique undergraduate experience:
All students interested in the Physics major should come in for major advising as soon as possible starting their first semester on campus for individualized assistance. Professional advisers can assist with a wide range of matters including academic course planning, research, career, and graduate school goals.
Nitin Srivastava
nitin.srivastava@berkeley.edu
368 Physics North
510-642-0481
Academic Opportunities
Berkeley Connect in Physics
Berkeley Connect in Physics is a mentoring program that pairs physics graduate mentors with undergraduate physics students. The goals of the program are to help students develop understanding, community, and career preparedness that go beyond what traditional courses provide. Interactions with graduate students and faculty will play a large role throughout the semester. The course is a small seminar class led by the physics graduate student mentor. Some of the meetings will include the following:
Visits to research labs on campus and at the national labs to talk to faculty, scientists, and graduate students.
Preparing students for a broad range of career trajectories including ones outside of academia.
Discussions of science in the news and science and society.
Resources for finding research opportunities on campus, REUs, internships.
Developing skills that will make you an attractive candidate for undergraduate research.
Exploration of the idea of scientific models.
Building a community of physics student scientists.
Berkeley Connect is a 1 unit seminar course that meets once a week for one hour. It is designed to be very low workload but have large benefits for physics undergraduates. For more information please visit the Berkeley Connect website.
Courses
Physics
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
Kinematics, dynamics, work and energy, rotational motion, oscillations, fluids and relativity. Use of calculus and vector algebra will be emphasized. Intended for students with an interest in pursuing a major in physics, astrophysics, engineering physics, or related disciplines. Successor to the Physics H7 series. Start of three semester 5A-5B-5C sequence. Introductory Mechanics and Relativity: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Prerequisites: Math 1A; Math 1B (which may be taken concurrently)
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit under special circumstances: Only repeatable to replace deficient grade.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
Electric fields and potential, circuits, magnetism and induction. Introduction to optics including light propagation, reflection, refraction and interference. Intended for students with an interest in pursuing a major in physics, astrophysics, engineering physics, or related disciplines. Successor to the Physics H7 series. Continuation of 5A-5B-5C sequence. Introductory Electromagnetism, Waves, and Optics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Prerequisites: Physics 5A or 7A; Math 53 (which may be taken concurrently)
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit under special circumstances: Only repeatable to replace deficient grade.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
Part one of a two-semester laboratory sequence to introduce students to experimental physics and prepare them for research. Covers a variety of modern and historical experiments, emphasizing data analysis, clear scientific communication, and development of skills on modern equipment. Successor to the Physics H7 series. Introduction to Experimental Physics I: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Prerequisites: Physics 5A or 7A; 5B or 7B (which may be taken concurrently)
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit under special circumstances: Only repeatable to replace deficient grade.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 5 hours of laboratory per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 12.5 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
Temperature, kinetic theory, entropy; particle/wave nature of matter, Schrodinger equation, hydrogen atom, applications of quantum physics. Intended for students with an interest in pursuing a major in physics, astrophysics, engineering physics or related disciplines. Continuation of 5A-5B-5C sequence. Successor to the Physics H7 series. Introductory Thermodynamics and Quantum Mechanics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Prerequisites: Physics 5B or 7B; Physics 89 or Math 54 (which may be taken concurrently)
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit under special circumstances: Only repeatable to replace deficient grade.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
Part two of a two-semester laboratory sequence to introduce students to experimental physics and prepare them for research. Covers a variety of modern and historical experiments, emphasizing iterative experimental design, clear scientific communication, and development of skills on modern equipment. Successor to the Physics H7 series. Introduction to Experimental Physics II: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Physics 5B & 5BL or 7B; Physics 5C or 7C (which may be taken concurrently)
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit under special circumstances: Only repeatable to replace deficient grade.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 5 hours of laboratory per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 12.5 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Fall 2015, Fall 2014, Fall 2013
Honors sequence corresponding to 7A-7B-7C, but with a greater emphasis on theory as opposed to problem solving. Recommended for those students who have had advanced Physics on the high school level and who are intending to declare a major in physics. Entrance into H7A is decided on the basis of performance on an examination given during the first week of class or the consent of the instructor, and into H7B-H7C on performance in previous courses in a standard sequence. Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: High school physics; Math 1A; Math 1B (may be taken concurrently)
Credit Restrictions: Students will received no credit for H7A after taking 7A.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture, 1 hour of discussion, and 3 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2016, Spring 2016, Fall 2015
Honors sequence corresponding to 7A-7B-7C, but with a greater emphasis on theory as opposed to problem solving. Recommended for those students who have had advanced Physics on the high school level and who are intending to declare a major in physics. Entrance into H7A is decided on the basis of performance on an examination given during the first week of class or the consent of the instructor, and into H7B-H7C on performance in previous courses in a standard sequence. Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 7A, Math 1A-1B, Math 53 (may be taken concurrently)
Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit H7B after taking 7B.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture, 1 hour of discussion, and 3 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2016, Spring 2016, Fall 2015
Honors sequence corresponding to 7A-7B-7C, but with a greater emphasis on theory as opposed to problem solving. Recommended for those students who have had advanced Physics on the high school level and who are intending to declare a major in physics. Entrance into H7A is decided on the basis of performance on an examination given during the first week of class or the consent of the instructor, and into H7B-H7C on performance in previous courses in a standard sequence. Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 7A-7B, Math 1A-1B, Math 53, 54 (Math 54 may be taken concurrently)
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture, 1 hour of discussion, and 3 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Summer 2024 10 Week Session, Spring 2024
Introduction to forces, kinetics, equilibria, fluids, waves, and heat. This course presents concepts and methodologies for understanding physical phenomena, and is particularly useful preparation for upper division study in biology and architecture. Introductory Physics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Mathematics 1A, 10A, 16A, or equivalent, or consent of instructor
Credit Restrictions: Students with credit for 7A will not receive credit for 8A.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture, 2 hours of discussion, and 2 hours of laboratory per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture, 4 hours of discussion, and 4 hours of laboratory per week 10 weeks - 6 hours of lecture, 4 hours of discussion, and 4 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Summer 2024 8 Week Session, Spring 2024
Introduction to electricity, magnetism, electromagnetic waves, optics, and modern physics. The course presents concepts and methodologies for understanding physical phenomena, and is particularly useful preparation for upper division study in biology and architecture. Introductory Physics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 8A or equivalent
Credit Restrictions: Students with credit for 7B or 7C will not receive credit for Physics 8B.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture, 2 hours of discussion, and 2 hours of laboratory per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture, 4 hours of discussion, and 4 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Fall 2018
The most interesting and important topics in physics, stressing conceptual understanding rather than math, with applications to current events. Topics covered may vary and may include energy and conservation, radioactivity, nuclear physics, the Theory of Relativity, lasers, explosions, earthquakes, superconductors, and quantum physics. Descriptive Introduction to Physics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Open to students with or without high school physics
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2022
The most interesting and important topics in physics, stressing conceptual understanding rather than math, with applications to current events. Topics covered may vary and may include energy and conservation, radioactivity, nuclear physics, the Theory of Relativity, lasers, explosions, earthquakes, superconductors, and quantum physics. Descriptive Introduction to Physics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Open to students with or without high school physics
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2003, Spring 2002, Spring 2000
Physical principles encountered in the study of music. The applicable laws of mechanics, fundamentals of sound, harmonic content, principles of sound production in musical instruments, musical scales. Numerous illustrative lecture demonstrations will be given. Only the basics of high school algebra and geometry will be used. Physics of Music: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: No previous courses in Physics are assumed, although Physics 10 is recommended
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021
What can we learn about the nature of reality and the ways that we humans have invented to discover how the world works? An exploration of these questions through the physical principles encountered in the study of music. The applicable laws of mechanics, fundamentals of sound, harmonic content, principles of sound production in musical instruments, musical scales. Numerous illustrative lecture demonstrations will be given. Only the basics of high school algebra and geometry will be used. Physics and Music: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: No previous courses in Physics are assumed, although Physics 10 is recommended
Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for Physics C21/Letters and Science C70W after completing Physics 21. A deficient grade in Physics 21 may be removed by taking Physics C21/Letters and Science C70W.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023
The Berkeley Seminar Program has been designed to provide new students with the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member in a small-seminar setting. Berkeley Seminars are offered in all campus departments, and topics vary from department to department and semester to semester. Freshman Seminars: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2010, Spring 2009, Fall 2008
Enrollment limited to 20 students per section. Physics seminar course designed for both non major students and students considering a major in physics. Topics vary from semester to semester. Lower Division Physics Seminar: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Enrollment by consent of instructor during the week of pre-enrollment. Consult bulletin boards outside 366 Le Conte for more information
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1.5-4 hours of seminar per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 3.5-10 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2021, Fall 2018, Spring 2018
Students with partial credit in lower division physics courses may, with consent of instructor, complete the credit under this heading. Supplementary Work in Lower Division Physics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 1-3 hours of independent study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Summer 2024 10 Week Session, Spring 2024
Introductory scientific programming in Python with examples from physics. Topics include: visualization, statistics and probability, regression, numerical integration, simulation, data modeling, function approximation, and algebraic systems. Recommended for freshman physics majors. Introduction to Computational Techniques in Physics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Math 1A, Math 1B (can be taken concurrently); Physics 5A or 7A (which may be taken concurrently) or permission of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 2 hours of workshop per week
Summer: 10 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 3 hours of workshop per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
Introduction to data science with applications to physics. Topics include: statistics and probability in physics, modeling of the physical systems and data, numerical integration and differentiation, function approximation. Connector course for Data Science 8, room-shared with Physics 77. Recommended for freshmen intended to major in physics or engineering with emphasis on data science. Data Science Applications in Physics: Read More [+]
Objectives & Outcomes
Student Learning Outcomes: Learning goals for Physics 88
The following learning goals will guide the presentation of material as well as development of HWs, rubrics for assessment, and practice problems for use in discussion section: 1) Use of representations, 2) Communication, 3) Tools, 4) Problem-Solving, 5) Making connections, 6) Intellectual maturity and metacognition, 7) Resourcefulness.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Math 1A, 1B (1B can be taken concurrently), Physics 5A or 7A (may be taken concurrently), Data Science 8 (may be taken concurrently), or permission of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 9 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 2 hours of workshop per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 3 hours of workshop per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Summer 2024 10 Week Session, Spring 2024
Complex numbers, linear algebra, ordinary differential equations, Fourier series and transform methods, introduction to partial differential equations, introduction to tensors. Applications to physics will be emphasized. This course or an equivalent course required for physics major. Introduction to Mathematical Physics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Math 53; Physics 5A or 7A (can be taken concurrently) or instructor’s consent
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week
Summer: 10 weeks - 4 hours of lecture and 3 hours of discussion per week 10 weeks - 4 hours of lecture and 3 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Summer 2023 10 Week Session, Summer 2022 10 Week Session, Summer 2021 10 Week Session
Math is the natural language of physics. Of central importance to nearly all areas of physics are the fields of linear algebra and differential equations. A solid understanding of the structure and techniques of these fields will allow you to dig deeper into all of your physics courses and give you a greater appreciation of the beauty of physical theory. In this course we will develop and explore a collection of tools including complex numbers, linear algebra, differential equations, Fourier series and transform methods, and tensors. Along the way this course will explore many example systems you were exposed to in your introductory physics classes including waves, circuits, rotations, and oscillations. Introduction to Mathematical Physics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Math 53; Physics 5A or 7A (can be taken concurrently) or Instructor’s Consent
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
Berkeley Connect is a mentoring program, offered through various academic departments, that helps students build intellectual community. Over the course of a semester, enrolled students participate in regular small-group discussions facilitated by a graduate student mentor (following a faculty-directed curriculum), meet with their graduate student mentor for one-on-one academic advising, attend lectures and panel discussions featuring department faculty and alumni, and go on field trips to campus resources. Students are not required to be declared majors in order to participate. Berkeley Connect: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of directed group study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Spring 2010, Spring 2009, Spring 2008
For undergraduate and graduate students interested in improving their ability to communicate scientific knowledge by teaching science in K-12 schools. The course will combine instruction in inquiry-based science teaching methods and learning pedagogy with 10 weeks of supervised teaching experience in a local school. Students will practice, with support and mentoring, communicating scientific knowledge through presentations and hands-on activities. Approximately three hours per week including time spent in school classrooms. Communicating Physics and Physical Science: Read More [+]
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Summer 2024 8 Week Session, Spring 2024
Newtonian mechanics, motion of a particle in one, two, and three dimensions, Lagrange’s equations, Hamilton's equations, central force motion, moving coordinate systems, mechanics of continuous media, oscillations, normal modes, rigid body dynamics, tensor analysis techniques. Some knowledge of Python required for homework assignments. Students who have not taken Physics 77 or Data Science 8 are encouraged to complete the Python tutorials provided by the Physics Department. Analytic Mechanics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Physics 5A, 5B, 5C or 7A, 7B, 7C
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
Part I. A course emphasizing electromagnetic theory and applications; charges and currents; electric and magnetic fields; dielectric, conducting, and magnetic media; relativity, Maxwell equations. Wave propagation in media, radiation and scattering, Fourier optics, interference and diffraction, ray optics and applications. Electromagnetism and Optics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Physics 5A, 5B, 5C or 7A, 7B, 7C
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023
Part II. A course emphasizing electromagnetic theory and applications; charges and currents; electric and magnetic fields; dielectric, conducting, and magnetic media; relativity, Maxwell equations. Wave propagation in media, radiation and scattering, Fourier optics, interference and diffraction, ray optics and applications. Electromagnetism and Optics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Physics 5A, 5B, 5C or 7A, 7B, 7C and 110A
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
The instrumentation lab (formerly Basic Semiconductor Circuits) is an introductory course in basic design, analysis and modeling of circuits, and data analysis and control. Topics include but not limited to:
linear circuits, semiconductor diodes, JFETS, Op-Amps, Labview programming, ADC and DAC converters, signal processing, and feedback control.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023
In the advanced experimentation lab students complete four of 20+ advanced experiments. These include many experiments in atomic, nuclear, particle physics, biophysics, and solid-state physics, among others. Advanced Experimentation Laboratory: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Physics 111A and 137A or consent of instructor
Credit Restrictions: Three units of the Advanced Experimentation lab required for physics major; After the first three units, lab may be repeated for additional credit. No more than three units may be completed in one semester.
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit with instructor consent.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-9 hours of laboratory per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
Basic concepts of statistical mechanics, microscopic basis of thermodynamics and applications to macroscopic systems, condensed states, phase transformations, quantum distributions, elementary kinetic theory of transport processes, fluctuation phenomena. Some knowledge of Python required for homework assignments. Students who have not taken Physics 77 or Data Science 8 are encouraged to complete the Python tutorials provided by the Physics Department. Introduction to Statistical and Thermal Physics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Physics 5A, 5B, 5C or 7A, 7B, 7C
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
Tools of particle and nuclear physics. Properties, classification, and interaction of particles including the quark-gluon constituents of hadrons. High energy phenomena analyzed by quantum mechanical methods. Course will survey the field including some related topics in nuclear physics. Some knowledge of Python required. Students who have not taken Physics 77 or Data Science 8 are encouraged to complete the Python tutorials provided by the Physics Department. Particle Physics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 137A, 137B (may be taken concurrently), or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2022, Spring 2020
The detailed theory and experimental basis of quantum and nonlinear optics is presented and used to exhibit basic concepts of quantum measurements and noise, stochastic processes and dissipative quantum systems. Topics covered may include the second-quantization treatment of electromagnetic fields, photodetection, coherence properties of quantum-optical fields, light-atom interactions, cavity quantum electrodynamics, several non-linear optical systems, squeezed light and its applications, aspects of quantum information science, and selected topics at the forefront of modern optics research. Quantum and Nonlinear Optics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 110A and 137A-137B, or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Summer 2024 8 Week Session, Spring 2024
Part I. Introduction to the methods of quantum mechanics with applications to atomic, molecular, solid state, nuclear and elementary particle physics. Quantum Mechanics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Physics 5A, 5B, 5C or 7A, 7B, 7C
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
Part II. Introduction to the methods of quantum mechanics with applications to atomic, molecular, solid state, nuclear and elementary particle physics. Quantum Mechanics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Physics 7A, 7B, 7C and 137A
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Summer: 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2021, Spring 2019
Atomic, molecular, and optical physics is at once a precise and quantitative description of atoms, molecules and light; a generalized toolbox for manipulating and probing quantum systems; and an active field of contemporary research. This course exposes students to all these aspects. Lectures will cover topics such as atomic structure and spectra, the interaction of atoms with static and time-varying electromagnetic fields, some topics in quantum electrodynamics, methods of resonant manipulation of quantum systems, and resonance optics. Through lectures, discussion sessions, and homework assignments, students encounter contemporary research foci. Modern Atomic Physics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 137A-137B
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
Historical and experimental foundations of Einstein's special theory of relativity; spatial and temporal measurements, particle dynamics, electrodynamics, Lorentz invariants. Introduction to general relativity. Selected applications. Designed for advanced undergraduates in physics and astronomy. Special Relativity and General Relativity: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 105, 110A or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
Part I. A thorough introductory course in modern solid state physics. Crystal symmetries; classification of solids and their bonding; electromagnetic, elastic, and particle waves in periodic lattices; thermal magnetic and dielectric properties of solids; energy bands of metals and semi-conductors; superconductivity; magnetism; ferroelectricity; magnetic resonances. Solid State Physics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 137A-137B; 137B may be taken concurrently
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
Part II. A thorough introductory course in modern solid state physics. Crystal symmetries; classification of solids and their bonding; electromagnetic, elastic, and particle waves in periodic lattices; thermal magnetic and dielectric properties of solids; energy bands of metals and semi-conductors; superconductivity; magnetism; ferroelectricity; magnetic resonances. Solid State Physics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 137A-137B and 141A
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2022, Spring 2021
Motion of charged particles in electric and magnetic fields, dynamics of fully ionized plasma from both microscopic and macroscopic point of view, magnetohydrodynamics, small amplitude waves; examples from astrophysics, space sciences and controlled-fusion research. Introduction to Plasma Physics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 105, 110A-110B (110B may be taken concurrently)
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2022
Topics vary from semester to semester. The subject matter level and scope of the course are such that it is acceptable as the required elective course in the Physics major. See Department of Physics course announcements. Elective Physics: Special Topics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit when topic changes.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
This course is designed to assist physics and other physical sciences transfer students in their transition to UC Berkeley. Over the course of a semester, students will learn about campus resources, how to navigate the campus, establish connections with other students in their cohorts, receive physics transfer peer mentorship and advising. Students will work in small-groups to solve challenging mathematical and physics concepts to assist with academic success. Foundational Course for Physical Science Transfer Students: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Open only to physics and other physical sciences transfer students
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of lecture per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
Elements of general relativity. Physics of pulsars, cosmic rays, black holes. The cosmological distance scale, elementary cosmological models, properties of galaxies and quasars. The mass density and age of the universe. Evidence for dark matter and dark energy and concepts of the early universe and of galaxy formation. Reflections on astrophysics as a probe of the extrema of physics. Relativistic Astrophysics and Cosmology: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Astro 7B recommended; Physics 7A-7B-7C (7C may be taken concurrently) or Physics 5A-5B-5C (5C may be taken concurrently)
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
We will describe how concepts of free energy and entropy help us understand cooperative folding, conformational switching, and phase separation of proteins and explain the dynamics of biological molecules in a viscous and crowded cellular environment. We will then develop analytical approaches to a wide range of collective biophysical phenomena, including bacterial chemotaxis, swimming of sperm, stepping of molecular motors, neuronal firing, vision, photosynthesis, biological networks, pattern formation, and evolution. The course will also introduce advanced biophysical methods, such as single-molecule imaging and manipulation, and electrophysiology. Principles of Molecular Biophysics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: 112 or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024
Learn how to understand the world around you to within a factor of 10, how to solve real-life problems from physical first principles, how to make ill-posed questions well-posed, and how to sketch solutions quickly and avoid long and formal derivations. These skills build physical intuition and are crucial for all lines of work, especially research. You will learn how to guess intelligently, how to follow your hunches while guided by the laws of physics, and how to maximize understanding from just a modicum of information --- how to reason inductively and quantitatively. All of undergraduate physics --- mechanics, E&M, quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics --- will be covered in useful, memorable, and entertaining ways. Order-Of-Magnitude Physics: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Physics 7A, 7B, 7C (or 5 equivalent) + preferably at least 1 upper-division course in the physical sciences. Suitable also for graduate students
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required, with common exam group.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022
The course design covers data analysis and machine learning, highlighting their importance to the physical sciences. It covers data analysis with linear and nonlinear regression, logistic regression, and gaussian processes. It covers concepts in machine learning such as unsupervised and supervised regression and classification learning. It develops Bayesian statistics and information theory, covering concepts such as information, entropy, posteriors, MCMC, latent variables, graphical models and hierarchical Bayesian modeling. It covers numerical analysis topics such as integration and ODE, linear algebra, multi-dimensional optimization, and Fourier transforms. Bayesian Data Analysis and Machine Learning for Physical Sciences: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Physics 77 or Data Science 8 or Computer Science 61A or an introductory Python course, or equivalent, or permission from instructor; Physics 89 or Mathematics 54 or Electrical Engineering 16A/B
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022
A seminar which includes study and reports on current theoretical and experimental problems. Open only to students officially in the physics honors program or with consent of instructor. Physics Honors Course: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of seminar per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023
This multidisciplinary course provides an introduction to fundamental conceptual aspects of quantum mechanics from a computational and informational theoretic perspective, as well as physical implementations and technological applications of quantum information science. Basic sections of quantum algorithms, complexity, and cryptography, will be touched upon, as well as pertinent physical realizations from nanoscale science and engineering. Introduction to Quantum Computing: Read More [+]
Terms offered: Fall 2022, Fall 2019, Spring 2016
Thesis work under the supervision of a faculty member. To obtain credit the student must, at the end of two semesters, submit a satisfactory thesis. A total of four units must be taken. The units may be distributed between one or two semesters in any way. Senior Honors Thesis Research: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Open only to students in the honors program
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. This is part one of a year long series course. A provisional grade of IP (in progress) will be applied and later replaced with the final grade after completing part two of the series. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Spring 2016, Fall 2015, Spring 2015
Thesis work under the supervision of a faculty member. To obtain credit the student must, at the end of two semesters, submit a satisfactory thesis. A total of four units must be taken. The units may be distributed between one or two semesters in any way. Senior Honors Thesis Research: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Open only to students in the honors program
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. This is part two of a year long series course. Upon completion, the final grade will be applied to both parts of the series. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session, Spring 2024
Enrollment restrictions apply; see the Introduction to Courses and Curricula section in this catalog. Directed Group Study: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of directed group study per week
Summer: 6 weeks - 2.5-10 hours of directed group study per week 8 weeks - 1.5-7.5 hours of directed group study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023
Berkeley Connect is a mentoring program, offered through various academic departments, that helps students build intellectual community. Over the course of a semester, enrolled students participate in regular small-group discussions facilitated by a graduate student mentor (following a faculty-directed curriculum), meet with their graduate student mentor for one-on-one academic advising, attend lectures and panel discussions featuring department faculty and alumni, and go on field trips to campus resources. Students are not required to be declared majors in order to participate. Berkeley Connect: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of directed group study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
Terms offered: Prior to 2007
Discussion-based introduction to contemporary research in physics for advanced undergraduates. Presentation of different weekly topics in physics research led by graduate students, postdocs, or professors in a particular field to connect upper division physics majors with contemporary research and to increase dialogue between upper division undergraduates and researchers in the department. Frontiers of Physics: Read More [+]
Objectives & Outcomes
Course Objectives: -- To connect upper division physics majors with contemporary research in a way that traditional coursework does not.
-- To connect upper division physics majors with contemporary research in a way that traditional coursework does not.
-- To increase dialogue between upper division undergraduates and researchers in the department.
-- To help undergraduates make more informed career choices.
Student Learning Outcomes: -- Students left the course with a more broadened and more concrete understanding of what “pursuing research in physics” consists of. They also found themselves interested in areas of physics they didn’t expect or hadn’t known existed.
-- Students gained connections in the department. This has resulted in research projects for several students
-- Students received mentoring from the graduate student on many career path issues.
-- Small class size and discussion format strengthened the physics community both laterally and vertically.
Rules & Requirements
Prerequisites: Physics 7A, 7B, 7C or consent of instructor
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of directed group study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Alternative to final exam.
Terms offered: Summer 2024 10 Week Session, Spring 2024, Summer 2023 Second 6 Week Session
Enrollment restrictions apply; see the Introduction to Courses and Curricula section in this catalog. Supervised Independent Study: Read More [+]
Rules & Requirements
Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.
Hours & Format
Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2-6 hours of independent study per week
Summer: 3 weeks - 10-25 hours of independent study per week 6 weeks - 2.5-7.5 hours of independent study per week 8 weeks - 1.5-5.5 hours of independent study per week 10 weeks - 1.5-4.5 hours of independent study per week
Additional Details
Subject/Course Level: Physics/Undergraduate
Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.
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