Physics and Astronomy at UNC-CH

Have you ever wondered why the sky is blue? Where the elements in the Periodic Table come from? How computer chips work? What happens when black holes collide? What it feels like to push a virus? If so, then you have wondered about physics! In the Department of Physics and Astronomy, you can learn about all these things and more. Physics seeks to understand the way the universe "works," from the very small scale (quarks and neutrinos) to the human scale (materials encountered in daily life) to the structure of the cosmos.

Physicists are also responsible for the invention of much of our modern technology, including computers, lasers, medical imaging devices such as MRI and ultrasound, nuclear reactors and the World Wide Web. People who have studied physics at UNC-CH can be found in all kinds of places doing all kinds of things. Some develop ways to detect breast cancer using radio waves, some have founded their own software companies, and some are specialists in patent law or high-technology investment strategies. Some work at planetariums introducing the public to the wonders of the night sky, and some teach physics to high school students who are tomorrow's scientists. Some are the scientists of today, working at research universities and national laboratories to discover the things that the Physics and Astronomy Department will be teaching tomorrow. Studying physics is an excellent way to prepare for a wide variety of careers, from science to medicine to law to business to the boundaries of your imagination.

All of the courses in physics and astronomy at UNC-CH are taught by faculty members who are actively engaged in forefront research. Many of them have received the University's highest awards for their teaching. The department offers two undergraduate degrees: the B.S. in physics, which provides students with the background necessary for graduate work in physics, astronomy, and related fields; and the B.A. in physics, which allows students the freedom to tailor the program to their own specific goals. Within the B.A. program, several "tracks" are offered, for students who have particular interests such as astronomy or geophysics. A minor in physics and a minor in astronomy are also available to students who are majoring in other fields, and double majors are allowed.

All students in the department, regardless of the degree they are pursuing, are encouraged to get involved in research and to work closely with individual faculty members in the laboratory, at the telescope, or at the computer screen. Many undergraduate students (including freshmen and sophomores!) participate in forefront research, and give presentations at scientific meetings and serve as co-authors on scientific publications. This experience brings alive the subject they have otherwise encountered only in the classroom, and allows them to participate in the thrill of discovery, as well as to learn how science is really done-by doing it themselves.

The undergraduate students in the department have their own organization, the Society of Physics Students (SPS). This group (which is a local chapter of a national organization) provides tutoring for beginning physics students, engages in outreach activities to local schools, and gets together for fun programs like "Stupid Physics Tricks."

For further information about the Physics and Astronomy Department and its programs, visit our website: http://www.physics.unc.edu, send e-mail to dept@physics.unc.edu, or call the department office at (919) 962-2078. To learn more about studying physics at UNC-CH, contact the Assistant Chair, Prof. Laurie McNeil, at mcneil@physics.unc.edu.