Undergraduate Program

A major in physics can prepare you for an exciting career dedicated to understanding the nature of matter, space, and time. It can also provide you with a firm background in physical principles and problem-solving that is critical for careers in applied industrial research, engineering, and biology. Finally, physics majors are extremely competitive when applying to professional programs, such as medical and law school. As a matter of fact, physics majors, on average, have the highest LSAT and second highest MCAT scores of any major, as a recent study by the AIP showed. General Information Overview of the Department Why Study Physics at UNC? Undergraduate Research Admissions Advanced Placement Credit Credit by Exam Contact Us Email the Director of Undergraduate Studies Learn more about the sciences at Carolina	Faculty General Information Major Requirements B.A. Track B.S. Track Undergraduate Degree With Honors Minor Requirements Undergraduate Advisors Physics Tutorial Center Curric. in Applied Sciences and Engineering Becoming an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Study Abroad for Science Majors Career and employment resources from Physics Today Professional development guide To learn more about why you might consider becoming a physics teacher, see this video Physics majors can prepare for certification as high school physics teachers under the UNC-BEST program. You may contact Dr. Churukian for more information. Scholarship funds are available through the Burroughs Wellcome Science Scholars program and through the Noyce program. UNC-CH is a member of the PhysTEC coalition to develop model teacher preparation programs (follow link at right).
Current and past courses offered by the department with links to their syllabi and homepages. Course Listings UNC Undergraduate Bulletin	The Society of Physics Students is a club for undergraduate Physics and Astronomy students that promotes the spreading of physics to the community. SPS also offers students a chance to meet other people with similar interests. Our club is the local chapter of a national organization.
Undergraduate students have many opportunities to participate in research projects on and off campus (see some descriptions of past work below). Students should contact individual faculty members to learn more about on-campus opportunities. Students from underrepresented groups are eligible to participate in the Summer Pre-Graduate Research Experience program, which offers such students a chance to work full-time on research projects under the direction of UNC-CH faculty members. All students should consider applying to one of the summer research programs supported by the National Science Foundation through their Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. These university-based programs offer paid full-time research participation, typically for 10 weeks during the summer. A wide variety of research fields within physics, astronomy, and related fields are represented.	Physics and Astronomy Graduate Program UNC-CH Graduate School Curriculum in Applied Sciences and Engineering
Read about the research that undergraduate students have been involved in within our department and at other locations.	A visual record of the social activities, events, and accomplishments of the Department of Physics and Astronomy.