Typical Course of Study

For physics majors who start in the freshman year

At William & Mary, most students do not declare a major until the spring of their second year. However, if physics is a potential major for you, we recommend that you take General Physics (PHYS101/102 or PHYS101H/102H) and Calculus (MATH111 and 112) your first year.

First Semester Course Guide by Major

If you do this, your plan for taking the major requirements leading to a standard concentration in physics could look something like this:

Fall	Spring
YEAR 1 PHYS 101/101H - General Physics MATH 111 - Calculus I	YEAR 1 PHYS 102/102H - General Physics MATH 112 - Calculus II
YEAR 2 PHYS 201 - Modern Physics PHYS 251 - Experimental Atomic Physics PHYS 256 - Practical Computing MATH 213 - Multivariable Calculus	YEAR 2 PHYS 208 - Classical Mechanics I PHYS 252 - Electronics I MATH 211 - Linear Algebra PHYS 254 - Introduction to Mathematical Physics
YEAR 3 PHYS 313 - Quantum Physics I PHYS 303 - Classical Mechanics II* PHYS 351 - Scientific Instrumentation Lab MATH 302 - Ordinary Differential Equations	YEAR 3 PHYS 401 - Electricity and Magnetism I PHYS 314 - Intro to Quantum Physics II * PHYS 352 - Experimental Modern Physics
YEAR 4 PHYS 451/495 - Physics/Honors Research PHYS 402 - Electricity and Magnetism II * PHYS 403 - Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics *	YEAR 4 PHYS 452/496 - Physics/Honors Research

Degree requirements include all courses in bold, except any two of the four courses marked with
* Math courses listed in regular font are math courses strongly recommended for all physics majors. For the complete list of requirements, consult the course catalog.

Students interested in extending their physics knowledge and in pursuing graduate studies in physics are recommended to consider Honors for their senior year.

Requirements for Honors in Physics

A physics GPA greater than 3.0
In addition to the major course requirements, (PHYS 201, PHYS 208, PHYS251, PHYS 252, PHYS 313 and PHYS 401), students pursuing the Honors will need to take PHYS 314 and PHYS 403, as well as either PHYS 303 or PHYS 402, and either PHYS 351 or PHYS 352.
The Honors Thesis (3 credits of PHYS 495 and 3 credits of PHYS 496)