GUIDE TO MAJORS AND PROGRAMS
College of Arts & Sciences
Physics
Overview
Physics is the most fundamental of all
sciences. It is the science of matter, energy
and the interactions between them. Many
of the problems that will need to be solved
in the coming decades will occur on the
interface between physics and related areas.
Understanding and controlling new forms
of energy, developing new materials for the
next generation of computers and improving
methods of medical imaging — all of these
and more will require a thorough knowledge of
physics.
Consistently ranked among the best in the
nation, the Department of Physics at Kansas
State University stands out among its Kansas
Board of Regents-designated peer institutions as
a leader in its field.
The department receives approximately
$8 million in external funding annually, which
places it near Top 50 physics departments
nationwide in the National Science Foundation
ranking of externally funded research programs.
Professional options
Careers
A career in physics is rewarding and satisfying
for people who enjoy solving problems by
looking at the underlying basic principles.
Physicists are trained to formulate their
understanding of a problem or phenomenon in
precise terms and to communicate these ideas
to others. These skills are becoming especially
valuable today as our nation and world depend
more on science and technology.
Many physicists conduct basic research in
industrial, university and national laboratories,
while others work in a variety of fields that
require sophisticated problem-solving skills.
Points of pride
Since 1990, 11 physics majors and three physics
minor have won the Goldwater Scholarship.
In addition, one physics student has won
the Rhodes Scholarship and three have
won National Science Foundation graduate
fellowships.
Some physicists teach in high schools, colleges
and universities. The physicists at colleges and
universities often are among the leaders in basic
research.
Many high school students who like physics
are unsure about what career possibilities will
be open to them after graduation. Across the
nation over the past decade, roughly 95 percent
of graduates with bachelor’s degrees in physics
found employment or enrolled in graduate
school immediately following graduation.
After graduation, many students with a keen
interest in research join graduate schools with
a stipend and tuition waiver, meaning they are
paid to go to graduate school. These students
typically have a keen interest in research, either
in fundamental areas or in applied physics, such
as nanotechnology or biomedical innovation.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree in physics
also are well-poised to enter graduate schools
in areas such as law and medicine, often with
high scores on the LSAT and MCAT relative to
other majors. We encourage all physics students
to view physics as both a fundamental and
foundational science, providing an effective
background for a diverse career path.
Employers
Examples of recent employment opportunities
for K-State students with bachelor’s degrees in
physics include:
n Electronics engineers at Arbor Scientific
n High school teachers
n Scientists helping determine patent law at
the U.S. Patent Office
n Weather systems specialists with ITT Space
Systems
n Oil and gas explorations experts with
Reeves Wireline Services
n Biomedical experts — BioMune
n Financial services — Tradebot Systems
n Telecommunications specialists — Century
Link
Academics
Degree options
We offer three different physics bachelor’s
degrees. The Bachelor of Science in physics is
the best preparation for advanced degrees,
but the Bachelor of Science in general physics
and the Bachelor of Art in physics offer a broad
k-state.edu/admissions/academics
foundation in physics while requiring fewer
physics courses, leaving room for other areas.
Many physics majors simultaneously pursue
an additional major or degree in areas such
as mathematics, chemistry, engineering,
education, or even journalism or psychology.
We also encourage intersted physics students
to pursue minors such as computer science
or entrepreneurship. Some physics majors
complete requirements to become competitive
for admission to law or medical school.
Department scholarships through targeted
endowment funds often are available for
talented students who are pursuing extra plans
in addition to a physics degree.
A minor requiring 17-19 hours is also available
for students seeking degrees in other
departments.
Faculty
Our faculty conduct internationally recognized
research in atomic and molecular-optical
physics, soft-matter physics, high-energy
physics, physics education and cosmology —
all while preparing students with a nationally
recognized educational program.
The faculty currently includes nine fellows of the
American Physical Society, two fellows of the
American Association for the Advancement of
Science, and five outstanding junior investigator
award holders from the National Science
Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy
Our department also leads in teaching
excellence. Two of our faculty members
are Carnegie National Professor of the Year
winners — making K-State’s Department of
Physics the only department in the nation to
have two recipients of this award. While our
undergraduate enrollment is growing, we are
hiring additional faculty members to maintain
a low student to faculty radio, currently at
three students for every faculty member. Three
additional tenure-track members joined the
department in 2014-2015.
Suggested course work
Our program of study has been designed to
provide a firm, basic foundation in physics and
mathematics. The program includes formal
lecture courses, interactive and engaging
studio courses that integrate laboratory
demonstrations, computer-based learning labs,
and regular seminars on our research projects.
Your first two years in the program will focus
on both the basic courses required for any
bachelor’s degree at K-State and on the math
and science courses that form a foundation
for advanced courses in physics. These courses
include calculus, differential equations and
the sequence of introductory physics courses,
Physics I, Mechanics and Sound and Physics
II-Electricity and Magnetism. Simultaneously,
you will be introduced to our faculty and
current topics in physics through Physics
Today. Your second year, you will take Physics
III-Modern Physics, as well as Mechanics and
Advanced Physics Laboratory, where you will
perform experiments that were crucial in the
development of contemporary physics.
The third and fourth years in our program will
broaden your knowledge and understanding
of physics. You will take courses in
electromagnetism, thermodynamics and
quantum mechanics, and a laboratory course
focusing on electronics and instrumentation.
You may choose additional courses to broaden
your knowledge in areas such as cosmology,
contemporary optics or particle physics.
Activities
Research
An important part of our undergraduates’
education is involvement in one of our major
research areas. Early involvement in research
lets students put to use theories they learn in
class and acquaint themselves with the faculty
and graduate students. These experiences help
students make good career decisions.
Involvement in research is also fun, with many
students learning to build and use state-ofthe-art research equipment. These students
develop skills in computing, electronics, using
high-intensity lasers and other technically
advanced areas. Many of our students have
won prestigious fellowships based on their
research, published their work in peer-reviewed
journals and presented their research at national
meetings. Most of our students receive financial
support for their research time through directed
physics department, College of Arts and Science,
and K-State scholarships, or through individual
research group funding.
Atomic and molecular physics
If you’ve ever wanted to watch a chemical
reaction take place, or control the reaction
with a laser, the atomic and molecular physics
group does basic research on interactions
between light and matter, both theoretically
and experimentally. The light is in the form
of intense ultrafast laser pulses approaching
one-billionth of a second in duration at an
intensity that rips away electrons bound to
atoms and molecules. We have three ultrafast
lasers providing pulses in both the visible and
X-ray regimes. In more application-oriented
research, we use ultrafast lasers and fiber optics
to measure the frequency of light very precisely,
in support of the telecommunications industry.
In addition to our laser work, we have several
sources of accelerated charged particles used
both as projectiles and targets. Together, these
capabilities put our group at the cutting edge of
atomic, molecular and optical physics research.
Soft and condensed matter physics
K-State’s soft and condensed matter physics
group includes many subjects, such as
controlled assembly of nanoparticles into
two- and three-dimensional solids; selfassembly of proteins into microcrystals, fibrils
and microribbons and their role in various
diseases; molecules, particles and polymers
absorbed on surfaces; growth of nanowires and
their interface to living cells; stretching single
molecules; magnetic vortices and materials;
nanolithography; optics of nonspherical
particles; the sol to gel transition; and properties
of fractal aggregates. With interests extending
from biological cells to solid-state devices, our
eclectic soft matter group works at the interface
between physics, chemistry and biology to
understand how the manifold properties of soft
matter emerge.
Cosmology and particle astrophysics
The cosmology and astrophysics research group
studies questions such as how and why the
universe started expanding and whether this
expansion is speeding up or slowing down. The
group also investigates issues such as large-scale
properties of the universe and their relation to
small-scale properties of subatomic scale matter.
These are just examples of the many issues the
cosmology and astrophysics research group
studies.
High-energy physics
The K-State high-energy physics program is
trying to answer questions about both the
smallest particles in the universe and the
universe itself. The group studies particles,
including the Higgs Boson, which are smaller
than a dust particle in relation to the entire solar
system. These extremely small objects help us
understand how all things interact. Studying the
most fundamental objects in nature is a central
part of the K-State program.
Physics education
Some people can learn physics relatively easily
while others seem totally mystified by it. This
situation is not necessarily because some are
‘‘smart’’ and others are not. Instead, different
individuals approach physics with different
thinking processes. The physics education
research group investigates these thinking
patterns. We are particularly interested in how
students use information gained from everyday
experiences in order to learn the abstract
concepts such as the laws of physics. This
research is then used to develop innovative ways
of teaching, often making use of contemporary
technology, in order to make physics easier to
learn for a wide variety of students and, thus,
make it more attractive to them.
For more information about
physics, contact:
Department of Physics
Kansas State University
116 Cardwell Hall
1228 N 17th St
Manhattan, KS 66506-2601
785-532-6786
office@phys.k-state.edu
phys.k-state.edu
For more information about
Kansas State University, contact:
Office of Admissions
Kansas State University
119 Anderson Hall
919 Mid-Campus Dr North
Manhattan, KS 66506–0102
1-800-432-8270 (toll free) or
785-532-6250
k-state@k-state.edu
k-state.edu/admissions
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Director of the Office of Institutional Equity, equity@k-state.edu, 103 Edwards Hall,
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ADA Coordinator is the Director of Employee Relations, charlott@k-state.edu, who
may be reached at 103 Edwards Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
66506, (785) 532-6277.
2016