College of Engineering and Sciences
Degree – Bachelor of Science
Major: Physics
Concentration: Nuclear Science
Catalog Year: 2016-17
Degree Requirements
Details
Credit Hours
120 credit hours. For example, students starting a 120 credit hour program in Fall 2016 must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours
per semester/30 credit hours per academic year to earn a Bachelor’s Degree on time in 4 years and graduate by May 2020.
2.0 GPA
Complete at least 32 hours at the 30000 or higher course level at Purdue University Northwest
2 courses approved with the E X L attribute.
Purdue University Northwest requires a minimum of 30 credit hours in the following General Education competencies:
English Composition (6 credits);
Technology (3 credit hours);
Freshman Experience Course (1 to 3 credits) For
Speech Communication (3 credits);
Humanities (3 credits);
courses less than 3 credits, 1 or 2 credits must
Social Science (3 credits);
be earned from another general education
Quantitative Reasoning (3 credits);
Natural Science (3 credits);
Any General Education (3 credits);
approved course.
Some courses may fulfill more than one requirement. Additional General Education coursework may be required to achieve the
minimum 30 credit hours. Only courses approved by University Senate will satisfy Gen Ed Requirements. (See Course Descriptions
at http://www.pnw.edu/registration/class-schedule-and-course-descriptions for more information.)
Grade Point Average ( GPA)
Residency Rule
Experiential Learning (E X L)
General Education Core
Milestone Courses noted by (m) next to the course title have been identified as being critical to your success in this field of study. Failure to master the
subject matter in milestone courses may impact your ability to progress in your degree program. This may entail achieving higher grades than just the minimum noted in this
plan of study. Review program requirements with your academic advisor to stay on track for graduation. E X L courses are noted by (e) next to the course title.
SEMESTER 1 - Program
Requirements (Course Title)
Subject Code/
Course Number
Semester
Offered
Calculus 1
MA 16300
FA, SP
General Chemistry 1
Speech Communications
Freshman Experience
CHM 11500
Any Gen Ed
approved Speech
Comm
Any Gen Ed
approved English
Composition
PHYS 19400
SEMESTER 2 - Program
Requirements (Course Title)
Subject Code/
Course Number
Semester
Offered
Mechanics
General Chemistry 2
Calculus 2 (m)
English Composition 2
PHYS 15200
CHM 11600
MA 16400 (m)
Any Gen Ed
approved English
Composition
FA, SP
FA, SP
FA, SP
FA, SP
SEMESTER 3 - Program
Requirements (Course Title)
Subject Code/
Course Number
Semester
Offered
Heat, Electricity, and Optics (m)
Multivariate Calculus
Linear Circuits Analysis 1
PHYS 25100 (m)
MA 26100
ECE 20100
FA, SP
FA, SP
FA
5
4
3
Electronic Measurement
Techniques
Humanities Elective
ECE 20700
FA
1
Any Gen Ed
approved
Humanities course
FA, SP
3
SEMESTER 4 - Program
Requirements (Course Title)
Subject Code/
Course Number
Semester
Offered
Sophomore Physics Seminar
Modern Physics
Modern Physics Lab
Differential Equations
General Thermodynamics 1
Social Science Elective
PHYS 29400
PHYS 34200
PHYS 34300
MA 26400
ME 30500
Any Gen Ed
approved Social
Science course
SP
SP
SP
FA, SP
SP
FA, SP
English Composition 1
Gen
Ed
Min
Grade
5
Yes
C-
FA, SP
FA, SP
4
3
Yes
FA, SP
3
Yes
FA
Credit
Hours
1
Credit
Hours
4
4
5
3
Credit
Hours
Credit
Hours
1
3
1
3
3
3
Notes
Also
Allowed
Pre/Co-requisite Courses
MA 15300 and MA 15400; or MA
15900; or ALEKS Placement 085
MA 15300
C-
Yes
Gen
Ed
Min
Grade
Yes
CCC-
Notes
Also
Allowed
Pre/Co-requisite Courses
MA 16300
CHM 11500
MA 16300
Yes
Gen
Ed
Min
Grade
Yes
CCC-
Notes
Also
Allowed
Pre/Co-requisite Courses
PHYS 15200 and MA 16400
MA 16400
Co-requisite: ECE 20700, MA
26100, and PHYS 26100
Co-requisite: ECE 20100
CYes
Gen
Ed
Min
Grade
CCCCC-
Yes
Notes
Also
Allowed
Pre/Co-requisite Courses
PHYS 25100
PHYS 25100 or PHYS 26100
Co-requisite: PHYS 34200
MA 26100
SEMESTER 5 - Program
Requirements (Course Title)
Subject Code/
Course Number
Semester
Offered
Quantum Physics 1
PHYS 31100
3
C-
Intermediate Electricity and
Magnetism
Computational Physics 1
PHYS 33000
FA odd
years
FA
3
C-
3
C-
Fluid Mechanics
Software Tools for Engineers
ME 31200
ENGR 15100
FA odd
years
FA
FA, SP
Fluid Mechanics Lab
ME 31300
FA
SEMESTER 6 - Program
Requirements (Course Title)
Subject Code/
Course Number
Semester
Offered
PHYS Elective
FA, SP
3
C-
Junior/Senior Physics Seminar
Nuclear Power
Programming 2: C++
Any PHYS course
30000 or higher
PHYS 49400
PHYS 47000
CS 12400
SP
SP even yr
SP
1
3
3
CCC-
Linear Algebra
Free Elective
MA 26500
Any Free Elective
FA, SP
FA, SP
3
1
C-
SEMESTER 7 - Program
Requirements (Course Title)
Subject Code/
Course Number
Semester
Offered
Credit
Hours
Intermediate Mechanics
PHYS 31000
4
C-
Senior Research 1 (e)
Nuclear Physics
Free Elective
PHYS 40200 (e)
PHYS 47000
Any Free Elective
FA even
years
FA
FA even yr
FA, SP
2
3
3
CC-
SEMESTER 8 - Program
Requirements (Course Title)
Subject Code/
Course Number
Semester
Offered
Credit
Hours
Advanced Physics Lab
PHYS 38000
3
C-
Senior Research 2 (e)
Thermodynamics
Heat Transfer
Neat Transfer Lab
Neutron Physics
PHYS 40300 (e)
PHYS 41800
ME 41600
ME 41700
PHYS 47000
SP odd
years
SP
SP odd years
SP
SP
SP odd years
3
3
3
1
3
CCCCC-
PHYS 30800
Program Total
Credit
Hours
3
3
Gen
Ed
Yes
CC-
Gen
Ed
Min
Grade
1
Credit
Hours
Min
Grade
Notes
Also
Allowed
Pre/Co-requisite Courses
PHYS 31000 MA 26400 and PHYS 34200
(PHYS 25100 or PHYS 26100) and
MA 26400
CS 12300
CIS 16600
MA 15100 or MA 15900 or MA
16300
Also
Allowed
Pre/Co-requisite Courses
C-
Gen
Ed
Gen
Ed
Min
Grade
Min
Grade
Notes
PHSY 29400 and in PHYS 33000
ECE 15200,
CIS 26300,
CIS 26600
CS 12300
MA 16400
Notes
Also
Allowed
PHYS
31100
Notes
Also
Allowed
PHYS32200
Pre/Co-requisite Courses
MA 26400 and (PHYS 25100 or
PHYS 26100)
Pre/Co-requisite Courses
PHYS 31000 and PHYS 34200 and
PHYS 34300 and PHYS 33000
PHYS 40200
PHYS 31000
120
Additional Information and Guidelines
Upper division courses are offered on a two year rotation. Contact an advisor to determine the specific semester a particular course will be offered.
Any individual course within CES must be a C- or better, but the average GPA for all disciplinary courses (CHM, ECE, ENGR, ME or PHYS courses)
must be at least 2.50.
Resources
The 8 semester plan of study is a recommended sequence of classes designed to show how this program can be completed within four
years. Visit www.15toFinishIndiana.org for information and resources.
To learn more about this program, go to http://www.pnw.edu/catalog and select the appropriate academic department.
For career information, check out “What Can I Do With this Major?” at http://whatcanidowiththismajor.com/major.
For Financial Aid eligibility, go to http://admissions.pnw.edu/financial-aid. Annual FAFSA filing deadline is March 10. Financial Aid recipients are required to
complete 30 credits per calendar year to stay eligible for the standard financial aid award.
Financial Guarantee: If you follow the degree map and find a course unavailable, you may be able to take the course for free in a future semester. Certain
exclusions apply.
Major: Physics (PHYS)
Program: SCIENCES-BS
Concentration: Nuclear Physics (XNSC)
Catalog Year: 2016-17
CIP: 400801
Revised: 8/4/2016