Changes of Majors or Transfers
Many of our most successful graduates did not realize that they might want to be a physics major until after their first or second year of college. Others realized that they might want to couple their primary major with a second major in Physics; usually this was one of the engineering majors but we have had double majors in French, Philosophy, Sociology, or others.
If you think that you might be interested physics towards the end of your freshman year, it would be possible to complete the Physics Bachelor of Science degree in three years if you have completed Math 155 and 156 by the fall of your sophomore year. A tentative schedule listing just Physics and Math classes is given below.
Sophomore Year
Fall
- MATH 251
- PHYS 111
- Four hours of one other science
Spring
- MATH 261
- PHYS 112
- PHYS 212 (note, catalog lists 211 but that course has been replaced with 212)
- Four hours of the same science
Junior Year
Fall
- PHYS 331
- PHYS 333
- Physics Elective
Spring
- PHYS 332 or 334
- PHYS 314
- Physics Elective
Senior Year
Fall
- PHYS 341
- PHYS 451
- MATH Elective
Spring
- PHYS 341
- PHYS 461
- PHYS Capstone
- Physics Electives
Of course, there is some flexibility in this plan; for example, we have had students who are good at Math delay the Math sequence by one semester (that is Math 156 in the fall, 251 in the spring, and 261 in the fall of their Junior year with no other changes). If you think that you might be interested in earning a Bachelor of Science in Physics, you should meet with one of our advisors to discuss your options.
If you have had no Math or Physics at the college level it is still possible to fulfill the requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physics in three years following the plan below. I include foreign language classes, because the WVU B. A. degree requires four semester of one foreign language.
Sophomore Year
Fall
- MATH 155
- Four hours of one other science
- Any foreign language 101
Spring
- MATH 156
- PHYS 111
- Four more hours of the same science
- The same foreign language 102
Junior Year
Fall
- PHYS 112
- The same foreign language 203
Spring
- PHYS 211
- PHYS 314
- The same foreign language 204
Senior Year
Fall
- PHYS 341
- PHYS 331
- PHYS 333
Spring
- PHYS Capstone
- Physics Elective
- Physics Elective
Of course, if you can stay at WVU a fifth year, your schedule could be more relaxed so that, during you last two or three years, you would be able to have an active role as an intern (most of whom are paid) in one of our many and varied research programs.