Career Opportunities
Physics is the systematic study of the basic laws, phenomena and properties of the universe. The study of physics is concerned with the interactions of everything from the smallest particles known to occur in nature to the largest things found in nature: quarks, photons, atoms, galaxies, clusters and super clusters, and the universe itself.
Physicists are employed by industry, business, education and government. They perform applied research in hospitals and clinics, and in educational and federal institutions doing fundamental research. Physicists tend to be generalists; they often find jobs in apparently unrelated fields such as software development and electrical engineering.
While most physics majors go on for advanced degrees, some jobs are available for those with a bachelor's degree. Most jobs in the industry require a bachelor's or master's degree, while those doing fundamental research require a doctorate. Students who plan to major in physics should have a strong aptitude for mathematics. The national outlook for jobs in physics is average for the next five to 10 years.
The Physics program at College of DuPage has three levels of study. Physics 1100 is a general survey course for liberal arts students. Physics 1201 and 1202 comprise a one-year exploration of general principles. This sequence is recommended for students who desire a one-year sequence of lab science and for those who intend to major in biology or a pre-professional area. Physics 2111, 2112 and 2115 is the sequence of choice for other science majors and for engineering majors. A course in modern physics is also offered. Pre-medicine and pre-dentistry students should check with proposed professional school for the appropriate physics course.
Program Requirements
The following files describe in detail the requirements for this program. They are portable document format files that can be viewed and printed with free Adobe Acrobat Reader software. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer, you may download it here.
Please consult a faculty advisor listed below before beginning your coursework.
Degrees
Physics, Associate in Science
When planning your coursework, use the Student Planning Worksheet. Degree information and the worksheet can be found on the following files:
Faculty Advisors
- Tom Carter, Berg Instructional Center (BIC), Room 3E04A, (630) 942-3346
- David Fazzini, Berg Instructional Center (BIC), Room 3E04B, (630) 942-3349
- Rumiana Nikolova, Berg Instructional Center (BIC), Room 3E10A, (630) 942-3276
If you are unable to contact a faculty advisor, messages may be left with the Health and Sciences Division, BIC 200, (630) 942-2010.