Bulldog Days: ’05
COUP Revision of the Yale College Physics Major:
New Tracks and New Offerings starting in 2003-2004
(Prepared by S. Barrett, (DUS), R. Shankar (Chair of Dept.), T. Appelquist (Chair of COUP).)
Background
A Physics Department internal review of the undergraduate curriculum has been underway since the spring of 2002. The review committee (known as COUP) and the Department proposed significant changes in the requirements and the course offerings of the Yale College Physics major. These proposals were approved by the Yale College Course of Study Committee and the Yale College Faculty, and went into effect starting in the 2003-2004 school year.
The COUP Proposal: New Physics Major Tracks and New Course Offerings-Details
There are now two new major tracks: the “Intensive B.S.” and the “B.S.”.
The Intensive B.S. will require a significant research experience; this is the recommended track for those students aiming for graduate study in physics. The B.S. will allow for (but not require) a research experience; depending upon the courses selected, this could also prepare a student for graduate study in physics.
The two new tracks are designed to enable a larger number of Yale College students to take advanced Physics courses. This will benefit both Physics majors and non-majors with an interest in physics.
The new tracks have several advantages for majors, as it will provide new options for students who start taking Physics courses in their sophomore year. It will also open up the possibility of starting “Quantum Mechanics I” in the sophomore spring, which will be a practical benefit to students pursuing research both at Yale and elsewhere (e.g., through NSF Research Experience for Undergraduate programs). Finally, through the Chairman’s Tea and the 300-level electives, students will be exploring the frontiers of physics much earlier in the program (e.g., as Freshman).
Here are some of the key changes implemented with the new major tracks:
- We’ve reduced the total number of advanced courses required for Yale Physics majors to 8 (or 10 for Intensive B.S.), a number that matches the requirements of the Physics major at peer institutions such as Harvard, Princeton, and Berkeley.
- We’ve provided additional, parallel tracks to get to courses like Quantum Mechanics, by offering the two new Phys 401a/Phys 402b “Advanced Classical Physics: From Newton to Einstein, I&II” courses, which are core course for the new B.S. This is an alternative to the existing Phys 410a/Phys 430b/Phys 420a track (advanced Mechanics, Electricity & Magnetism, and Statistical Physics and Thermodynamics), which are core courses for the new Intensive B.S.
- We’ve introduced four new advanced elective courses at the 300-level, open to any student in Yale College who has completed a year of introductory-level, calculus-based physics (Phys180/181 or Phys 200/201, or Phys 260/261).
The COUP Proposal: New Physics Major Tracks and New Course Offerings-Details
The COUP proposal includes 6 new courses:
Physics 341a- “Biological Physics” (Mochrie, Fall ‘05)
Physics 343b-“Gravity, Astrophysics, and Cosmology” (Urry, Spring ‘06)
Physics 342a-“Introduction to Earth and Environmental Physics” (Wettlaufer, Fall ‘04)
Physics 344b-“Quantum and Nanoscale Physics” (DeMille, Spring ‘05)
Physics 401a & 402b-“Advanced Classical Physics From Newton to Einstein, I&II” (Baltay, Fall/Spring, starting Fall ‘03)
The Chairman’s Tea was added to enrich the introductory, calculus-based courses.
Topics for 2003-2004: “The 2003 Nobel Prize in Physics”, “The 2003 Nobel Prize in Medicine (for Magnetic Resonance Imaging)”, “The LHC: The World’s Most Powerful Particle Accelerator”, “Ultracold Atomic Gases: Basic Physics and Potential Uses”. In 2004-2005, the topics included: “Quantum Money, Quantum Teleportation, and Quantum Computation”, “The 2004 Physics Nobel Prize”, and “Chasing Neutrinos”.
This last table is a short summary of the COUP proposal for the new Physics tracks.
Introductory Courses for Physics Major |
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Lecture-Choose from P180/181, P200/201, or P260/261
Math- Choose to match Physics Lecture, e.g., M115/120, M120/225, or M230/230
Lab- P205Lb/206Lb
Frontiers of Physics- Chairman’s Tea
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Advanced Courses for Required for Physics Major Tracks |
|
| B.S. Intensive | B.S. |
| P301 (Math Methods) or other Adv. Math | P301 (Math Methods) or other Adv. Math |
| P410 (Mech.) | P401 P401 (Adv. Classical I: Mech+Stat Mech) |
| P420 (Stat. Mech/Thermo) | P402 (Adv. Classical II: Stat Mech+E&M) |
| P430 (Elec. & Magn) | Advanced Elective |
| P440 (Quantum I) | P440 or AP 439 (Quantum I) |
| P441 (Quantum II) | Advanced Elective |
| P381Lb or P382Lb (Adv. Lab) | Advanced Elective |
| P471 (senior research) | Advanced Elective |
| P472 (senior research) | |
| Advanced Elective | |
| 10 Advanced Courses Beyond Intro. | 8 Advanced Courses Beyond Intro. |