Department of Physics and Astronomy

Welcome to the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Appalachian. As an incoming student, the pages linked to on the left will lead you to important information, particularly about who to see for advising and the available programs within the department. Please look them over as you have time.

It is critical is that you start off with the right classes - many of the courses in physics and astronomy have others as prerequisites, so they have to be taken in the proper order, especially if you want to graduate on time. Below are a set of sample first-year schedules - one for students who are ready to take calculus their first semester, another for those who are in pre-calculus their first semester, and the last is for those interested in pre-engineering.

Physics (Undergraduate)

For students taking calculus their first semester**

For students taking pre-calculus their first semester**

* If you are nervous or feel slightly underprepared for calculus I, the math department offers a 1 cr. calculus support class that students should consider co-registering for.

** It is crucial that students are able to enroll in calculus III their third semester (as this is a co-requisite to the PHY 2010 required course). This means that if students are not calculus ready Fall of their first year, they must take calculus over the summer. Students that cannot enroll in calculus three their 3^rd semester might graduate 1-2 semesters late.

 ***required for Astronomy emphasis

For more information about beginning our program, please email Dr. Brooke Hester (hesterbc@appstate.edu) or Dr. Leah Sherman (shermanlb@appstate.edu) with questions.

Transfer students:

Incoming transfer students who want to major in physics at Appalachian can graduate within 2-3 years depending on their transfer credits. Incoming transfer students should schedule a meeting with an advisor within the department to discuss their specific situation. This usually occurs during transfer orientation.

We highly recommend that students transferring in after two years of community college (typically with an Associates Degree) complete the following courses prior to transferring, if possible:

• Calculus 1 
• Calculus 2 
• Physics 1⁺ 
• Physics 2⁺ 

Calculus 1 and 2 and Physics 1 and 2 are prerequisites for our intermediate physics courses, PHY 2010 and PHY 2020, which are required for all majors.

Completion of Calculus  1 and 2 and Physics 1 and 2 will ensure that it is possible for the student to complete the degree requirements within four years. Students without these credits can still be accepted into our program. However, without these courses, it may mean that they either do not finish within four years (including the two years at community college) or need summer school courses to finish within four years.

If students are transferring in after one year or less at another institution, we recommend they complete the following courses prior to transferring, if possible:

• Calculus 1 (highly recommended)
• Physics 1⁺ (recommended)

Completion of these courses will speed time to degree completion.

⁺Either algebra-based (equivalent to PHY 1123 and PHY 1124) or calculus-based physics (equivalent to PHY 1170 and PHY 1180) is acceptable. Conceptual physics courses (equivalent to PHY 1121 and PHY 1122) do not satisfy the degree requirements for physics majors.

For more information about transfering into our program, please email Dr. Brooke Hester (hesterbc@appstate.edu) or Dr. Leah Sherman (shermanlb@appstate.edu) with questions.

 Accelerated Master's Program:

The Department of Physics and Astronomy has an Accelerated Master's program which allows high-achieving seniors to take graduate level courses their senior year. These courses can double count for both the undergraduate BS Physics degree and the graduate MS Engineering Physics degree. Students in this program need only one additional year past the bachelors to earn their master’s degree.

For more information about our Accelerated Master's Program, please email Dr. Mike Briley (brileymm@appstate.edu) with questions.

For students interested in pre-engineering (transferring to an engineering school after 1^st or 2^nd year)

****Please note that PHY 1123 and PHY 1124 will not transfer for engineering programs. If students are not calculus ready their first year, they should wait to take PHY 1170 and PHY 1180 until they are in calculus.

All Engineering Programs have different requirements. It is suggested that students contact the specific engineering school they are interested in to determine the courses that will make them the most competitive. As of 10/04/2018, these were the requirements for transfers students for all NC Engineering Schools.

To transfer to NC State: 30 credit hours required, 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA (minimum), minimum 4 credit hours of English composition; college chemistry with one lab; calculus I; calculus II; minimum 2.5 math GPA on last two math classes; PHY 1150

To transfer to UNC – Charlotte: 24 transferable semester hours, minimum 2.5 or higher cumulative GPA (3.0 or higher for mechanical engineering) and completion of pre-calculus.

To transfer to NC A&T: 2.5 or higher cumulative GPA, students must complete calculus 1 with a minimum grade of C or higher

To transfer to ECU: 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA (minimum), completion of Calculus 1 with a C or higher, RC 1000 and RC 2001, CHEM 1101/1110

To transfer to Western: six credit hours of English. Math, Science, Social Science and/or Foreign Language. A different suggested schedule than the one above may be needed, please contact the department.

Dual Degree Programs: The Department of Physics and Astronomy has a dual degree program. Students who graduate from these programs receive a B.S. from Appalachian and a B.S. from the partner school. 

Students should contact Ms. Carla Ramsdell (ramsdellcs@appstate.edu) for more information about pre-engineering and dual degree programs.