Physics Degree Requirements



The Undergraduate Programs in Physics
Published in August, 2006

The Physics Department offers two different programs leading to a Bachelor of Science in Physics, giving students the opportunity to tailor their study of physics to their individual career goals. The focused option is an ideal preparation for those students who plan to go on to graduate school in physics or a related field. The flexible option is designed for students who wish to develop a strong background in the fundamentals of physics, then build on this foundation as they prepare for career paths that may not involve a graduate degree in physics.

For detailed descriptions on the three undergraduate programs, consult the MIT Bulletin, or link on the appropriate document below.

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Course VIII Focused Option

The Course VIII focused option is designed to provide the best possible preparation for graduate study in physics. Many students have also found this program to be an excellent, broad based preparation for professional work in related fields such as astrophysics, biophysics, geophysics, and many engineering disciplines. The focused option is unusual among pre-professional programs at MIT in that it offers a particularly large amount of elective freedom: as many as six subjects may be chosen as unrestricted electives without exceeding the minimum requirements for an undergraduate degree. The Departmental program for the focused option consists of the following required subjects and restricted electives. The full requirements for the degree, including the General Institute Requirements, may be found in the MIT Bulletin.

Restricted Electives
One subject given by the Mathematics Department beyond 18.03
Two additional subjects given by the Physics Department beyond 8.02 including at least one of the following: 8.07, 8.08, 8.09

A typical focused option schedule showing how these required subjects might be distributed throughout a student's four undergraduate years, is shown in the PDF document.

Course VIII Flexible Option

This option is designed for students who wish to develop a strong background in the fundamentals of physics and then build on this foundation as they prepare for career paths that may not involve a graduate degree in physics. In the past many students have found an understanding of the basic concepts of physics and an appreciation of the physicist's approach to problem solving an excellent preparation for careers in business, law, medicine or engineering. This option should be even more attractive today in light of the growing spectrum of non-traditional, technology-related career opportunities.

The freedom of choice associated with the flexible option does not preclude the possibility of going on to graduate school in physics. The number of physics subjects in this program is still comparable to that required of physics majors at many of our peer universities.

The Departmental program for the flexible option consists of the following required subjects and restricted electives. The full requirements for the degree, including the General Institute Requirements, may be found in the MIT Bulletin.

Restricted Electives
Possible areas of focus include astronomy, biophysics, computational physics, nanotechnology, history of science, science and technology policy, philosophy of science, science teaching, pre-medical or pre-law programs, and management. Some students may choose to satisfy their experimental requirement and remaining restricted elective requirement in the same area as their focus; others may opt for greater breadth by choosing other fields for these requirements. The subjects in the focus group must be separate from those used to satisfy the student's HASS requirements. A physics subject included in the focus group may be used to satisfy the restricted elective requirement of one additional physics subject beyond 8.02, but may not be used to satisfy the experimental requirement.

*The departmental portion of the Communications Requirement in the flexible option can be satisfied by taking two of the following: 8.06, 8.13, 8.225J, or 8.287J. The department may accept substitutions for any of these subjects by CI-M subjects from other departments if they form a natural part of the student's individual program.

Students who wish to pursue the flexible option should inform their departmental advisor during their sophomore year in order to have enough time to design a complete program. Specific plans for the experimental and focus requirements require the written approval of the Department's Associate Department Head for Education.

One possible four-year Course VIII-B schedule is shown in the PDF document. The following examples of possible focus groups in different areas are not intended to be exhaustive. Other subjects may be used to comprise a focus in these areas, and other areas of focus may be proposed.

Examples of Possible Focus Selections

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