Students considering a physics major in Physics should enroll in PHY 225 after having completed or waived the MAT 125 prerequisite, which may be taken concurrenlty with permission of the instructor. In the spring term, students should enroll in PHY 315, which is not only a major requirement but also begins the PHY course sequence.

The physics department requires that students satifactorily complete the PHY 315 and PHY 316 courses with a grade of C or higher before declaring this major.

In their first year, students must waive or complete MAT 115, MAT 125 and MAT 135. PHY 315 should be completed in the first year or as early as possible (NOTE: MAT 135 and PHY 315 can be taken concurrently). By their second year, students must waiver or complete MAT 315, which not only is a major requirement, but also begins the PHY course sequence and is a prerequisite to PHY 316. Once students have completed PHY 316 and are taking or have completed MAT 225, they can take PHY 320. Students must waive or complete MAT 225 and complete MAT 330 the third year, and MAT 437 the fourth. Students also should complete all or most of the General Education curriculum, in the sequencing described in the Academic Regulations section of the Catalog (including taking GSTR 410 in the senior year).

Students in this major must satisfy departmental standards for written and oral communication. The following courses each must be completed with a grade of C or higher in order to progress to the next level: PHY 315, 316 and 320.

Students who plan to attend graduate school in any area related to physics should take both PHY 335 and PHY 365. Students who do not already speak a second language are encouraged (but not required) to study at least one year of a foreign language to fulfill the Berea College perspective requirement.