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Physics, Additional Major

Additional Major or Dual Degree in Physics

Physics may be taken as an additional major (also known as a “double major”) or as a second degree, with another department granting the primary degree. The rules of the Physics Department for these two options are distinct, as discussed below. Students interested in either option should contact Dr. Gillian Ryan, Director of Undergraduate Affairs, for assistance. Applicants must have should have successfully completed at least one core physics course at Carnegie Mellon prior to applying for these options and must apply for the additional major no later than the add date of their final semester.

Additional Major

To receive an Additional Major in Physics, with another department granting the primary degree, all requirements of the B.S. in Physics degree and the particular physics track (if desired) must be fulfilled except:

  • No STEM Electives are required (beyond track requirements)
  • No Non-Technical Electives are required
  • 03-121 Modern Biology is not required
  • 09-105 Introduction to Modern Chemistry I is not required
  • No Free Electives are required

The full requirements are described below:

Physics Core:

All physics majors take these courses in physics, which are designed to teach the fundamentals required for any specialty. Most students take the 100-level courses in their first year of study, the 200-level courses in their second year, and the 300-level courses in their third or fourth year.

Units
33-121Physics I for Science Students12
or 33-141 Physics I for Engineering Students
or 33-151 Matter and Interactions I
33-142Physics II for Engineering and Physics Students12
or 33-152 Matter and Interactions II
33-104Experimental Physics9
33-201Physics Sophomore Colloquium I2
33-211Physics III: Modern Essentials10
33-231Physical Analysis10
33-202Physics Sophomore Colloquium II2
33-228Electronics I10
33-232Mathematical Methods of Physics10
33-234Quantum Physics10
33-301Physics Upperclass Colloquium I1
33-331Physical Mechanics I10
33-338Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism I10
33-341Thermal & Statistical Physics10
33-302Physics Upperclass Colloquium II1
33-340Modern Physics Laboratory10
Total Physics Core Units129

Mathematics Core:

All physics majors take these calculus courses from the Department of Mathematics to support their studies in physics.

Units
21-120Differential and Integral Calculus10
21-122Integration and Approximation10
21-259Calculus in Three Dimensions10
Total Mathematics Core Units30

Technical Core for an Additional Major:

Students pursuing an additional major in physics do not need to fulfill the full Technical Core required by the Mellon College of Science, but are still required to take either 15-110 or 15-112 or or 02-120 (or an equivalent course as pre-approved by the Director of Undergraduate Affairs).

Units
15-110Principles of Computing10-12
or 15-112 Fundamentals of Programming and Computer Science
or 02-120 Programming for Scientists
Total Technical Core Units10-12

Technical Electives for an Additional Major:

Students pursuing an additional major in physics must take the Physics Electives and Mathematics Elective required of physics as the primary major, but do not need to take the STEM electives. Students may choose these electives individually, but may opt to complete the requirements as part of the Physics Tracks described in the B.S. in Physics section. Students interested in completing an additional major with a track should consult with the Director of Undergraduate Affairs.

Units
33-xxxPhysics Breadth Elective9-12
33-xxx3 Qualifying Physics Electives27-37
21-2xxMathematics Elective9-10
Total Technical Electives45-59

Dual Degree

To receive a Dual Degree in another subject and Physics, all requirements of the Physics degree must be fulfilled, including the Mellon College of Science General Education requirements. Students may choose to complete the B.A. or the B.S. in Physics, with or without a track. Students must complete both the technical and non-technical requirements, and should consult with the Director of Undergraduate Affairs for questions about double counting. The number of total units required to earn a Dual Degree is 90 more than the total units required by the department requiring the fewer total units. Since Physics requires 360 units, the lowest possible minimum for a Dual Degree with Physics is 450 units.

Physics Electives

Physics Breadth Electives

Students pursuing a B.S. in Physics must take at least one course from the Physics Breadth Elective list to gain experience in a subfield of physics. Some tracks have this course prescribed, while others allow free choice from this list. All of these courses may also be taken as Qualifying Physics Electives, but they may not fulfill both requirements simultaneously. 

Units
33-224Stars, Galaxies and the Universe9
33-226Physics of Energy9
33-353Intermediate Optics12
33-355Nanoscience and Nanotechnology9
33-431Stars and Black Holes9
33-432Galaxies9
33-433Cosmology9
33-441Introduction to Biophysics10
33-444Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics9
33-448Introduction to Solid State Physics9
33-650General Relativity9
Total Physics Breadth Elective Units9-12

Qualifying Physics Electives

Students pursuing a B.S. in Physics must take at least three courses totaling at least 27 units from the Qualifying Physics Elective list, not including the 100-level courses. Some tracks have these courses prescribed, while others allow free choice from this list, enabling students to choose between broad and in-depth study.

Students pursuing a B.A. in Physics must take at least two courses totaling at least 18 units from this list and may take only one of the 100-level courses.

Students pursuing a Minor in Physics must take at least three courses totaling at least 27 units from this list or non-prescribed courses from the Physics Core list.

While all courses on the Physics Breadth Elective list are also on the Qualifying Physics Elective list, a course may not fulfill both requirements simultaneously. Certain courses are offered only in alternate years, as indicated.

33-114Physics of Musical Sound
(B.A. and Minor only) a		9
33-115Physics for Future Presidents
(B.A. and Minor only) a		9
33-120Science and Science Fiction
(B.A. and Minor only) a		9
33-224Stars, Galaxies and the Universe9
33-226Physics of Energy9
33-241Introduction to Computational Physics9
33-332Physical Mechanics II10
33-339Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism II10
33-342Advanced Thermal & Statistical Physics10
33-350Undergraduate Research bVar.
33-353Intermediate Optics12
33-355Nanoscience and Nanotechnology9
33-431Stars and Black Holes9
33-432Galaxies9
33-433Cosmology9
33-441Introduction to Biophysics10
33-444Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics9
33-445Advanced Quantum Physics I9
33-446Advanced Quantum Physics II9
33-448Introduction to Solid State Physics9
33-451Senior Research bVar.
33-456Advanced Computational Physics9
33-499Supervised Reading bVar.
33-650General Relativity9
33-658Quantum Computation and Quantum Information Theory10
33-659Modern Topics in Condensed Matter Physics12
33-7xxPhysics Graduate Level Courses (see list below)
Total Qualifying Physics Electives Units27-37
a

Only one of these three courses (33-114, 33-115, and 33-120) may be used for the B.A. These classes may not be used as Qualifying Physics Electives for the B.S.

b

Only one of these three courses (33-350, 33-451, and 33-499) of 9 units may be used as a Qualifying Physics Elective. To be counted as a Qualifying Physics Elective, all 9 units must be taken in a single semester. Any exceptions must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Affairs.

Qualifying Physics Electives Recommended for Physics Graduate School

Students planning to undertake graduate studies in physics are strongly advised to take the following courses, which may count as Qualifying Physics Electives and STEM Electives.

Units
33-332Physical Mechanics II10
33-339Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism II10
33-445Advanced Quantum Physics I9
33-446Advanced Quantum Physics II9

Physics Graduate Courses

These courses are intended for graduate students in physics, but may be taken by advanced undergraduates as Qualifying Physics or STEM Electives. Undergraduate students require special permission of both the course instructor and the Director of Undergraduate Affairs to register for these classes.

Units
33-731Stars and Black Holes12
33-732Galaxies12
33-733Cosmology12
33-755Quantum Mechanics I12
33-756Quantum Mechanics II12
33-757Classical Mechanics12
33-761Classical Electrodynamics I12
33-762Classical Electrodynamics II12
33-765Statistical Mechanics12
33-767Biophysics: From Basic Concepts to Current Research12
33-769Quantum Mechanics III: Many Body and Relativistic Systems12
33-770Field Theory I12
33-771Field Theory II12
33-779Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics12
33-780Nuclear and Particle Physics II12
33-783Solid State Physics12
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