Physics
What this major studies in college, how to prepare in high school where a source says so, and careers open with a bachelor’s degree. Every fact below names its source.
Last checked:
What it is
Penn State's physics major provides a sound program of technical and general education for students planning a career in physics and related fields. [1]
The private sector continues to employ the majority of new physics bachelors who entered the workforce. [2]
About three-quarters of employed physics bachelors were working in a STEM field, with engineering being the most common. [2]
Typical college courses
The physics B.S. requires, each with a grade of C or better, General Physics: Mechanics, General Physics: Electricity and Magnetism, Introduction to Modern Physics, Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism, Introduction to Quantum Mechanics I and Thermal Physics, among other courses. [1]
The rows below show one named program as an example: the Penn State bachelor of science in physics, 2026–2027 bulletin. Course descriptions are in our own words. Course names and numbers differ at every college; confirm each college’s own list.
| Course | Status | What it covers (example: Penn State bulletin) | Comes after |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Physics: Mechanics | Required in this example program[1] | General Physics: Mechanics (PHYS 211) is a calculus-based first course in classical mechanics: motion and vectors, forces and Newton's laws, work and energy, momentum and collisions, rotation, gravity, oscillations and waves, with at least one lab or activity period each week. [3] | MATH 140 is taken before or at the same time. [3] |
Get ready with these topics: Physics skills: units, vectors and graphs · Describing motion: position, velocity and acceleration · Newton's second law: net force, mass and acceleration · Momentum and its conservation · Conservation of energy: modeling energy in a system · Torque, rotation and equilibrium · Vectors: components and operations | |||
| General Physics: Electricity and Magnetism | Required in this example program[1] | General Physics: Electricity and Magnetism (PHYS 212) is a calculus-based first course in electric charge and fields, Gauss's law, electric potential and capacitance, current and circuits, magnetic fields, induction and Maxwell's equations. [3] | It comes after MATH 140 and PHYS 211, with MATH 141 at the same time. [3] |
Get ready with these topics: Electric charge and fields · Gravity and electric forces: inverse-square laws · Electric current, voltage and resistance · Electromagnetism: currents and magnetic fields · Motors, generators and the power grid · Fields and stored energy · Vectors: components and operations | |||
| Introduction to Modern Physics | Required in this example program[1] | Introduction to Modern Physics (PHYS 237) covers special relativity and the ideas and math of quantum mechanics, applied to topics such as atoms and molecules, nuclei, particles, condensed matter or astrophysics, and it prepares students for upper-level quantum mechanics. [3] | It comes after PHYS 212, with PHYS 214 before or at the same time. [3] |
Get ready with these topics: Light as a wave and as a particle · Modern physics: atoms and nuclear energy · Waves: frequency, wavelength and speed · Atoms and electron arrangement | |||
| Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism | Required in this example program[1] | Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism (PHYS 400) is the second electricity and magnetism course, required of all physics majors, covering static electric and magnetic fields in vacuum and in matter, electrodynamics, Maxwell's equations, conservation laws, and electromagnetic waves and radiation. [3] | It comes after PHYS 212, PHYS 213 and PHYS 214, MATH 250 or MATH 251, and MATH 230 or MATH 231. [3] |
Get ready with these topics: Electric charge and fields · Gravity and electric forces: inverse-square laws · Electromagnetism: currents and magnetic fields · Fields and stored energy · Waves: frequency, wavelength and speed · Light as a wave and as a particle · Vectors: components and operations · Dot product and applications | |||
| Introduction to Quantum Mechanics I | Required in this example program[1] | Introduction to Quantum Mechanics I (PHYS 410) covers the basic postulates, the Schrodinger wave equation and stationary states, the variational method, scattering in one dimension, angular momentum, the hydrogen atom and numerical methods. [3] | It comes after MATH 250 or MATH 251, MATH 230 or MATH 231, and PHYS 237. [3] |
Get ready with these topics: Light as a wave and as a particle · Modern physics: atoms and nuclear energy · Waves: frequency, wavelength and speed · Wave behavior: reflection, refraction, interference · Complex numbers · Differential equations and slope fields | |||
| Thermal Physics | Required in this example program[1] | Thermal Physics (PHYS 420) covers the basic postulates of statistical mechanics and thermodynamics, how microscopic quantum states connect to large-scale quantities, partition functions, and Maxwell-Boltzmann and quantum statistics. [3] | It comes after MATH 250 or MATH 251, MATH 230 or MATH 231, and PHYS 237. [3] |
Get ready with these topics: Heat flow and thermal equilibrium · Thermodynamics: the laws and heat engines · Calorimetry and specific heat · Random variables and expected value · Logarithms as inverses | |||
Typical high school preparation
We did not find an official source that gives high school course advice for this major, so none is listed. For the high school courses colleges ask for in general, see the College Preparation page.
Related majors
Each card opens that major’s page. Compare the courses before you choose, and confirm each college’s own list.
Astronomy
Astronomy involves the study of the properties, physical nature and origins of the planets, stars, galaxies and the universe as a whole. [4]
Mathematics
Penn State's bachelor of arts and bachelor of science in mathematics share a common core of mathematics courses, and both prepare students for graduate work in mathematics. [5]
Applied Mathematics
Much of applied mathematics is intimately tied to computing. [6]
Electrical Engineering
Typical courses, licensing and careers, with sources.
Where this degree can lead with a bachelor’s
National figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay varies by state, setting and experience. This is not a promise of pay or a job.
Examples from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Other careers may need more study after the bachelor’s degree.
Physicists
Physicists and astronomers study the interactions of matter and energy. [7]
Jobseekers with a bachelor's degree in physics usually are qualified to work as technicians and research assistants in related fields, such as engineering and computer science. [7]
The median annual wage for physicists was $172,250 in May 2025. [7]
Overall employment of physicists and astronomers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations. [7]
Physicists and astronomers typically need a Ph.D. for jobs in research and academia. [7]
Atmospheric scientists, including meteorologists
Atmospheric scientists study, report on, and forecast the weather and climate. [8]
In addition to meteorology and atmospheric science, course requirements for atmospheric scientists may include physics, mathematics and computer programming. [8]
The median annual wage for atmospheric scientists, including meteorologists, was $99,070 in May 2025. [8]
Employment of atmospheric scientists, including meteorologists, is projected to grow 3 percent from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations. [8]
Atmospheric scientists typically need a bachelor's degree in meteorology or a related field to enter the occupation. [8]
Questions people search
Chosen from our search-question research. Every answer is cited.
What can you do with a physics degree?
Jobseekers with a bachelor's degree in physics usually are qualified to work as technicians and research assistants in related fields, such as engineering and computer science. [7]
About three-quarters of employed physics bachelors were working in a STEM field, with engineering being the most common. [2]
What classes do physics majors take?
The physics B.S. requires, each with a grade of C or better, General Physics: Mechanics, General Physics: Electricity and Magnetism, Introduction to Modern Physics, Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism, Introduction to Quantum Mechanics I and Thermal Physics, among other courses. [1]
Your next step
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Sources
- The Pennsylvania State University. Physics, B.S.. https://bulletins.psu.edu/undergraduate/colleges/eberly-science/physics-bs/. 2026–2027 Undergraduate Bulletin. Checked .
- American Institute of Physics (AIP). Physics Bachelors Initial Employment, Academic Years 2023-24 and 2024-25. https://www.aip.org/statistics/physics-bachelors-initial-employment-academic-years-2023-24-and-2024-25. published October 16, 2026. Checked .
- The Pennsylvania State University. Physics (PHYS) course descriptions. https://bulletins.psu.edu/university-course-descriptions/undergraduate/phys/. current University Bulletins (the MATH and EDSGN course pages show the 2026–27 edition). Checked .
- The Pennsylvania State University. Astronomy and Astrophysics, B.S.. https://bulletins.psu.edu/undergraduate/colleges/eberly-science/astronomy-astrophysics-bs/. 2026–2027 Undergraduate Bulletin. Checked .
- The Pennsylvania State University. Mathematics, B.S.. https://bulletins.psu.edu/undergraduate/colleges/eberly-science/mathematics-bs/. 2026–2027 Undergraduate Bulletin. Checked .
- Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM). SIAM Education Committee Report on Undergraduate Degree Programs in Applied Mathematics. https://www.siam.org/media/uhxkshs4/undergraduate_degree_programs_math.pdf. May 2014. Checked .
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physicists and Astronomers. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/physicists-and-astronomers.htm. OOH page last modified October 29, 2026 (pay data May 2025; projections 2025–35). Checked .
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Atmospheric Scientists, Including Meteorologists. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/atmospheric-scientists-including-meteorologists.htm. OOH page last modified August 27, 2026 (pay data May 2025; projections 2025–35). Checked .
Format: Publisher. Page title. URL. Edition or catalog year. Checked date.