The Bachelor of
Science Degree in Applied Physics at the University of Iowa
Steven R. Spangler
April 14, 1999
I. Introduction
Starting in the Fall of 1999, the Department of Physics and Astronomy will have
a new undergraduate degree program, the Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics.
The proposed degree is not a replacement
for the present Bachelor of Science degree offered by the Department of Physics and
Astronomy, and we will continue
educating students for subsequent graduate study in physics and
astronomy. The proposed degree is an addendum to our present offerings, and
is assembled largely from existing courses within our department
and other departments.
The purpose of the program is to offer new options to physics students. The degree is directed to students who wish to find employment after graduate school rather than pursue graduate study leading to a Ph.D. The development of a host of science and technology-based industries over the past couple of decades has required a workforce knowledgeable in principles of physics. A motivation for the development of this program has been our belief that we should promote and develop this industrial source of employment for our students.
It is worth emphasizing that the jobs sought by these students would not in general be in basic research and development. Rather, the idea here is that physics students would bring a useful background to a wide range of positions such as sales, product development, customer service, and engineering development. Companies at the present presumably hire business majors for some of these tasks; surely someone who has a level of understanding of the scientific basis of an industry and its products would have something to offer an employer. These idea of this program has not been arrived at in a vacuum. We have conducted extensive discussion with people from technological industries, and the content of this proposal reflects the input from these individuals.
II. General Features and Requirements of the Program
The program is based on four general principles. First,
we want to have the program remain a respectable physics degree, with
exposure to the main areas of physics, at least at the introductory level. There
should be enough physics course work to permit a student to go on to graduate
study in physics or astronomy if desired.
Second, the degree program should involve a significant set of courses in an applied field with immediate application in industry. Two obvious such fields are electrical engineering and computer science. A third is the field of optics, which is an area of strength within the Department of Physics and Astronomy. We have chosen, somewhat arbitrarily, a load of four courses as the requirement in the declared area of emphasis. This constitutes a respectable though obviously not exhaustive exposure to a discipline, roughly comparable to the requirements for a minor in that subject.
Third, the prescription of four additional required courses for a major in this program necessitates some reduction in the number of required courses in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. We do not think this has to be a one-for-one reduction, but some relief has to be offered.
Fourth, the curriculum should feature more than just traditional formal class work, and be supplemented with a major component of practical experience. From our discussions with individuals in industry, it is clear that participation in a Coop program or equivalent experience is a major consideration in recruitment. It appears to us mandatory to stipulate a Coop or practicum experience as part of the degree.
It is recognized and will be made clear to prospective students that a Coop will generally entail a semester spent full-time off campus. This will probably impede graduation in four years. However, the improved employment prospects after graduation, and the income earned during the Coop period should make this delay acceptable. If it is not possible to place students in an industrial Coop, we will take responsibility for accommodating them in-house. There are a number of viable forms which such a practicum might take, such as work in one of the departmental or university laboratories, or the completion of an applied physics undergraduate thesis.
III. Specific Curricula
The applied physics program is based on the idea of emphases,
i.e. areas from which a student would choose classes to complement
the physics courses. The emphases approved at the present time and
available for student selection are Optics,
Computer Science, and an individualized program referred to as the
``Customized Program''. We are in the process of developing a solid
state electronics emphasis. The computer science emphasis
is intended to approximately correspond to a minor in this subject, and
consists of a set of introductory courses.
The Optics Emphasis is somewhat different. It consists entirely of courses within the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and the stipulated additional courses are all upper level, 100-level courses within our department. The intention here is to provide a variant on the normal undergraduate physics program, with a pronounced emphasis on the technologically-relevant area of optics.
The Customized Program consists of a selection of upper level courses from electrical engineering, computer science, and physics. The choice will reflect the student's interests or perception of interest on the part of a specific industry or firm. All emphases require the industrial Coop or internship program, or as a second choice the completion of research thesis on an applied physics topic. Faculty members will assist students in contacting prospective employers for Coop opportunities. In addition, all emphases save that in solid state electronics require completion of the course 29:128, Electronics, in view of the obvious technological importance of this subject.
Specific curricula in the computer science, optics, and customized emphases
are available in printed form from the department.