The purpose of this program is to offer new options to University of Iowa students who are interested in science, mathematics, and technology. The curriculum is a blend between a traditional bachelor's degree program in physics, and professional training in a technologically-relevant field.
The program is mostly a standard undergraduate physics curriculum, but with a few required courses dropped. In their place are courses in technologically-relevant fields like computer science, optics, radio science, biological physics, etc. In addition, we require an internship or coop with a company, or an equivalent experience. The purpose of this requirement is to provide a student with an industrial perspective, and to see how the knowledge and modes of thinking from science can be put to use in the commercial world. University offices dealing with internship programs and faculty members in the department will assist students in finding a suitable internship program.
The applied physics program is built around emphases, or technological fields of interest to the student. Each student picks his or her emphasis. Presently approved emphases are optics, computer science, and a customized program in which the student may formulate his or her own program and propose it to the faculty. More emphases are in the process of development. In all of the emphases the basic core of physics courses remains the same.
Further details of the program are given below. For further information, contact Professor Steven Spangler in the department. The Department of Physics and Astronomy and the University of Iowa welcome and encourage visits from prospective students.
| General Justification and Description |