Physics Courses
IHSC 300: Synthesis of Premedical Concepts
This course aims to hone skills necessary to synthesize and integrate knowledge across multiple subject areas, and to assist in preparing for health professional school admission, such as the MCAT. The course is team taught to include faculty expertise in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, English, mathematics, physics, psychological sciences and sociology. Critical analysis and reasoning skills will be emphasized. Completion of introductory courses in all subject areas above is strongly recommended before taking this course. MCAT materials from the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) will be used to guide and enhance a student’s ability to synthesize across many fields, and increase critical reasoning and analytical competencies.
Dates: May 12 - May 30, 2025
Session: May Session
Dates: In-person course
Session: On campus
Time: MTWRF 9:30am-1:30pm
Instructor: Jennifer Butler
Credits: 3 credits
Departments: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, English, Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, and Statistics, Physics, Psychological Sciences, Sociology
PHYS 115: Introductory Physics I
First part of a two-semester sequence directed primarily towards students working towards a B.A. in science, with an emphasis on the life sciences. Kinematics; Newton’s laws; gravitation; simple harmonic motion; mechanical waves; fluids; ideal gas law; heat and the first and second laws of thermodynamics. This course has a laboratory component. Students may earn credit for only one of the following courses: PHYS 115, PHYS 121, PHYS 123.
Dates: June 2 - July 9, 2025
Session: 5 Week Session
Dates: Online course
Session: Online
Time: asynchronous
Instructor: Diana Driscoll
Credits: 4 credits
Department: Physics
PHYS 116: Introductory Physics II
Electrostatics, Coulomb’s law, Gauss’s law; capacitance and resistance; DC circuits; magnetic fields; electromagnetic induction; RC and RL circuits; light; geometrical optics; interference and diffraction; special relativity; introduction to quantum mechanics; elements of atomic, nuclear and particle physics. This course has a laboratory component. Students may earn credit for only one of the following courses: PHYS 116, PHYS 122, PHYS 124. Prereq: PHYS 115.
Dates: July 10 - August 6, 2025
Session: 4 Week Session (2)
Dates: Online course
Session: Online
Time: asynchronous
Instructor: Diana Driscoll
Credits: 4 credits
Department: Physics
PHYS 121: General Physics I – Mechanics
Particle dynamics, Newton’s laws of motion, energy and momentum conservation, rotational motion, and angular momentum conservation. This course has a laboratory component. Recommended preparation: MATH 121 or MATH 123 or MATH 125 or one year of high school calculus. Students who do not have the appropriate background should not enroll in PHYS 121 without first consulting the instructor. Students may earn credit for only one of the following courses: PHYS 115, PHYS 121, PHYS 123.
Dates: June 2 - July 9, 2025
Session: 5 Week Session
Dates: Online course
Session: Online
Time: MTWR 10:30am-12:15pm
Instructor: Corbin Covault, Mhlambululi Mafu
Credits: 4 credits
Department: Physics
PHYS 122: General Physics II – Electricity and Magnetism
Electricity and magnetism, emphasizing the basic electromagnetic laws of Gauss, Ampere, and Faraday. Maxwell’s equations and electromagnetic waves, interference, and diffraction. This course has a laboratory component. Students may earn credit for only one of the following courses: PHYS 116, PHYS 122, PHYS 124. Prereq: PHYS 121 or PHYS 123. Prereq or Coreq: MATH 122 or MATH 124 or MATH 126.
Dates: July 10 - August 6, 2025
Session: 4 Week Session (2)
Dates: Online course
Session: Online
Time: MTWRF 10:30am-12:15pm
Instructor: Harsh Mathur
Credits: 4 credits
Department: Physics
IHSC 300: Synthesis of Premedical Concepts
This course aims to hone skills necessary to synthesize and integrate knowledge across multiple subject areas, and to assist in preparing for health professional school admission, such as the MCAT. The course is team taught to include faculty expertise in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, English, mathematics, physics, psychological sciences and sociology. Critical analysis and reasoning skills will be emphasized. Completion of introductory courses in all subject areas above is strongly recommended before taking this course. MCAT materials from the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) will be used to guide and enhance a student’s ability to synthesize across many fields, and increase critical reasoning and analytical competencies.
Dates: May 12 - May 30, 2025
Session: May Session
Dates: In-person course
Session: On campus
Time: MTWRF 9:30am-1:30pm
Instructor: Jennifer Butler
Credits: 3 credits
Departments: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, English, Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, and Statistics, Physics, Psychological Sciences, Sociology
PHYS 115: Introductory Physics I
First part of a two-semester sequence directed primarily towards students working towards a B.A. in science, with an emphasis on the life sciences. Kinematics; Newton’s laws; gravitation; simple harmonic motion; mechanical waves; fluids; ideal gas law; heat and the first and second laws of thermodynamics. This course has a laboratory component. Students may earn credit for only one of the following courses: PHYS 115, PHYS 121, PHYS 123.
Dates: June 2 - July 9, 2025
Session: 5 Week Session
Dates: Online course
Session: Online
Time: asynchronous
Instructor: Diana Driscoll
Credits: 4 credits
Department: Physics
PHYS 116: Introductory Physics II
Electrostatics, Coulomb’s law, Gauss’s law; capacitance and resistance; DC circuits; magnetic fields; electromagnetic induction; RC and RL circuits; light; geometrical optics; interference and diffraction; special relativity; introduction to quantum mechanics; elements of atomic, nuclear and particle physics. This course has a laboratory component. Students may earn credit for only one of the following courses: PHYS 116, PHYS 122, PHYS 124. Prereq: PHYS 115.
Dates: July 10 - August 6, 2025
Session: 4 Week Session (2)
Dates: Online course
Session: Online
Time: asynchronous
Instructor: Diana Driscoll
Credits: 4 credits
Department: Physics
PHYS 121: General Physics I – Mechanics
Particle dynamics, Newton’s laws of motion, energy and momentum conservation, rotational motion, and angular momentum conservation. This course has a laboratory component. Recommended preparation: MATH 121 or MATH 123 or MATH 125 or one year of high school calculus. Students who do not have the appropriate background should not enroll in PHYS 121 without first consulting the instructor. Students may earn credit for only one of the following courses: PHYS 115, PHYS 121, PHYS 123.
Dates: June 2 - July 9, 2025
Session: 5 Week Session
Dates: Online course
Session: Online
Time: MTWR 10:30am-12:15pm
Instructor: Corbin Covault, Mhlambululi Mafu
Credits: 4 credits
Department: Physics
PHYS 122: General Physics II – Electricity and Magnetism
Electricity and magnetism, emphasizing the basic electromagnetic laws of Gauss, Ampere, and Faraday. Maxwell’s equations and electromagnetic waves, interference, and diffraction. This course has a laboratory component. Students may earn credit for only one of the following courses: PHYS 116, PHYS 122, PHYS 124. Prereq: PHYS 121 or PHYS 123. Prereq or Coreq: MATH 122 or MATH 124 or MATH 126.
Dates: July 10 - August 6, 2025
Session: 4 Week Session (2)
Dates: Online course
Session: Online
Time: MTWRF 10:30am-12:15pm
Instructor: Harsh Mathur
Credits: 4 credits
Department: Physics