Liberal Arts Physics
Einstein. Newton. Hawking. Bohr. What do these people have in common? Of course they’re all physicists. But the smartest people in the world have always had interests and passions that supplemented their expertise.
Our Liberal Arts Physics program at Loyola University New Orleans gives you the hard scientific and analytic training of a physics degree with the supplement of a well-rounded liberal arts curriculum. We know you’re a physicist. Maybe you’re also interested in history. Maybe philosophy, sociology, languages—or some combination of these. Whatever your interests, Loyno can accommodate the whole of your genius.
Overview of Courses
First, you’ll take the foundational sequence of science and mathematics courses. You’ll also be able to select liberal arts electives while moving into more advanced areas in physics. Here’s a sample of what you can expect:
- Introduction to Electromagnetism and Relativity – This first-year course discusses electric and magnetic phenomena. It culminates in an elementary treatment of Maxwell’s equations. The course also discusses Einstein’s special theory of relativity and its consequences to near-speed-of-light travel.
- Introduction to Waves and Quantum Physics – This sophomore course introduces students to the wonderfully weird world of quantum particles. After some preliminary treatment of wave phenomena, the course focuses on experimental foundations of quantum physics. Finally, it discusses the Schrödinger equation and the different interpretations of quantum mechanics.
- Advanced Laboratory Physics – This course trains students to be self-reliant in planning and performing experiments not ordinarily done at the elementary level. Experiments are performed in such areas as electronics, mechanics, atomic physics, and spectroscopy.
Curriculum
- PHYS A101 Introduction to Mechanics
- PHYS A103 Mechanics Lab
- PHYS A102 Introduction to Electromagnetism
- PHYS A104 Electricity and Magnetism Lab
- PHYS A240 Introduction to Waves and Quantum Physics
- PHYS A241 Introduction to Thermal Physics
- PHYS A340 Classical Mechanics
- PHYS A350 Electromagnetism
- PHYS A445 Advanced Laboratory Physics
- PHYS A450 Quantum Mechanics
- Plus one physics elective
- Plus 13 credit hours of math
Teacher Education
Students seeking teacher preparation follow a version of the Physics Liberal Arts concentration that includes focus-area courses for teacher education.
Physics Course Information
Find out more about the physics major: