Cornell Physics Courses
I'm not a science major but I'm interested
in physics. What physics courses would be best for me?
Non-science majors will probably benefit most from:
- PHY 120 - Conceptual Physics
- PHY 125 - Physics through Film and Fiction
- PHY 221 - Astronomy
- PHY 223 - Acoustics, Music, and Audio Systems
- PHY 228 - Energy Alternatives
These courses are more "self-contained"; they don't lead on
to another course in some sequence. They also use less math. If you are
comfortable with algebra, you might consider the PHY 101-102 sequence.
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I'm a new student considering a physics major.
What courses should I take during my first year?
Take MAT 141, MAT 142, PHY 111, and PHY 112 and a bunch of other fun
courses. You should take PHY 114 your first year or early in your second
year.
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I've heard that PHY 101-102 is harder than
the 200-level courses. Is this true?
Yes. PHY 101-102 must prepare pre-med students for the MCATs and presumes
a working knowledge of algebra. The 200-level courses use less math but
are more "terminal" courses. They don't specifically prepare
you for further study.
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How can I take the Advanced Topics in Physics
course?
We offer this course when it seems like several students might benefit
from some advanced topic, such as thermodynamics, general relativity,
chaos theory, particle physics, etc. If you are interested in such a topic,
let us know early in the Fall and we'll see if other students might be
interested as well. If so, we can probably schedule the course during
the following year.
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