THE RUTGERS UNDERGRADUATE PHYSICS PROGRAM Mohan Kalelkar Rutgers

THE RUTGERS UNDERGRADUATE PHYSICS PROGRAM Mohan Kalelkar Rutgers University

CURRICULUM OPTIONS 1) Professional Option (B. S. ) • 2) For students intending to go on for Ph. D in Physics Astrophysics Major (B. S. ) • 3) Like the Professional Option, but for those who aspire to Ph. D in Astronomy/Astrophysics Applied Option (B. S. ) • Preparation for careers in industry, patent law, etc. • Engineering double majors 4) General Option (B. A. ) • 5) Preparation for careers in high school teaching, health professions, business/finance, etc. Ocean Physics Option (B. S. ) • Preparation for careers in Marine Sciences

PHYSICS MAJOR GRADUATES • • 34% Professional Option 14% Astrophysics Major 20% Applied Option 32% General Option Ocean Physics Option just going. First graduate in Class of 2008 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 32 33 39 34 41 45 (est. )

SEVEN (!) INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS SEQUENCES CALCULUS-BASED • Honors Physics I, III For 100 students with Physics AP credits and/or in Rutgers Honors Program (2/3 are Engineering students) • Analytical Physics IA, IB, IIA, IIB For 480 students who don’t qualify for Honors Physics (mainly Engineering students) • Extended Analytical Physics IA, IB For 150 at-risk Engineering freshmen who place into Precalculus; REFORMED COURSE ALGEBRA/TRIG-BASED • General Physics I, II For 550 students majoring in sciences that require Physics, including Premedical curricula • Extended General Physics I, II For 140 students self-selected as being at-risk • Physics for the Sciences I, II For 190 students majoring in sciences that require Physics; REFORMED COURSE • Elements of Physics For 190 students in Rutgers School of Pharmacy

PROFESSIONAL OPTION (B. S. ) FALL TERM SPRING TERM Year 1: Honors Physics I Physics Lab I Calculus I Honors Physics II Physics Lab II Calculus II Year 2: Honors Physics III Mechanics I Intermediate Lab Calculus III Thermal Physics Mechanics II Electronics Lab Ordinary Diff. Eq Year 3: Electromagnetism I Quantum/Atomic Modern Physics Lab Electromagnetism II Modern Physics Lab Partial Diff. Eq Year 4: Intermediate Quantum Optics Honors Project Nuclei and Particles Solid-State Physics Honors Project

ASTROPHYSICS MAJOR (B. S. ) Most course requirements are the same as for Professional Option, except: 1) 2) Replace “Year 2” Physics labs by two terms of Principles of Astrophysics Replace “Year 3” Physics labs by: • Observational Optical Astronomy (20 -inch telescope) • Observational Radio Astronomy (10 -foot telescope) 3) Must take at least two Astrophysics advanced electives, out of: • Stars and Star Formation • Galaxies and the Milky Way • Introduction to Cosmology • High Energy Astrophysics

APPLIED OPTION (B. S. ) 1) 2) 3) 4) Any introductory Physics sequence, including introductory labs Two terms of introductory Chemistry, including Chemistry labs Four terms of Calculus (i. e. through Ordinary Diff. Eq) Course in Computing for Math and the Sciences (includes Matlab and Maple) Required Physics courses: 5) • • Advanced General Physics (two terms) Modern Physics Optics Thermal Physics Intermediate Lab Electronics Lab Modern Physics Lab

GENERAL OPTION (B. A. ) 1) Any introductory Physics sequence, including introductory labs 2) Two terms of Calculus 3) Six intermediate Physics courses, out of: • • Advanced General Physics (2 terms) (REQUIRED) Modern Physics of Modern Devices Physics of Sound Optics Astrophysics I or II or both Intermediate Labs (REQUIRED) Electronics Lab (REQUIRED) 4) Six Natural Science courses (could be more Physics) but not courses intended for non-science majors Aspiring teachers commonly do 5 -year program with Rutgers Graduate School of Education. After Year 5, they get Master’s Degree in Education and Teacher Certification.

UNUSUAL ADVANCED GENERAL PHYSICS COURSES • Two terms, self-paced • 26 “units” covering Physics topics: Mechanics/Relativity: 7 units Thermal Physics: 5 units Electricity and Magnetism: 6 units Modern Physics: 8 units • Each unit has some suggested reading and homework (not collected) • No live lectures; a few units have videotaped lectures • In class, professor and two TAs circulate among students and answer questions about reading and homework • When a student feels that she has mastered a unit, she is given a written quiz, which is graded Pass/Fail • Final course letter grade depends mainly on HOW MANY quizzes were passed. For an “A” grade, must pass 10 quizzes and an oral exam

Graduate or Professional Schools for last two graduating classes • • • Columbia Univ (2 students) Duke Univ Georgia Tech Harvard M. I. T. (3 students) U. Maryland U. Michigan New York Univ Notre Dame Univ Ohio State (2 students) Penn State (2 students) • • • U. Pittsburgh Princeton Univ Rutgers Physics (5 students) Rutgers Graduate School of Education (7 students) Rutgers Computer Science UC San Diego Texas A&M U. Texas Austin Univ of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (2 students) Yale Univ

Jobs right after Bachelor’s degree for recent majors • • • Edmund Optics Image Ware Systems (Biometrics) Thorlabs (Optics, Photonics) Petro-Lubricant Test Labs Kulite Semiconductors (Pressure Transducers) Lockheed Martin Farious Industries (Computer Servicing) Raytheon High Power Devices Inc. (bought by Intense Ltd. ) ITT Corp Lucent Technologies • Level 8 Systems (Electronic Medical Records) • Prudential Insurance • Deutsche Bank • Bank of America • Bloomberg • PSE&G (Utility in New Jersey) • TUMI Inc. • Accenture (Management Consulting) • U. S. Marine Corps (3 in recent years) • Indian Head Naval Surface Warfare Center

NOTABLE FEATURES OF OUR PROGRAM 1) Single adviser for all our majors. It ensures consistency of advice, and avoids disruptions because of sabbaticals. Adviser gets to know all of our majors very well. 2) Research opportunities abound for majors doing Professional Option and Astrophysics major. 3) We award seven $7500 merit-based scholarships each year, exclusively for our majors, and winners selected by us. Two of these are reserved for women majors. 4) We participate actively in recruitment of high school seniors who have been accepted by Rutgers: Open House, Scholars Days, Scarlet Days, etc. 5) Annual student-faculty banquet, heavily subsidized. 6) Active SPS Chapter: • • Monthly speakers, with free pizza and sodas GRE study sessions Field trips Two barbecues for whole Department 7) Key challenges: • • • Only 24% of our majors are women Only 5% of our majors are Black or Hispanic We lose contact with too many of our majors after graduation

OCEAN PHYSICS OPTION (B. S. ) In cooperation with Rutgers Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences. Most requirements are the same as for Applied Option. But require only four intermediate Physics courses instead of eight. Replace other four by: • Physical Oceanography • Dynamics of Marine Ecosystems • Oceanographic Methods and Data Analysis • Special Problems in Marine and Coastal Sciences This Option is in its infancy. First graduate in Class of 2008.

STAFF SUPPORT FOR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM • Two staff members to run all aspects of all our introductory labs, including developing experiments, writing lab manuals, training and supervising lab TAs, doing equipment setups and takedowns, buying new equipment, etc. Also do lab setups for intermediate and advanced labs. • One staff member to handle lecture demonstration support. Also do VERY extensive outreach. • One staff member to handle all aspects of our reformed introductory sequence, including giving lectures, teaching one workshop and one lab section, training and supervising TAs, doing setups for labs and for lecture demonstrations, etc. • One staff member to teach our primary algebra/trig-based sequence, as well as our sequence for at-risk students. He also has responsibilities not specifically for Physics. • One staff member to teach and run all aspects of our reformed course for at-risk Engineering freshmen. She also has responsibilities not specifically for Physics.

CONCLUSIONS 1) Healthy 40+ majors graduate each year. Multiple curriculum options (tracks) allow us to cater to students with diverse career aspirations. 2) Graduates get admission to very good graduate programs. Most of those who desire jobs after Bachelor’s degree do obtain them. 3) Single adviser system for all majors has worked very well. 4) Good research opportunities for majors who aspire to graduate study. 5) Seven endowed, merit-based scholarships awarded annually provide not only funding but also credentials to enhance graduate school applications. 6) Seven introductory Physics sequences cater to diverse populations. 7) Great collaboration with Rutgers Graduate School of Education. 8) Highly successful introductory courses for at-risk students. 9) Key challenges: paucity of women and minority majors. Lose contact with too many majors after graduation.