Minor In Physics

It is part of our human nature to wonder about the universe around us. It starts with questions like: What is stuff made of? How does lightning make thunder? Why is the sky blue? Physics is where we go to find the answers. The explanations we seek come from the evidence and arguments that are the discipline of physics.

Understand why physics is the foundation of all sciences and engineering

You’ll learn how physics forms the foundation of almost all branches of science and technology — how it has provided the microscopic basis for chemistry and stimulated important development in mathematics, for example. It underpins all of engineering and forms the basis for the pure and applied sciences, including the life sciences.

With a background in physics, you can pursue a number of scientific careers — university and government laboratory research, industrial research and development, applied science and engineering, biological and medical sciences, environmental research, and teaching at all levels.

Develop evidence-based and analytical skills

The discipline of physics is rigorously analytical, and that’s an especially useful learning experience today. Producing evidence and then arguing from that evidence is one of the most important life skills of the 21st century. It’s a skill that can lead to many careers in science, and even more so, to some outstanding careers outside of the field of science.

The study of physics sharpens your ability to develop ideas, to think critically, and most important, to become more aware of the details. This is as essential in the practice of law, in the launching of a start-up company, or in the development of quantum computers as it is in the study of cosmology.

Learn from professors who are dedicated to your success.

Our faculty are leaders and innovators in their fields, bringing both deep professional experience and academic rigor to the classroom.

Nationally Recognized Center for Career Development

All University of New Haven students have access to the many resources available through the University’s Career Development Center, which has been named one of the best in the nation by The Princeton Review.

From career assessments, networking, and job shadowing to on-campus interviews and salary negotiation, the Career Development Center provides the skills and connections to identify a meaningful career and an opportunity to pursue your passion.

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Selected Courses and Programs
  • Introductory course for physical science and engineering majors. Kinematics, Newton’s laws, conservation principles for momentum, energy and angular momentum. Thermal physics. Basic properties of waves, simple harmonic motion, superposition principle, interference phenomena, and sound.

  • Basic concepts of electricity and magnetism; Coulomb’s law, electric field and potential, Gauss’s law, Ohm’s law, Kirchoff’s rules, capacitance, magnetic field, Ampere’s law, Faraday’s law of induction, Maxwell’s equations, electromagnetic waves. Fundamentals of optics; light, laws of reflection and refraction, interference and diffraction phenomena, polarization, gratings, lenses and optical instruments.

  • Twentieth century developments in the theory of relativity and the quantum theory. Atomic, nuclear, solid-state, and elementary particle physics.

  • ËÄÉ«AV of New Haven offers a wide variety of in-depth courses that create a transformational educational experience for our students. To view the complete list of courses you'll take while pursuing a minor in Physics check out the Academic Catalog:

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Next Steps
  • Whether you're still in high school or are transferring from another college, we offer full- and part-time opportunities for undergraduates from inside the U.S. and abroad. The admission process can begin as early as the end of your high school junior year.

    The Application Process

  • We offer a comprehensive financial aid program, with students receiving assistance in the form of grants, scholarships, student loans, and part-time employment. Funds are available from federal and state governments, private sponsors, and from university resources. More than 85 percent of the University's full-time undergraduate students receive some form of financial assistance.

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