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Deep Understanding & Complex Problem Solving
A Physics degree readies students to tackle complex problems and to grasp the fundamental laws that govern everything. Through coursework and hands-on experimentation students will develop analytical and critical thinking skills that they need to solve problems in many fields.
Where Innovation Meets Experimentation
Students in the Physics program at Wentworth develop a skillset with strength in mathematics, logic, computer programming (coding), and experimental design. The Physics curriculum is designed to teach through hands-on learning in labs, courses, and co-ops that involve cutting edge research.
A Strong Foundation
Students who graduate from the Physics program are equipped with versatile and flexible skills. They may go on to gain employment in the fields of environmental science, medicine and medical technology, defense, data science, computer science, and other industries, in addition to traditional physics jobs. Students may also opt for post-graduate study in either Physics or areas like law and business.
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Highly Marketable Skills
A degree in Physics opens the door to a broad range of occupations and job titles, including: biophysicists, nuclear engineers, materials scientists, atmospheric and space scientists, astronomers, traditional physicists, and nuclear technicians.
Over the next 10 years, employment demand is expected to grow by 37% for physicists in Massachusetts according to Lightcast Analyst.
The top employers for Physics in MA:
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Physical Sciences
Beth Israel Lahey Health
MITRE Corporation
Massachusetts General Hospital
UMass Memorial Health
Varian Medical Systems
Baystate Health
Draper
Mass General Brigham
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Plan of Study Grid First Year Fall Semester Credits MATH1776 CALCULUS 1A 2 MATH1777 CALCULUS 1B 2 PHYS1250 ENGINEERING PHYSICS I 4 English Sequence 4 Exploratory Physics Elective 1 4 Credits 16 Spring Semester MATH1876 CALCULUS 2A 2 MATH1877 CALCULUS 2B 2 PHYS1750 ENGINEERING PHYSICS II 4 English Sequence 4 Exploratory Physics Elective 1 4 Credits 16 Second Year Fall Semester PHYS3200 OPTICS 4 MATH2025 MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS 4 HSS Elective* 4 Science/Math/CS Elective 1 4 COOP2500 INTRODUCTION TO COOPERATIVE EDUCATION 0 Credits 16 Spring Semester MATH2500 or MATH2860DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS or LINEAR ALGEBRA & MATRIX THEORY4 PHYS3100 MODERN PHYSICS 4 PHYS3500 THERMAL PHYSICS 4 HSS Elective* 4 Credits 16 Summer Semester COOP3000OPTIONAL COOP EDUCATION Credits 0 Third Year Fall Semester MATH2860 or MATH2500LINEAR ALGEBRA & MATRIX THEORY or DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS4 PHYS3600 CLASSICAL MECHANICS 4 Science/Math/CS Elective 2 4 HSS Elective* 4 Credits 16 Spring Semester PHYS4700 ELECTRODYNAMICS 4 Science/Math/CS Elective 3 4 HSS Elective* 4 General Elective 4 Credits 16 Summer Semester COOP3500 COOP EDUCATION 1 Credits 0 Fourth Year Fall Semester PHYS3700 ADVANCED LABORATORY TECHNIQUES IN PHYSICS 4 PHYS4500 INTRODUCTION TO QUANTUM MECHANICS 4 PHYS5000 SENIOR THESIS I 4 Credits 12 Spring Semester PHYS3000 COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS 4 PHYS5500 SENIOR THESIS II 4 HSS Elective* 4 Credits 12 Total Credits 120 Math Placement may alter the course schedule above.
Exploratory Physics Electives
Course List Course Title Credits PHYS1050 VIDEO-GAME PHYSICS 4 PHYS1100 THE COSMIC SYSTEM 3 PHYS1300 EARLY-UNIVERSE COSMOLOGY 4 PHYS1400 INTRODUCTION TO MEDICAL PHYSICS 4 PHYS2000 INTRODUCTION TO ASTRONOMY 4 PHYS2300 SPACE EXPLORATION 4
Virtual Tour: Physics Lab
Testimonials
Christina Issa
"For my co-op, I decided to work in the Physics Lab on research at Wentworth using a van der Waals Transfer Station, a device that is hooked on to one of our electron microscopes."
Andrew Seredinski
Since there are no graduate students in the School of Sciences and Humanities, our labs and equipment are used by undergraduate students including the 50 Kelvin (-370 Fahrenheit) low temperature system, x-ray crystallography system, gas chromatograph mass spectrometer, and even the atomic force microscope.
What You'll Learn
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Year 1
You’ll establish a foundation for your Physics program by taking introductory courses in engineering physics and calculus, which will instill core concepts you’ll use throughout the program. You can also supplement your course load with electives like Video Game Physics or Space Exploration to sample specific subject areas that interest you.
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Year 2
Second-year physics students delve deeper into topics like optics and thermal physics while bolstering their mathematics education with advanced courses in multivariable calculus and differential equations or linear algebra. Students can also use electives to further expand their knowledge in subject areas of their choosing.
An optional pre co-op work term is available to students during the summer semester.
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Year 3
In the fall and spring semesters of your third year, you’ll focus on advanced concepts like electrodynamics and classical mechanics while being given the room to define your focus area further with several electives.
In the summer, you’ll begin the first of two required co-ops.
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Year 4
The remainder of your program includes computational physics, advanced lab techniques, and quantum mechanics, where you'll be introduced to the mathematics necessary to understand and solve problems in quantum mechanics. You’ll also finish your program with your senior thesis project over your final two semesters.