Physics

Explore the mysteries of our world and universe.

The foundation of all other sciences, physics is concerned with everything from the universe’s largest galaxies to the tiniest subatomic particles.

Ashland’s complete curriculum and small classes provide the ideal environment for preparing students for teaching, for graduate school, and ultimately an exceptional scientific career.

It is the science that has played an integral role in the development of the Internet, cell phones, lasers, photovoltaic cells, and countless other inventions that have revolutionized our world. When you major in physics at Ashland University, you explore the fundamental scientific challenges of our day. Alongside professors who are excellent research scientists in their own right, you have the opportunity to undertake research projects that could potentially impact both your future and that of the world. Our complete curriculum and small classes provide the ideal environment for preparing students for teaching physics at the high school level, for graduate school, and ultimately an exceptional scientific career.

What You’ll Love About the Physics Major:

• You will receive a great deal of personal attention from professors who get to know you well in our small class settings.
• Professors work with you on your classroom, laboratory, and research projects, mentoring you and helping you gain the most value from these experiences.
• The physics major is excellent preparation for graduate school. Recent graduates have entered Ph.D. programs at the University of Akron and University of Toronto.
• The physics program is equipped with both Windows and Sun Workstations for modeling physical and chemical phenomena.
• All classes are taught by professors, not by graduate students or teaching assistants.
• All of our science faculty hold a Ph.D. in their field and are published authors and a presenters at national conferences.

Reach Your Career Goals

A degree in Physics often leads to graduate or professional school and ultimately to a career as a(n):

• Astrophysicist
• Teacher
• Engineer
• Physician and/or surgeon
• Technical or scientific writer
• Geophysicist
• Medical Physicist
• Fiber optic engineer
• Molecular physicist
• Research physicist
• Technical consultant

Interesting Classes You May Take

• Electricity and Magnetism — Study electrical and magnetic forces, fields, potentials and energies, along with electric currents and Maxwell's equations.
• Heat — Explore temperature and thermal expansion; nature, quantity, and transfer of heat; changes of state; laws and equations of thermodynamics; heat engines; refrigeration; air conditioning; liquefaction of gases and cryogenics; and kinetic theory of gases.
• Mechanics — Study Newtonian mechanics such as harmonic motions, 3-D motion, non-inertial reference systems, central forces, dynamics of a system of particles and
  motions of rigid bodies.