Facilities & Resources

Research

The large active research faculty provides undergraduate research opportunities in many fields of experimental and theoretical physics. Modern laboratories provide excellent training facilities in the areas of laser physics, low temperature physics, biophysics and semiconductor physics. Off-site research in atomic physics takes place at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Some students also participate in theoretical physics research, primarily in the areas of condensed matter physics and high energy.  Academic credit can be earned for participation in such research projects.

Graduate Courses

Physics majors in their senior year sometimes enroll in beginning graduate courses.

Electives for Non-Majors

Engineering majors may take as electives Physics 32100, 32300, 42200, 45200, 45300, 55400, 55500, 56100, 58000 and 58100.
Biology and premedical students may elect Physics 31500 and 42200.
Mathematics and Chemistry majors may elect Physics
35100 and 35300.
All physical science students with an interest in astronomy should consider Physics 45400.
Chemists should consider Physics 55400.

Exemption Credit

Qualified students may take exemption examinations for all courses
offered by the Department upon application to the Department.
Exemption examinations are given at several specified times during the year. In general, a grade of B+ or better is required for exemption with credit and a grade of B- or better for exemption without credit. For some courses, it will be necessary to complete the laboratory component before full credit is given.

TUTORING

Each faculty member designates two office hours per week when she or he will be available to tutor students. In addition, all faculty members teaching multiple section introductory or intermediate courses are available for tutoring of students in all sections of the particular course(s) they are teaching. Detailed tutoring schedules are distributed early in each semester. For the introductory courses there is also a tutoring lab, open about 25 hours per week, staffed by qualified graduate and undergraduate students, where a student in these courses may seek assistance.

DEPARTMENT ACTIVITIES

Colloquia and Seminars

The Physics Department holds a weekly colloquium in a field of general or current interest in physics, usually given by a distinguished outside speaker. All Physics graduate students and Physics majors are invited to attend. In addition there are weekly seminars of a more specialized nature in such areas as high-energy physics, condensed matter physics and biophysics and frequent seminars in such areas as astrophysics and light scattering.

Planetarium

The Physics Department maintains a fully equipped planetarium. Programs and shows on an appropriate level are given for elementary schools, junior and senior high schools and the college community as well as other groups upon request. Programs and shows are available both in English and in Spanish.  For upcoming shows, click here.

Job Placement

The Physics Department maintains an up-to-date file of employment opportunities at all levels.  The Physics Today Job Site offers both graduate and undergraduate students the opportunity to explore hundreds of physics jobs, career and job hunting material and other related information.  http://www.physicstoday.org/jobs

Computer Facilities

Computation facilities include a general purpose Science Computer Lab with 40 Dell workstations, projectors, printer and network equipment for classes and assigned course work, internet and e-mail access. Licensed software such as MS Office, Matlab, Mathmetica, SPSS, SAS, Gaussian 98W and ArcView are available in all the workstations. Teaching and research laboratories have a variety of dedicated computer workstations, servers, cluster, software and applications for data acquisition, processing, simulation and scientific computation.

AWARDS

The Physics Department annually awards one or more Ward medals, the Sidney Millman Scholarship Award for academic excellence  and a Sonkin medal for the best achievement in experimental physics. Physics students may also compete, along with students in the other science departments, for the annual Marshak award and Zemansky Introductory Physics Prize. All awards are presented  at a special Science Honors Convocation.

ADVISEMENT

Undergraduate Majors
Professor Joseph L. Birman
MR 424; 212-650-6871

Professor Fredrick W. Smith
MR 423A, 212-650-6963

Graduate Students , Masters
Professor Timothy Boyer
MR 331; 212-650-5585

Graduate Students, Ph.D.
Professor V. Parameswaran Nair
MR309; 212-650-5572

All other students
Contact the Physics Office to be put in touch
with an appropriate adviser.
MR-419; 212-650-6832
physdept@sci.ccny.cuny.edu