University Admissions
Admission to the University is based on the University’s Undergraduate Admission Requirements that may be found by clicking on the following urls:
For Admission information specific to the College of Arts & Sciences, see the information at College of Arts and Sciences .
State Mandated Common Course Prerequisites
Students wishing to transfer to USF should complete an A.A. degree at a Florida College System institution. Some courses required for the major may also meet General Education requirements thereby transferring maximum hours to the university.
If a student wishes to transfer without an A.A. degree and has fewer than 60 semester hours of acceptable credit, the student must meet the university’s entering freshman requirements including ACT or SAT test scores, GPA, and course requirements.
Transfer students are also required to comply with the immunization, foreign language, and continuous enrollment policies of the university.
Students should complete the following prerequisite courses at the lower level prior to entering the university. If these courses are not taken at a Florida College System institution, they must be completed before the degree is granted.
Unless stated otherwise, a grade of C is the minimum acceptable grade in prerequisite courses.
- CHM X045C or (CHM X045 and CHM X045L) or (CHM X040 and CHM X041) - 4-6 credit hours
- CHM X046C or (CHM X046 and CHM X046L) - 4 credit hours
- MAC X311 or MAC X281 - 4 credit hours
- MAC X312 or MAC X282 - 4 credit hours
- MAC X313 or MAC X283 - 4 credit hours
- [(PHY X048 and PHY X048L) and (PHY X049 and PHY X049L)] or (PHY X048C and PHY X049C) - 4 credit hours
Required Supporting Courses for the Major (20 Credit Hours)
The following courses are prerequisite and supporting courses for this major. They are required for the major, but are not counted in the total hours for this major. The degree will not be awarded if these courses have not been taken by the end of the student’s final semester.
Major Core (42 Credit Hours)
Major Electives (5 Credit Hours)
Plus 5 credit hours of Physics electives subject to approval of undergraduate advisor.
GPA Requirements
Major GPA (All USF courses which are applied to major requirements): 2.0
General Education GPA (All USF courses which are applied to General Education requirements): 2.0
USF GPA: 2.0
Overall GPA 2.0
Grading Requirements
A C (2.0) or better to meet major course requirements unless specified elsewhere. Will vary by area.
Note: Some USF courses have higher grade criteria to meet prerequisite knowledge necessary for progression into higher level courses.
Residency Requirements
Department Major Academic Residency Requirement - At least 20 hours of the major must be completed at USF.
College of Arts & Sciences Major Academic Residency Requirement - 50% of major must be completed at USF.
USF Academic Residency Requirement - 30 of the last 60 hours earned must be from USF.
Research Opportunities
Undergraduate students in any degree program are able to participate in undergraduate research. Several options exist to show mentored undergraduate research activity on a student’s official transcript. Those who wish to enroll in an undergraduate research course should consult with their academic advisor to understand how the credit will apply towards the degree requirements. If no credit is needed, students may be eligible to enroll in the 0-credit IDS 4914 course. This course will not impact degree credits or GPA but will show on an official transcript and document the experience. The Office of Undergraduate Research is able to assist with further inquiries
Accelerated B.S./M.A.T. Program
Accelerated B.S. in Physics and M.A.T. in Science Education
For more information, see the Graduate Catalog for Accelerated Majors.
4 Year Plan of Study - Physics B.S.
NOTES:
Potential Entry Level Job Titles:
- Researcher at a National Lab
- Computer programming/systems development
- Secondary Education
- Process Engineering
- Managing/supervising in technical fields
- Industrial research
Potential Entry Level Salary Range:
$30,000 - $60,000
Semester 1 (Fall)
Total Credit Hours: 13
Semester 2 (Spring)
Total Credit Hours: 14
Semester 3 (Summer)
- General Elective Credit(s): 3
Total Credit Hours: 3
Semester 4 (Fall)
Total Credit Hours: 14
Semester 5 (Spring)
Total Credit Hours: 14
Semester 6 (Summer)
- General Elective Credit(s): 3
Total Credit Hours: 3
Semester 7 (Fall)
Total Credit Hours: 12
Semester 8 (Spring)
Total Credit Hours: 14
Semester 9 (Summer)
Total Credit Hours: 5
Semester 10 (Fall)
Total Credit Hours: 15
Semester 11 (Spring)
Total Credit Hours: 13
2 Year Plan of Study - Physics B.S.
NOTES:
Semester 1 (Fall)
Total Credit Hours: 12
Semester 2 (Spring)
Total Credit Hours: 13
Semester 3 (Summer)
Total Credit Hours: 9
Semester 4 (Fall)
Total Credit Hours: 13
Semester 5 (Spring)
Total Credit Hours: 13