Physics B.S.

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:

• Freshman: https://www.usf.edu/admissions/freshmen/admission-information/requirements-deadlines.aspx
• Transfer: https://www.usf.edu/admissions/transfer/admission-information/index.aspx
• International: https://www.usf.edu/admissions/international/admission-information/index.aspx

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.

• CHM 2045 - General Chemistry I Credit(s): 3
• CHM 2045L - General Chemistry I Laboratory Credit(s): 1
• CHM 2046 - General Chemistry II Credit(s): 3
• CHM 2046L - General Chemistry II Laboratory Credit(s): 1
• MAC 2311 - Calculus I Credit(s): 4

• or

• MAC 2281 - Engineering Calculus I Credit(s): 4
• MAC 2312 - Calculus II Credit(s): 4

• or

• MAC 2282 - Engineering Calculus II Credit(s): 4
• MAC 2313 - Calculus III Credit(s): 4

• or

• MAC 2283 - Engineering Calculus III Credit(s): 4

Total Major Hours: 47

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.

Advising Information

USF students schedule advising appointments online through USF Archivum Platform.   Students are encouraged to meet with their advisor each semester to discuss courses planning, degree progression, and career preparation. 

Tampa Campus Website:  https://www.usf.edu/arts-sciences/students/academic-advising/index.aspx
For questions, email PhysicsAdvise@usf.edu.

4 Year Plan of Study - Physics B.S.

NOTES:

• SCIV - Civics Literacy  needs to be completed prior to graduation. For more information, see https://www.usf.edu/undergrad/students/civics-literacy.aspx or talk with your academic advisor.
• Items that are critical are marked with a ✳️ and are included in the plan for a student to stay on track.

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

2 Year Plan of Study - Physics B.S.

NOTES:

• SCIV - Civics Literacy  needs to be completed prior to graduation. For more information, see https://www.usf.edu/undergrad/students/civics-literacy.aspx or talk with your academic advisor.
• Items that are critical are marked with a ✳️ and are included in the plan for a student to stay on track.