Historical grades cover up to five years through the selected term. Grade sorting prioritizes courses with at least 100 letter grades.
Calculus-based physics for engineering students covering mechanics, energy, and momentum.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Exams frequently mirror homework and discussion questions, making practice essential. The material is inherently difficult, requiring substantial effort to grasp conceptual physics and problem-solving techniques.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026A calculus-based physics course for engineers covering electricity, magnetism, light, and sound.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Reviewers characterize the class as inherently difficult with tough exams, though the workload is often manageable. Some note that finals combine many concepts, while others report strict grading with no curve despite low test averages.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Calculus-based physics for biological science majors covering mechanics, energy, momentum, heat, and sound.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The course is rated difficult, with exams often perceived as harder than homework or lecture content suggests. Success reportedly requires significant self-study, utilizing past exams, and completing all homework and labs.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026A calculus-based physics course for biological science majors covering electricity, magnetism, light, and modern physics.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Several reviewers report that exams are significantly harder than lectures or homework, featuring ambiguous questions and topics not covered in class. The course is described as disorganized, with lectures that are useless, incoherent, or difficult to follow.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to modern physics covering kinetic theory, relativity, quantum theory origins, atomic structure, and topics in solid state, nuclear, and particle physics.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Homework is reported as tougher than exams, with the course providing significant feedback on assignments.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026A calculus-based, rigorous introduction to physics covering mechanics, waves, thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and modern physics with computation.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Duncan Carlsmith, Kam Arnold: The workload involves substantial homework and difficult lab reports, particularly those requiring MATLAB programming. Reviewers note that coding components are extensive and often feel disconnected from lecture content, requiring significant time to complete.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026A continuation of PHYSICS 247 covering electromagnetism, circuits, optics, and modern physics with computational methods.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Brian Rebel, Michael Winokur, Yibin Pan: Exams are described as incredibly difficult, though some instructors curve grades generously. The workload includes dense textbook chapters and substantial homework, requiring students to dedicate significant time to digesting the material and staying engaged with lectures.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026A modern physics course covering quantum mechanics, nuclear, particle, condensed matter, and atomic physics.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Jeffrey Schmidt, Peter Timbie: Peter Timbie’s exams were described as incredibly difficult and unrelated to homework, while Jeffrey Schmidt’s course required copying formulas from practice exams to succeed.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026PHYSICS 298 is a directed study offering an intermediate-level mentored research project in physics.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
PHYSICS 299 is a directed study offering an intermediate-level mentored research project in physics.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sampleAn intermediate laboratory course focusing on modern physics experiments, error analysis, and statistical uncertainties.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Covers the origin and development of classical mechanics, including vector analysis, conservation laws, and Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The class is very tough, but homework carries significant weight in the final grade, making the challenge worthwhile for student understanding.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Covers electric circuits, electronics, and digital logic analysis.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Dan McCammon, Peter Timbie: Reviewers rate the difficulty as high, noting that lectures are scattered or disorganized, requiring significant independent study to understand the material.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025Covers electrostatics, magnetostatics, Maxwell's equations, electromagnetic waves, and relativistic electromagnetism.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Ke Fang: Homework can be confusing and lectures difficult to follow, but the textbook is helpful and exams mirror problem sets.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026PHYSICS 406 covers special topics in physics at the advanced undergraduate level.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
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Spring 2023–Spring 2026 · limited samplePHYSICS 407 is an advanced laboratory course covering classical and modern physics experiments with emphasis on statistical data analysis and research documentation.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Jim Reardon: Reviewers note that the work was challenging but independent, requiring students to solve problems on their own while receiving assistance when stuck.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Introduces thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, covering phase equilibrium, kinetic theory, and classical and quantum statistical mechanics.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Vladimir Zhdankin: Exams are difficult but assignments prepare students well, with one review noting reasonable exam difficulty and another citing difficult exams.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026ATOMIC AND QUANTUM PHYSICS covers advanced atomic physics, quantum mechanics, and applications to molecular, solid state, nuclear, and particle physics.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Jeffrey Schmidt: Reviewers describe the course as difficult, noting that quantum problems are bearable only with support and that exams are anxiety-inducing.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025PHYSICS 498 is a directed study offering an advanced-level mentored research project in physics.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
PHYSICS 499 is an advanced-level mentored research project in physics.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sampleIntroduction to quantum mechanics covering historical background, experimental basis, and key principles like the Schrödinger equation and Pauli principle.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Thad Walker: Workload clarity depends on proficiency with Mathematica, which is required to understand the homework and exam expectations.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Solid State Physics covers the mechanical, thermal, electric, and magnetic properties of solids, including band theory and semiconductors.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Mark Rzchowski: Homework is considered easy after initial thought, and tests are rated as reasonable in difficulty.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026APPLIED OPTICS covers optical methods, imaging, spectroscopy, Fourier optics, and laser technology.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The homework is described as really helpful and reasonable, with a low difficulty rating of 1.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025 · limited samplePHYSICS 681 is a mentored individual research and study course for students completing Physics Honors in the Major.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
PHYSICS 682 is a mentored individual research and study course for students completing Physics Honors in the Major.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited samplePHYSICS 691 is a mentored individual research and study course for students completing a senior thesis.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
PHYSICS 692 is a senior thesis course involving mentored individual research and study.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited samplePHYSICS 701 introduces new graduate students to modern physics research areas through faculty seminars to help them find research opportunities.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
No recorded grade history
PHYSICS 707 introduces experimental techniques in quantum computing through eight hands-on experiments.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2023–Fall 2025 · limited sampleIntroduction to quantum computation, information processing, and algorithms.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025