Undergraduate Program - Advanced Information

Catholic University's Physics Department offers undergraduate physics majors the best of both worlds: the close personal attention found at a small liberal arts college, and the research opportunities and facilities typical of a large research university.

It is an ideal place for a student who is thinking about a career in science and who wants a well-rounded education in the liberal arts, in a campus environment where you definitely won't get lost in the crowd.

Our physics majors get one-on-one academic advising, and stay in close touch with the faculty. Many students enjoy the weekly undergraduate "physics and pizza" lunch seminar. After the first year, class sizes in physics are small, rarely exceeding ten students.

Research experience gives our students the edge in graduate school admissions. Paid research internships are available in fields ranging from astrophysics and nuclear physics to condensed matter theory, materials research, and environmental science. Off-campus internships are available at major labs nearby, including NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Naval Research Laboratory, and the National Institutes of Health.

Hannan Hall, which houses the Physics Dept., includes a private study lounge reserved for physics majors only. The physics library and a well-equipped computer lab are also available for student use.

The local chapters of the Society of Physics Students and Sigma Pi Sigma play an active role in organizing campus events and community outreach.

Double majors, joint majors, and pre-med/pre-law programs are available. Recently we've had students with such dual major combinations as Physics & Music, Physics & Math, Physics & Religion, and Physics & Drama.

Special financial aid opportunities include the Clyde L. Cowan undergraduate research assistantships, merit-based awards for physics concentrators that quickly brings them into the department's research enterprise.