Aug 02, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Physics, B.A.


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The B.A. degree in physics is appropriate for students who wish to combine a physics curriculum with a broad liberal arts program with the intention of pursuing careers such as medicine, law, teaching, IT, business and government.

SMU Degree Requirements

An SMU undergraduate degree requires a minimum of 120 credit hours and must include completion of the University’s Common Curriculum , one major and a combination of electives and/or other majors or minors. Completion of certain majors requires more than 120 hours to finish the degree. The credit hours within this curriculum are distributed as follows:

Requirements for the Major


Physics (29 Credit Hours)


Elective Courses (15 Credit Hours)


One course (3 credit hours) from the classical physics group and one course (3 credit hours) from the quantum physics group. The same course cannot count in both groups:

Total for the Major Only: 38 Credit Hours


Candidates for the B.A. in physics are required to take a B.A. Physics Assessment Exam during their senior year; the exam results are used to assess the B.A. program, not the student.

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