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2021-2022

Physics, Bachelor of Science (accelerated masters degree option)

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Arts & Sciences: Science, Physics Track (Germanna Community College)
Germanna Community College
Germanna Community College
Associate degree

Associate of Arts & Sciences: Science, Physics Track

Program description

The curriculum in physics prepares students for technical careers in physics or an allied area, for careers in engineering and for the teaching of physics in secondary schools. The curriculum also prepares students for graduate studies in physics or a related area. Students will learn to perform scientific reasoning and complex problem-solving.


Physics majors will receive a fundamental understanding of the main areas of physics so that they are prepared for jobs that use physics-based technologies. They are expected to have mastered the analytical approach to solving technical problems by identifying simple subsystems that obey known physical laws and using these laws to approximate the behavior of the whole system.

Career opportunities

With a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics, students can pursue careers in research and development, science, engineering, education, medicine, law, business, and the military.

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Automotive Engineer
  • Computer Systems Analyst
  • Environmental Compliance Inspector
  • Geophysical Data Technician
  • High School Teacher
  • Photonics Engineer
  • Quality Control Analyst
  • Regulatory Affairs Specialist
  • Software Quality Assurance Engineer/Tester
  • Technical Writer
  • Web Developer
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Astrophysicist
  • Engineer
  • Meteorologist
  • Secondary School Teacher
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Guaranteed transfer admission requirements

Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better

Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
  • MATH 201 or higher
Science required
  • 5+ additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
  • Yes
Additional tuition/fees
  • Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.0
VCU Major Maps

View VCU Major Map for Physics with concentration in Nanoscience, Pre-Medical

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Physics, Bachelor of Science (accelerated masters degree option)

Germanna Community College (Associate of Arts & Sciences: Science, Physics Track)

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges and use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Log into Navigate and view its features to help you on your pathway.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus or in your community.
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
  • Browse careers related to Physics through the career coach.
  • Work with career services to build resume.
  • Take a career assessment through the career coach.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Use SDV 100 to create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
Experience Year 2
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing for next year.
  • Participate in the STEM Transitions: Transfer Success Program after you’re admitted to VCU.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU Physics department, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
  • Get involved with service-learning opportunities.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
  • Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
  • Run for leadership in your student organization.
  • If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges and use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Log into Navigate and view its features to help you on your pathway.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus or in your community.
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
  • Browse careers related to Physics through the career coach.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Work with career services to build resume.
  • Take a career assessment through the career coach.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Use SDV 100 to create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing for next year.
  • Participate in the STEM Transitions: Transfer Success Program after you’re admitted to VCU.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU Physics department, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Get involved with service-learning opportunities.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
  • Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
  • Run for leadership in your student organization.
  • If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Physics, Bachelor of Science (accelerated masters degree option)

Germanna Community College (Associate of Arts & Sciences: Science, Physics Track)

Germanna Community College courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV 100 College Success Skills UNIV 101 1 Elective
ENG 111 College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
HIS History elective (select 1): HIS 101, 102, 111, 112, 121, 122 HIST 3 General education
Lab Science I CHM 111 General Chemistry I CHEM/Z 101 4 General education
MTH 167 Precalculus with Trigonometry (or MTH 161-162) MATH 151 5 General education
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
MTH 263 Calculus I MATH 200 4 Major (Ancillary)
Lab Science II CHM 112 General Chemistry II CHEM/Z 102 4 General education
Humanities (PHI) Select any PHI (Philosophy) course PHIL 3 General education
Social Science Social Science (select 1): PSY 200, SOC 200, 211, PLS 211, PLS 241 VCU equivalent 3 General education
Lab Science III PHY 241 University Physics I PHYS 207 4 Major (Ancillary)
MTH 264 Calculus II MATH 201 4 Major (Ancillary)
Humanities Humanities/Fine Arts (select 1): ART 101, 102, 106, HUM 100, or REL VCU equivalent 3 General education
Social Science Social Science (select 1): ECO 201, ECO 202, PSY 200, SOC 200, SOC 211, PLS 211, PLS 241 VCU equivalent 3 General education
Lab Science IV PHY 242 University Physics II PHYS 208 4 Major
Math elective MTH 267 Differential Equations MATH 301 3 Major (Ancillary)
Science Capstone Science Capstone VCU equivalent 1 Elective
ITE 115 Introduction to Computer Applications and Concepts INFO 160, 161, 162 3 Elective
Transfer elective MTH 265 Calculus III MATH 307 4 Major (Ancillary)
Germanna credits transferred to VCU 62
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Foreign language through the 102 level. (This requirement can be fulfilled by means of completion of the 102-level of a language or waived if the student completed up through the third level of a foreign language in high school. Additionally, language waiver and placement testing options are available for native or heritage speakers of a non-english language.) 0 to 8 General education
PHYS 301 Classical Mechanics I 3 Major
PHYS 320 + PHYZ 320 Modern Physics and Laboratory 4 Major
PHYS 340 Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics 3 Major
PHYS 376 Electromagnetism I 3 Major
PHYS 380 Quantum Physics I 3 Major
PHYS 450 Senior Physics Laboratory 3 Major
PHYS 490 Seminar in Conceptual Physics (capstone) 1 Major
Select 9 credits of upper-level elective physics and physics-related courses 9 Major
Upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses): consider a minor or second major Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. 16 Elective
Open electives 13 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 58
Bachelor's degree total 120