About the Program

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

The Physics major is designed to give the student a broad and thorough understanding of the fundamentals of physics. Therefore, the emphasis is on this general understanding rather than on specialized skills, although some specialized courses are among the options open to the student. Those considering a physics major are urged to consult a departmental adviser early, in order to discuss the content of the major and also the opportunities after graduation. Recent graduates have entered graduate work in a number of scientific fields, and others have gone on to jobs in academic, industrial, and government laboratories.

Declaring the Major

Students may declare a physics major when all of the prerequisites for the major have been completed or their equivalent with a 2.0 grade point average (GPA) in the prerequisites and a 2.0 GPA in all University courses. For further information regarding the Prerequisites, please see the Major Requirements tab on this page.

The Department will consider applications to declare a physics major throughout the academic year. Students (continuing and transfer) declaring must furnish a copy of their grade record or past transcripts which include the prerequisite courses or their equivalents. Students must have their records reviewed and have a departmental file prepared by the Undergraduate Adviser in 368 LeConte Hall prior to seeing a faculty major adviser for departmental approval of the petition to declare a physics major. Students should be prepared to discuss a tentative schedule of their upper division courses.

Honors Program

Students with an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.3 or higher in all courses in the major, upper-division courses in the major, and all University courses may be admitted to the honors program. A major adviser should be consulted before the student's last year of residence. This program requires completion of the major, at least one semester of PHYSICS H190, and a senior thesis, PHYSICS H195A and PHYSICS H195B.

Minor Program

The Department also offers a minor program in Physics. Students may petition for a minor in Physics from the time that the requirements are complete until the student graduates from the College of Letters and Science. Students who have completed the requirements for the minor will be required to furnish transcripts (official or unofficial) to the undergraduate adviser (in 368 LeConte Hall) to show their work and GPA in physics and math. After completing a confirmation of minor program petition (available in 368 LeConte Hall) the students will be directed to a faculty major adviser who will approve the completion of the minor program.

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Major Requirements

In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, listed on the College Requirements tab, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.

General Guidelines

1. All courses taken to fulfill the major requirements below must be taken for graded credit, other than courses listed which are offered on a Pass/No Pass basis only. Other exceptions to this requirement are noted as applicable.
2. No more than one upper-division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs with the exception of minors offered outside of the College of Letters and Science.
3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 must be maintained in both upper- and lower-division courses used to fulfill the major requirements.

For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

Lower-division Requirements

In addition to the requirements below, students who: (1) Have not taken a substantial chemistry course in high school are urged to take a one-year sequence or (2) Unfamiliar with a computer programming language are encouraged to include an introductory course in Computer Science.

Upper-division

Recommended courses

For students planning to continue to graduate school, special programs may be worked out with the adviser. The following courses are also recommended for students interested in graduate school:

Minor Requirements

Students who have a strong interest in an area of study outside their major often decide to complete a minor program. These programs have set requirements and are noted officially on the transcript in the memoranda section, but they are not noted on diplomas.

General Guidelines

1. All courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements below must be taken for graded credit.
2. A minimum of three of the upper-division courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements must be completed at UC Berkeley.
3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required for courses used to fulfill the minor requirements.
4. Courses used to fulfill the minor requirements may be applied toward the Seven-Course Breadth Requirement for Letters and Science students.
5. No more than one upper-division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs.
6. All minor requirements must be completed prior to the last day of finals during the semester in which the student plans to graduate. Students who cannot finish all courses required for the minor by that time should see a College of Letters and Science adviser.
7. All minor requirements must be completed within the unit ceiling. (For further information regarding the unit ceiling, please see the College Requirements tab.)

Requirements

College Requirements

Undergraduate students in the College of Letters and Science must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.

For detailed lists of courses that fulfill college requirements, please see the College of Letters and Sciences  page in this bulletin. 

Entry Level Writing

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing Requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley. 

American History and American Institutions

The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that a U.S. resident graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

American Cultures

American Cultures is the one requirement that all undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.

Quantitative Reasoning

The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course.

Foreign Language

The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work.

Reading and Composition

In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing and critical thinking the College requires two semesters of lower division work in composition. Students must complete a first-level reading and composition course by the end of their second semester and a second-level course by the end of their fourth semester.

Breadth Requirements

The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship.  Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.

Unit Requirements

• 120 total units, including at least 60 L&S units

• Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units

• Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside your major department

Residence Requirements

For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters and Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes here for four years. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you go abroad for a semester or year or want to take courses at another institution or through University Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to see an adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.

Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.

Senior Residence Requirement

After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your B.A. degree), you must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.

You may use a Berkeley summer session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence Requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the College.

Modified Senior Residence Requirement

Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) or the UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence Requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.

Upper Division Residence Requirement

You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding EAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your major.

Student Learning Goals

Mission

The goal of the Physics major is to provide students with a broad understanding of the physical principles of the universe, to help them develop critical thinking and quantitative reasoning skills, to empower them to think creatively and critically about scientific problems and experiments, and to provide training for students planning careers in physics and in the physical sciences broadly defined including those whose interests lie in research, K-12 or college teaching, industrial jobs, or other sectors of society.

Physics majors complete a program which includes foundational lower division course work in math and physics and in-depth upper division course work. These topics are traditionally broadly divided into classical and modern physics. Some core topics, such as special relativity, classical optics, and classical thermodynamics, are covered only in lower division courses. Other topics, such as quantum mechanics, classical mechanics, statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, and optics, are covered first at an introductory level in lower division and then at a more advanced level in the upper division courses. Advanced elective courses provide students the opportunity to further their knowledge in specific areas (such as atomic physics, condensed matter physics, optical properties, quantum computing, biophysics, astrophysics, particle physics). A two-semester upper division laboratory course provides additional training in electronic instrumentation, circuits, computer interfacing to experiments, independent project design, and advanced laboratory techniques experiments. This laboratory course also provides the capstone experience to the core courses, bringing the knowledge gained in different courses together and making the connection between theoretical knowledge taught in textbooks/homework problems and the experimental foundations of this knowledge.  Activities outside the classroom, such as independent research or study, allow students to further develop their knowledge and understanding.

A student graduating from Berkeley with a major in physics will understand classical and modern physics (as outlined in the course requirements below) and will also acquire the skills to apply principles to new and unfamiliar problems. Their understanding should include the ability to analyze physical problems (often posed as “word problems”), be able to derive and prove equations that describe the physics of the universe, understand the meaning and limitations of these equations, and have both physical and numerical insight into physical problems (e.g. be able to make order-of-magnitude estimates, analyze physical situations by application of general principles as well as by textbook type calculations). They will also have developed basic laboratory, library, and computational skills, be familiar with important historical experiments and what physics they revealed, and be able to make both written and oral presentations on physics problems posed to them. At graduation, physics majors will have a set of fundamental competencies that are knowledge-based, performance/skills-based, and affective.

Learning Goals for the Major

Graduates will have the following:

1. Mastered a broad set of knowledge concerning the fundamentals in the basic areas of physics (quantum mechanics, classical mechanics, statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, optics, and special relativity). This does not refer to knowledge about specific facts, but rather to a working knowledge of fundamental concepts that can then be applied in many different ways to understand or predict what nature does.
2. An understanding of the physical principles required to analyze a physical question or topic, including those not previously seen, and both quantitative and qualitative physical insight into these principles in order to understand or predict what happens. This includes understanding what equations and numerical physical constants are needed to describe and analyze fundamental physics problems.
3. A set of basic physical constants that enable their ability to make simple numerical estimates of physical properties of the universe and its constituents.
4. An understanding of how modern electronic instrumentation works, and how both classical and modern experiments are used to reveal the underlying physical principals of the universe and its constituents.
5. An understanding of how to use computers in data acquisition and processing and how to use available software as a tool in data analysis.
6. An understanding of modern library search tools used to locate and retrieve scientific information.

Skills

Graduates will have the following abilities: 

1. Solve problems competently by identifying the essential parts of a problem and formulating a strategy for solving the problem. Estimate the numerical solution to a problem. Apply appropriate techniques to arrive at a solution, test the correctness of the solution, and interpret the results.
2. Explain the physics problem and its solution in both words and appropriately specific equations to both experts and non-experts.
3. Understand the objective of a physics laboratory experiment, properly carry out the experiments, and appropriately record and analyze the results.
4. Use standard laboratory equipment, modern instrumentation, and classical techniques to carry out experiments.
5. Know how to design, construct, and complete a science-based independent project (specifically in the area of electronics).
6. Know and follow the proper procedures and regulations for safely working in a lab.
7. Communicate the concepts and results of their laboratory experiments through effective writing and oral communication skills.

Affective

Graduates will be able to do the following:

1. Successfully pursue career objectives in graduate school or professional schools, in a scientific career in government or industry, in a teaching career, or in a related career.
2. Think creatively about scientific problems and their solutions, to design experiments, and to constructively question results they are presented with, whether these results are in a newspaper, in a classroom, or elsewhere.

Advising

All students interested in the Physics major should come in for major advising as soon as possible starting their first semester on campus for individualized assistance. Professional advisers can assist with a wide range of matters including academic course planning, research, career, and graduate school goals.

Advising Staff

Claudia Trujillo
caludiat@berkeley.edu
368 LeConte Hall
510-642-0481

Kathy Lee
kathyl@berkeley.edu
376 LeConte Hall
510-643-5261

Academic Opportunities

Berkeley Connect in Physics

Berkeley Connect in Physics is a mentoring program that pairs physics graduate mentors with undergraduate physics students. The goals of the program are to help students develop understanding, community, and career preparedness that go beyond what traditional courses provide. Interactions with graduate students and faculty will play a large role throughout the semester. The course is a small seminar class led by the physics graduate student mentor. Some of the meetings will include the following:

• Visits to research labs on campus and at the national labs to talk to faculty, scientists, and grad students
• Preparing students for a broad range of career trajectories including ones outside of academia
• Discussions of science in the news and science and society
• Resources for finding research opportunities on campus, REUs, internships
• Developing skills that will make you an attractive candidate for undergraduate research
• Exploration of the idea of scientific models
• Building a community of physics student scientists

Berkeley Connect is a 1-credit seminar course that meets once a week for one hour. It is designed to be very low workload but have large benefits for physics undergraduates. For more information please visit the Berkeley Connect website .

Courses

Physics

Faculty

Professors

Mina Aganagic, Professor. Particle physics.
Research Profile

Mr. Robert Joseph Birgeneau, PhD, Professor. Physics, phase transition behavior of novel states of matter.
Research Profile

Steven Edward Boggs, Professor. Astrophysics, cosmology, supernovas, physics, gamma-ray telescopes, radioactive nuclei, nucleosynthesis, gamma-ray emission.
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Raphael Bousso, PhD, Professor. Physics, quantum mechanics, gravity, unified description of nature, string theory, quantum properties of black holes, the geometry of spacetime, covariant entropy bound, cosmological constant.
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Dmitry Budker, Professor. Modern atomic physics, discrete symmetries, samarium, dysprosium, ytterbium, spectral line broadening, parity nonconservation, magnetometry, atomic collisions, NV diamond, fundamental physics.
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Carlos J. Bustamante, PhD, Professor. Nanoscience, structural characterization of nucleo-protein assemblies, single molecule fluorescence microscopy, DNA-binding molecular motors, the scanning force microscope, prokaryotes.
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Michael F. Crommie, Professor. Physics, electronic properties of atomic-scale structures at surfaces, atomic-scale structures, morphology and dynamics of mesoscopic systems, atomic manipulation, visualizing low dimensional electronic behavior.
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Robert C. Dynes, Professor. Condensed matter physics and materials science.
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Joel Fajans, Professor. Astrophysics, plasma processing, physics, basic plasma physics, non-neutral plasmas, basic plasma physics experiments, pure electron plasma traps, cyrogenic plasmas, plasma bifurcations, basic non-linear dynamics, autoresonance.
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Roger W Falcone, Professor. X-rays, plasma physics, lasers, physics, materials, atomic physics, coherent control, ultrafast.
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Reinhard Genzel, Professor. Physics, existence and formation of black holes in galactic nuclei, the nature of the power source, the evolution of (ultra)luminous infrared galaxies, gas dynamics, the fueling of active galactic nuclei, the properties evolution of starburst galaxies.
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Lawrence J. Hall, Professor. Physics, standard model of particle physics, symmetries of nature, the symmetry of the electroweak interaction, spacetime symmetries: weak scale supersymmetry, constrained theories for the quark and charged lepton masses, supersymmetric theory.
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Wick Haxton, Professor. Astrophysics, neutrino physics, nuclear astrophysics, tests of symmetries and conservation laws in nuclear and particle and atomic physics, many-body theory, effective theories.
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Beate Heinemann, PhD, Professor. Particle physics.
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Frances Hellman, Professor. Condensed matter physics and materials science.
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William L. Holzapfel, Professor. Cosmology, physics, measurement and interpretation of anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background, the universe, density of energy, baryonic matter in the universe, the degree angular scale interferometer, the arcminute cosmology bolometer array.
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Petr Horava, Professor. Cosmology, physics, quantum geometry, particle physics, string (and M-) theory, quantum gravity.
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Bob Jacobsen, Professor. Physics, high energy physics, LEP collider and detectors, CKM matrix, B meson decays, CP violation in the B system.
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Edgar Knobloch, Dsc, Professor. Astrophysics, geophysics, physics, nonlinear dynamics of dissipative systems, bifurcation theory, low-dimensional behavior of continuous systems, the theory of nonlinear waves, pattern formation in fluid systems, reaction-diffusion systems.
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Yury G Kolomensky, Professor. Particle physics, precision measurements, electroweak interactions, neutrino physics, QCD, BaBar, E158, CUORE, Mu2e.
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Alessandra Lanzara, Professor. Nanostructures, physics, solid-state physics, complex novel materials, correlated electron systems, temperature superconductors, colossal magneto-resistance manganites, organic material, fullerenes, nanotubes, nanosphere, nanorods.
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Dung-Hai Lee, Professor. Physics, theoretical condensed matter, organization principles enabling microscopic degrees of freedom to behave cooperatively, matter and their formation mechanisms, low dimensional quantum magnets, strongly correlated Fermi and Bose fluids.
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Adrian T Lee, Professor. Physics.
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Robert G Littlejohn, Professor. Plasma physics, nonlinear dynamics, physics, atomic, molecular, optical, and nuclear physics, dissipation in many-particle systems, semiclassical treatment of spin-orbit forces in nuclei, normal form theory for mode conversion or Landau-Zener transition.
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Steven G. Louie, Professor. Nanoscience, nuclear magnetic resonance, semiconductors, metals, physics, fullerenes, nanotubes, condensed matter theory, surfaces, defects, nanostructure materials, clusters, many-electron effects in solids.
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Kam-Biu Luk, Professor. Physics, particle physics, neutrinos coming from the nuclear processes in the sun, neutrino oscillation, anti-neutrinos, neutrino mixing parameters, nuclear instrumentation, data mining.
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Joel E. Moore, Professor. Physics, nanotubes, condensed matter theory, the properties of, electron-electron interactions, zero-temperature phase transitions, interaction effects in nanoscale devices, quantum phase transitions.
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Hitoshi Murayama, PhD, Professor. Physics, particle physics, the universe, fundamental constituents of matter, Higgs boson, anti-matter, neutrino oscillations, finite value of the cosmological constant, triple coincidence of energy densities.
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Jeffrey B. Neaton, Professor.

Yasunori Nomura, Professor. Electroweak symmetry, developing new ideas and building realistic models in particle physics, particle physics theory and cosmology, hidden extra spatial dimensions and supersymmetry, physics of the multiverse, multiverse and quantum gravity.
Research Profile

Joseph W. Orenstein, Professor. Physics, optics, electromagnetic radiation, probe condensed matter systems, light waves, transmission and reflection coefficients, high-Tc superconductors organic molecular crystals, quasiparticles, origin of superconductivity, terahertz spectroscopy.
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Saul Perlmutter, Professor. Cosmology, dark energy, physics, astrophysics experiments, observational astrophysics, supernovae, accelerating universe.
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Zi Q. Qiu, PhD, Professor. Physics, novel behavior of the quantum magnetism in magnetic nanostructures, oscillatory interlayer coupling, the giant magnetoresistance, condensed matter experiment, technology applications, molecular beam epitaxy, artificial structures.
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R. Ramesh, Professor. Processing of complex oxide heterostructures, nanoscale characterization/device structures, thin film growth and materials physics of complex oxides, materials processing for devices, information technologies.
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Uros Seljak, Professor.

Marjorie D Shapiro, Professor. Physics, particle physics, particle experiments, probing the most basic interactions in nature, quarks, leptons, collider detector, the atlas experiment, electroweak symmetry breaking, mass, design of the silicon strip detectors, pixel detectors.
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James L. Siegrist, Professor. High energy physics, particle experiments, large hadron collider, ATLAS, high center of mass energies, collider detectors, development of instrumentation and software, dark matter direct detection, non-proliferation, physical sciences and oncology.
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Dan M. Stamper-Kurn, Professor. Atomic physics, the use of ultra-cold neutral atoms, studies of microscopic and macroscopic quantum phenomena, cavity quantum electrodynamics, Bose-Einstein condensation, precision and quantum measurement.
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Mr. Ashvin Vishwanath, PhD, Professor. Theoretical physics, physics, condensed matter theory, quantum condensed matter, systems of many quantum particles, dilute atomic gases, optical lattices, strongly correlated materials, fractionalization, unconventional quantum phase transition.
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Martin White, PhD, Professor. Cosmology, formation of structure in the universe, dark energy, expansion of the universe, cosmic microwave background, quasars, redshift surveys.
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Jonathan Wurtele, Professor. Physics, stability, plasma theory, advanced accelerator concepts, intense laser-plasma interaction, the basic equilibrium, radiation properties of intense charged particle beams, simulation and the development of proof-of-principle experiments.
Research Profile

Alex Zettl, Professor. Physics, condensed matter physics, fullerenes, condensed matter experiments, characterize novel materials with unusual electronic and magnetic ground states, low-dimensional and nanoscale structures, superconductors, giant magnetoresistance materials.
Research Profile

Associate Professors

Ori J. Ganor, Associate Professor. Physics, string theory, -theory, F-theory, matrix-models, noncommutative geometry, six-dimensional theories and their large N limit, supersymmetric field theories, coupled quantum systems, nonperturbative and strong-coupling, nonlocal behavior, space.
Research Profile

Jan T. Liphardt, Associate Professor.

Irfan Siddiqi, PhD, Associate Professor. Condensed matter physics, superconducting qubits, quantum limited amplifiers, quantum circuits.
Research Profile

Assistant Professors

Michael Robert Deweese, PhD, Assistant Professor. Machine learning, computation, systems neuroscience, auditory cortex, neural coding.
Research Profile

Hartmut Haeffner, PhD, Assistant Professor. Precision measurements, quantum information and computation, ion traps, quantum state engineering, decoherence, quantum simulations, quantum energy transport, quantum chaos, cryogenic electronics.
Research Profile

Oskar Hallatschek, PhD, Assistant Professor.

Gabriel Orebi Gann, Ba Dphil Ma MSC, Assistant Professor.

Surjeet Rajendran, Assistant Professor.

Ahmet Yildiz, PhD, Assistant Professor.