2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog Department of Physics

The Honors Program seeks to facilitate customized learning for Honors students in their disciplines by offering the opportunity for students to engage in Honors education and to have Honors Learning Experiences in upper division courses. Learn more about Honors in the Major.

General Department Information

The Physics Major sequences at Illinois State University are sufficiently flexible to serve the needs of students with any of the following goals: (1) government or industrial research and development, (2) graduate study in Physics, or an allied field such as Engineering, (3) high school Physics/Science teaching, or (4) professional study in intellectual property law, patent law, or medicine.

Major in Physics

Students in the Physics major must complete one of the following sequences.

Physics Sequence

View Physics Sequence Course Requirements

Physics Accelerated Sequence

View Physics Accelerated Sequence Course Requirements

Biophysics Sequence

View Biophysics Sequence Course Requirements

Computational Physics Sequence

Computational Physics majors should take Natural Science Alternative (NSA) General Education courses

View Computational Physics Sequence Course Requirements

Engineering Physics Dual Degree Program Sequence

The Engineering Physics Sequence allows students to earn two degrees in five years: one in physics from Illinois State and another in engineering from a partnering school

View Engineering Physics Dual Degree Program Sequence Course Requirements

Physics Teacher Education Sequence

View Physics Teacher Education Sequence Course Requirements

Minor in Physics

23 total credit hours required

• PHY 110
• PHY 111
• PHY 112
• 11 additional hours of electives from 200- or 300-level Physics courses