2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Schmid College of Science and Technology
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Michael Ibba, Ph.D., Dean
Christopher Kim, Ph.D., Associate Dean of Academic Programs
Elaine Benaksas Schwartz, Ph.D., Assistant Dean of External Relations
Professors: Aharanov, Alpay, Caporaso, de Bruyn, El-Askary, Funk, Gulian, Ibba, Jipsen, Kafatos, Keller, Kim, C., Moshier, Piper, Prakash, Sebbar, Singh, Tollaksen, Verkhivker, Were, Yang;
Associate Professors: Bisoffi, Bostean, Buniy, Dressel, Fudge, Hellberg, Ouzounov, Rakovski, Vajiac, A., Vajiac, M., Wright;
Instructional Associate Professors: Gartner, Rowland-Goldsmith, Schwartz;
Assistant Professors: Atamian, Castro Lopes, Durcik, Goldsmith, Kim, S., LaRue, Leifer, Liberman-Martin, Miklavcic, Ogba, Owens, Waldrop;
Instructional Assistant Professors: Ahsan, Bailey, Bonne, Chang, Dunham, Evans, Goetz, Gray, Hsu, John, Lopez Najera, O’Neill, Sherff, Toto Pacioles, Villoria, Waegell, Zalman;
Instructors: Dudley, Hill.
The Schmid College of Science and Technology prepares students for the complex world of the twenty-first century by challenging students to think critically, engage in research and become involved in outreach through clubs, internships, and volunteer work. The college offers traditional and interdisciplinary degrees and programs designed for students who aspire to become tomorrow’s scientists and leaders in science and technology. The Schmid College of Science and Technology invites you to join our dynamic community of scholar-teachers and students.
Grand Challenges Initiative
Students pursuing any B.S. degree in the college must 1) satisfy their First-Year Foundations Course (FFC) requirement by enrolling in a Grand Challenges Initiative FFC section; and 2) enroll in and pass 3 (ideally consecutive) 1-credit Grand Challenges Initiative seminars. Students who enter Schmid College after their first year either by transfer or change of major must seek advising from the Grand Challenges Initiative Program Director to design an individual plan for program participation.
GPA and grade option requirements
Students pursuing any degree in the college must maintain a 2.000 grade point average in the major. All courses in the major must be taken for a letter grade except for those that may only be taken or that have a default grading option of P/NP.
Degree Program Honors
Students must have a major GPA of 3.500 or higher by the conclusion of the term prior to graduation and must have completed a minimum of 120 hours of independent research. Completion of independent research includes the completion of a scientific paper in the relevant scientific field, oral presentation to the faculty, poster presentation at the Student Scholar Symposium and a vote by the appropriate faculty group that the research, paper and presentation were of sufficient quality to merit honors. Additional degree program honor requirements, if they exist, are listed under the degree program description.
Bachelor of Science
Minor
Accelerated Program
Physics
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PHYS 329 - Experimental Course
Physics experimental courses are designed to offer additional opportunities to explore areas and subjects of special interest. Course titles, prerequisites, and credits may vary. Some courses require student lab fees. Specific course details will be listed in the course schedule. Letter grade with Pass/No Pass option. May be repeated for credit if the topic is different. Fee: TBD. (Offered as needed.) ½-4 credits -
PHYS 330 - Digital Logic Design I
(Same as CPSC 330 .) 3 credits -
PHYS 330L - Lab - Digital Logic Design I
(Same as CPSC 330L .) 1 credit -
PHYS 340 - Quantum Information Science
(Same as CPSC 320 .) Prerequisites, CPSC 230 and MATH 211 or MATH 215 . This multi-disciplinary course introduces the study of finite-dimensional collections of quantum bits. Using the circuit model of quantum computation, the course illustrates concrete algorithms that show an advantage over classical methods, including those discovered by Deutch-Josza, Simon, Grover, and Shor, along with basic error correction. (Offered spring semester.) 3 credits -
PHYS 350 - Experimental Methods in Optics
Prerequisites, PHYS 102 , MATH 215 . This introductory optics course focuses on the core principles of the interaction between matter and light, both theoretically and experimentally. Students will learn how to apply wave and particle properties of light to a wide range of applications, with an emphasis on experimental design, problem solving, and scientific communication. Topics include the nature of light, geometric optics, waves, interferometry, diffraction, polarization, and error analysis. This course combines both lecture and laboratory components. (Offered as needed.) 3 credits -
PHYS 370 - Special Topics in Physics
Prerequisite, PHYS 202, or consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit. (Offered as needed.) ½-3 credits -
PHYS 421 - Electricity and Magnetism I
Prerequisites, PHYS 102 , PHYS 250 . Students study advanced topics in electricity and magnetism. These include boundary value problems, mutual generation of electromagnetic fields, electromagnetic radiation, and the relation between special relativity and electromagnetism. Computational methods are emphasized. Lecture. (Offered fall semester.) 3 credits -
PHYS 422 - Electricity and Magnetism II
Prerequisites, PHYS 250 , PHYS 421 . The course introduces students to advanced topics in electricity and magnetism: conservation laws, electromagnetic waves, gauge symmetry, radiation, relativistic electrodynamics. The emphasis is placed on precise mathematical formulation of physical laws and development of computational techniques essential in applications. (Offered spring semester.) 3 credits -
PHYS 429 - Experimental Course
Physics experimental courses are designed to offer additional opportunities to explore areas and subjects of special interest. Course titles, prerequisites, and credits may vary. Some courses require student lab fees. Specific course details will be listed in the course schedule. Letter grade with Pass/No Pass option. May be repeated for credit if the topic is different. Fee: TBD. (Offered as needed.) ½-4 credits -
PHYS 430 - Thermodynamics I
Prerequisite, PHYS 201 . Students study the fundamentals of thermal physics, and the elegant regularities that emerge in systems of many particles. Computational methods are emphasized. Lecture. (Offered fall semester.) 3 credits -
PHYS 431 - Thermodynamics II
Prerequisites, MATH 350 , PHYS 430 . The course emphasizes that the combination of microscopic concepts with some statistical postulates leads readily to conclusions on a purely macroscopic level. First, basic probability concepts introduced and statistical methods used throughout all of physics. Statistical ideas are then applied to systems of particles in equilibrium to enhance an understanding of the basic notions of statistical mechanics, from which derive the purely macroscopic general statements of thermodynamics. (Offered spring semester.) 3 credits -
PHYS 451 - Quantum Mechanics
Prerequisites, PHYS 201 , PHYS 250 . Students study the fundamentals of quantum mechanics, its historical development, and its application. Computational methods are emphasized. (Offered spring semester.) 3 credits -
PHYS 452 - Quantum Mechanics II
Prerequisite, PHYS 451 . Students will study advanced quantum mechanics, its applications and an introduction to quantum information science including quantum computing and communication. Topics include time-independent and time-dependent perturbation theory, the variational principle, the adiabatic approximation, the WKB approximation, quantum information science, quantum teleportation, quantum computing and quantum paradoxes. (Offered fall semester.) 3 credits -
PHYS 453 - Foundations of Quantum Mechanics
(Same as MATH 453 .) This course explores the mathematical and conceptual foundations of quantum theory. Exemplar experiments motivate discussion throughout, including quantum interference, EPR-Bell nonlocality, delayed choice experiments, interaction-free measurement, and geometric phases. Topics include operational quantum theory, ontological models, and interpretations of quantum theory. (Offered fall semester.) 3 credits -
PHYS 491 - Student-Faculty Research/Creative Activity
Prerequisite, consent of instructor. Students engage in independent, faculty-mentored scholarly research/creative activity in their discipline which develops fundamentally novel knowledge, content, and/or data. Topics or projects are chosen after discussions between student and instructor who agree upon objective and scope. P/NP or letter grade option with consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit. (Offered as needed.) 1-3 credits -
PHYS 499 - Individual Study
Prerequisites, consent of instructor, approval of petition. Supervised individual study in selected areas of physics. May be repeated for credit. (Offered as needed.) 1-3 credits
Science
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SCI 150 - Grand Challenges in Science I
This research seminar is a continuation of the Grand Challenges FFC. It is designed to provide a mentored experience for teams as they pursue possible solutions to their grand challenges. Faculty serving as team mentors will use evidence-based approaches to improve students’ critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills. Faculty are joined by a number of external experts who provide students with additional insights into their challenges, introduce them to a diversity of careers in science, and serve as the foundation of a professional network. In this phase, teams are encouraged to grow, evolve, and even recruit new members across campus, as it becomes clearer what skills are needed to advance towards their goals. Letter grade. (Offered every semester.) 1 credit -
SCI 200 - Grand Challenges in Science II
This seminar is a continuation of the Grand Challenges in Science series. It is designed to provide a mentored experience for teams as they pursue possible solutions to their grand challenges. Faculty serving as team mentors will use evidence-based approaches to improve students’ critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills. Faculty are joined by a number of external experts who provide students with additional insights into their challenges, introduce them to a diversity of careers in science, and serve as the foundation of a professional network. In this phase, teams are encouraged to grow, evolve, and even recruit new members across campus, as it becomes clearer what skills are needed to advance towards their goals. (Offered every semester.) 1 credit -
SCI 250 - Grand Challenges in Science III
This seminar is a continuation of the Grand Challenges in Science series. It is designed to provide a mentored experience for teams as they pursue possible solutions to their grand challenges. Faculty serving as team mentors will use evidence-based approaches to improve students’ critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills. Faculty are joined by a number of external experts who provide students with additional insights into their challenges, introduce them to a diversity of careers in science, and serve as the foundation of a professional network. In this phase, teams are encouraged to grow, evolve, and even recruit new members across campus, as it becomes clearer what skills are needed to advance towards their goals. (Offered every semester.) 1 credit -
SCI 329 - Experimental Course
Science experimental courses are designed to offer additional opportunities to explore areas and subjects of special interest. Course titles, prerequisites, and credits may vary. Some courses require student lab fees. Specific course details will be listed in the course schedule. Letter grade with Pass/No Pass option. May be repeated for credit if the topic is different. Fee: TBD. (Offered as needed.) 0-4 credits -
SCI 400 - Applying to Graduate Programs in the Sciences
This 1-credit seminar is intended for students who intend to apply to research-based Ph.D. graduate programs in the natural or applied sciences during the fall semester. It will cover best practices and include targeted assignments to help students craft their graduate school and fellowship applications for maximum success, including: - Identifying your desired subfield - Narrowing down your search - Contacting potential Ph.D. mentors - Drafting personal statements - Seeking letters of recommendation - Making your final decision (Offered fall semester.) 1 credit
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