B.S. in Physics/Computer

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Program Distinctives

• Rigorous education from a Christ-centered perspective.
• Accessible faculty mentors – Highly accomplished Christian faculty who serve as guides and mentors in and out of the classroom and laboratory.
• Concentrations – Physics/Computer majors can concentrate in one of two in-demand areas: hardware and software. 
  • Computer Hardware concentration: Receive instruction in analog and digital electronics, microprocessors, and robotics, enabling you to easily step into myriad industrial and research positions that involve automation, data acquisition, and computer interfacing/communications.
  • Computer Software concentration: Learn to create software and operating system architecture, databases, artificial intelligence, and more — developing a marketable combination of skills in computer software to solve physical problems or model experimental situations. Because physics majors understand how matter and energy work, they are exceptionally prepared to intelligently create software that applies to real conditions in factories, laboratories, or natural environments.
• Optional minors – Broaden your expertise with a minor in either medical physics or astronomy (rarely offered as minors at most schools).
• Research opportunities – Launch into research as early as freshman year to get hands-on experience in scientific research, strengthen your teamwork and communication skills, and solidify your career path.
  • Our students frequently present their research across the country at conferences and poster sessions, often pursuing publication in leading science and education journals.
  • As you conduct research, you will benefit from our extensive facilities (including two astronomical observatories) and cutting-edge equipment including a Tescan Vega II scanning electron microscope with X-ray spectrometer, Micromanipulator 4600 probe station, Glow Research Optiglow oxygen plasma cleaner, Instec computer-controlled heating/cooling plate, Denton Desk II sputtering system, RF sputter coater, EMS 3100 Critical point dryer, Nanoscience atomic force microscope, scanning tunneling microscope, quartz tube furnace, neutron howitzer, and much more.
• Summer research opportunities – Gain additional research experience in a wide range of labs and institutions worldwide.
  • Grove City students have obtained summer positions with Los Alamos National Laboratory, Army Research Labs, InterSystems, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Notre Dame, Boston College, Cornell University, Purdue, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, among others.
• Major-related student groups – Join extracurricular groups such as the Grove City College Physics Club and Association of Computing Machinery, in which you will have opportunities to build community with fellow students and grow in servant leadership.
• Vocation-enriching humanities core classes – Deepen your critical thinking, writing, and other communication skills while cultivating empathy and a well-rounded worldview.

Career Opportunities & Outcomes

• Career paths: physics professor, medical physicist, nuclear reactor operator, integrated circuit design engineer, Hubble Space Telescope researcher, USAF Space Force officer, autonomous vehicle engineer, defense contractor, and more.
• Outstanding career outcomes – Like 96% of Grove City graduates, you will be ready to pursue further education at some of the best schools in the country or compete for full-time employment in a variety of technical fields within six months of graduation.
  • Many of our graduates have gained admittance to leading graduate programs at University of Pennsylvania, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Oxford University, Johns Hopkins, Temple, Vanderbilt Medical Physics, University of Maryland, Georgia Tech, and Penn State.
  • Others are working with respected companies and institutions such as U.S. Air Force Space Command, Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Westinghouse Electric, NSA, Intel, Google, Lockheed Martin, John’s Hopkins Research Lab, Edmund Optics, U.S. Army, Prison Fellowship, and Lincoln Electric.
    • Common career areas include mathematical modeling of systems, optics research, particle physics, computer engineering, biomedical engineering, nuclear medicine, artificial intelligence, geophysics, technical support, and data analysis (particularly as it applies to research in medicine, astronomy, and meteorology).
• Excellent career preparation – Wherever you go, you will demonstrate expertise in applied physics and strong problem-solving skills to successfully launch into your career and help advance life-improving science and technology.

Program Specifics

• Curriculum requirements – Concentration options in Physics/Computer with Hardware Option (86-89 credit hours) and Physics/Computer with Software Option (88-90 credit hours).
  • Concentration requirements include:
    • (Computer Hardware Concentration) Computer Programming II, Linear Circuits I and II, Digital Logic Design, Linear Circuits Laboratory, Digital Circuits Laboratory, Design of Digital Systems, and Microcontrollers with Robotic Applications.
    • (Computer Software Concentration) Computer Programming II, Introduction to Data Structures/Algorithms, Computer Architecture and Organization, Operation Systems, Software Engineering, Electronics, and various options in electrical engineering, physics, computer science, and math.
  • Physics core requirements (with either concentration) include General Physics I and II – Engineering, Horizons in Physics, Modern Physics, Introduction to Theoretical Physics, Intermediate Laboratory, Mechanics I, Radiation Laboratory, Computational Methods in Physics, Introduction to Stars, Galaxies, & Cosmology, Computer Programming I, Computer Architecture, Parallel and Distributed Computing, Database Management Systems, and Data Communication and Networking.
  • Technical electives (with either concentration) include Mechanics II, Electricity and Magnetism, Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics, Medical Physics, Advanced Topics, Quantum Mechanics, Astrophysics, and Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science.
  • Technical core requirements (with either concentration) include Chemistry for Engineers, Calculus I, II, and III, Differential Equations, and Numerical Differential Equations.
• Degree options – For students whose main interests lie in writing computer software or computer programming, our B.S. in Computer Science or B.S. in Computer Engineering may be the best fit. For detailed course descriptions, refer to the College Catalog.

Physics Graduates in High Demand

According to the Statistical Research Center of the American Institute of Physics, physics graduates are in high demand across a variety of fields nationwide.

To learn more about physics and astronomy-related career opportunities, take advantage of the following resources.

• State-by-state listing: browse lists of the many employers who have recently hired physics graduates to fill science and engineering positions.
• Latest employment data: explore the variety of work settings and positions in which physicists at different degree levels are employed.
• Statistical Research Center: find current data on education and employment in physics, astronomy, and allied fields, including interactive resources, full reports, and individual graphs and tables.
• SPS Jobs: check out helpful job search resources through the Society of Physics Students.
• Physicist profiles: learn about the diverse range of career possibilities for physics graduates.

Student & Alumni Stories

“I love the environment at the College. It is a rare thing to be able to openly discuss just about anything and be challenged in an environment that will support and encourage you.” — Benjamin Zerbe ’17, B.S. in Applied Physics-Computer, B.S. in Computer Science

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