Physics is the fundamental natural science. It is concerned primarily with discovering and applying the rules (natural laws) that govern the properties and behavior of all forms of inanimate matter and energy and their interactions. The objects or systems that physicists study vary in size from the smallest building blocks of the universe (whether they be quarks, or superstrings, or some even more exotic entities) to the entire known universe itself. The time scale of events considered in physics ranges from the moment the universe was created in the "Big Bang" to the almost unimaginably remote future, with physicists developing conceptual models for the birth, evolution, and ultimate fate of the universe.

Students who are attracted to physics as a major have appreciated the fact that the subject matter and methods of physics are fascinating and important in their own right. However, the study of physics is useful, and often essential, even for those who wish to specialize in other areas of knowledge. This is because the laws of nature studied in physics underlie and ultimately account for many – some would even claim all – of the phenomena that are studied in every branch of science and engineering. It is therefore no surprise that many physicists end up working in interdisciplinary areas that link physics with one or more other fields, such as astrophysics, biophysics, chemical physics, geophysics, environmental physics, oceanography, and many more.

If you are preparing for a career in science or engineering, an understanding of the principles and methods of physics will help you be a better scientist or engineer. Even a familiarity with the range of phenomena and problem-solving tools covered in an introductory physics course and lab will help you be a more creative and productive researcher and solver of problems in your chosen field. Furthermore, in this technological age, some understanding of how the natural world "works" – that is, a familiarity with the ideas of physics – is desirable or essential for many non-scientists as well, especially those who must make decisions involving government policy or allocation of resources.

In addition to the facts and principles you learn while studying physics, even at the introductory level, you also will acquire a number of transferable skills that will be valuable to you in many areas of your life that extend far beyond the physics classroom or lab. Foremost among these are skills such as logical reasoning, critical thinking, quantitative problem solving, experimental methodology, and the ability to communicate technical information in a professional manner.

Marietta College has a long and distinguished history of educating students who go on to become successful scientists and engineers. Studying physics at Marietta has prepared our alumni to be successful in a broad range of careers. Here, in no particular order, is a list of some of the jobs or positions that our graduates hold currently, or have held in the past:

• - College art professor
• - Ph.D. in electrical engineering at the University of Virginia
• - Technical Staff Member performing neutron scattering experiments at the Los Alamos National Laboratory
• - Physicist at the Sandia National Laboratory
• - Physicist at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• - Senior Results Engineer for a major nuclear power utility
• - Builder of spectrometers for use in satellites
• - Computer software development (several)
• - College or university physics faculty member (several)
• - Principal U.S. agent for a large international high-technology venture capital business
• - Senior editor for Astronomy magazine
• - High school physics teacher (several)
• - Member of Technical Staff at AT&T Bell Labs
• - Officer and nuclear specialist in the U.S. Navy nuclear submarine program
• - Department head, Martin Marietta Energy Systems
• - Research and development in the glass industry
• - Senior Design Engineer for a major gas company
• - Human factors engineering for GTE Telephone Operations
• - Principal associate for a logistics and management consulting firm
• - Responsible for technical direction, engineering, and marketing management for a premier developer and manufacturer of ultra high precision machine tools
• - Research specialist for the 3M Company, and creator of his own entrepreneurial venture
• - Owner of an environmental consulting firm

New Building: The Department of Physics, along with portions of the Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Science programs recently moved into the new Rickey Science Center. This facility provides high-quality lab space for the sciences at Marietta College.

Student Scholarships: Rickey Scholarships in Physics are competitive and are available to full-time students who intend to major in Physics with the goal of continuing on to graduate school and a scientific or technical career. Recipients are selected on the basis of excellent academic achievement, and will be awarded a scholarship of up to $18,000 per year. This scholarship is renewable annually (up to a total of $72,000 over four years) provided the recipient continues to major in Physics, is making satisfactory progress in the Physics Major curriculum, and meets the specified academic criteria. In addition, recipients of Rickey Scholarships in Physics are automatically eligible to receive up to two $3,000 Rickey Summer Research Grants to support participation in approved undergraduate research programs or internships – either on campus or off campus – during the summers prior to the junior and senior years. Rickey Summer Research Grants also may be available on a competitive basis to all other students pursuing the Physics Major.

New Equipment: The Department of Physics has a substantial endowed equipment fund so that it can regularly purchase and maintain new, state-of-the-art physics equipment.

Teacher Education: The Department of Physics offers an annual Rickey Summer Science Institute for teachers. Through shared exploration of contemporary developments in physics, and through investigation of new learning and teaching models, we hope to be able to contribute to the national effort to improve the quality of physics education in the U.S. By establishing working relationships with these dedicated physics teachers, we hope that over the years they will encourage their best students to attend Marietta College.

Marietta traces its roots to the Muskingum Academy, which was founded by pioneer settlers in 1797 and which became the first institute of higher education in the Northwest Territory. The state of Ohio granted Marietta College its charter in 1835. We are a private, nonsectarian, coeducational, contemporary liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students (from 43 states and 10 countries) and a student to faculty ratio of 12:1. U.S. News and World Report consistently identifies Marietta as being one of the best of 135 regional liberal arts colleges, and we have been ranked as high as #1. Our chapter of Phi Beta Kappa was the third one founded in the state of Ohio and the 16th in the nation. Phi Beta Kappa, founded in 1776 at the College of William and Mary, is the oldest and most prestigious academic honorary society in the United States.

The study of Physics at Marietta comes with several advantages: the overall high quality of Marietta College, small class size, and committed faculty. Many features that distinguish Marietta College have been discussed above, and are apparent throughout the College web site and catalog. In particular, Marietta has a history of very high quality teaching, advising, staff support, and personal attention. Enrollment in introductory physics classes typically will be no more than 20 - 40 students, and physics majors probably will have 10 or fewer students in their upper-level physics classes. Our faculty members, past and present, are committed to the study of physics within the wider context of the liberal arts tradition. They have performed significant research in specialized fields, yet maintain broad intellectual horizons. They are accessible to students. At Marietta you will be challenged. You will work hard. You will be noticed.

Choosing a college is a big decision, and it is important for prospective students to experience the campus, students, faculty, and staff first hand. We strongly encourage you to schedule a visit through the Office of Admission (1-800-331-7896). During your visit you can meet with an Admission counselor, take a campus tour, sit in on a class or two, talk personally with the physics faculty, talk with students, find out first-hand about scholarships and financial aid, and other such activities. If you wish to contact the Physics Department directly, feel free to do so (refer to the contact information on the Physics Faculty page). We are enthusiastic about the prospects for physics at Marietta, and we want to give you every opportunity to learn whether Marietta College is right for you. We hope you will attend Marietta and major in physics. If you decide to join us, we look forward to the contributions you will make to our exciting program.

For additional information, you may download a catalog description of courses and requirements in PDF format by clicking on the links below. To view the PDF format, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader.

• Download catalog description of courses and requirements