BS Physics - Astronomy Concentration

Physics, the study of matter and energy, is at the root of every field of natural science and underlies all physical phenomena. The problem-solving skills learned in the study of physics are valuable even if one’s career is not in a physics-related field.

The B.S. with a major in Physics provides a rigorous background in physics as a preparation for graduate studies or a career in industry. The B.A. with a major in Physics is for students who want a background in physics but plan to pursue fields of interest other than physics as a life’s work. The B.S. with a major in Physics (Astronomy Concentration) provides a rigorous background in physics as well as an overview of modern astronomy as a preparation for work at astronomical observatories or graduate study in astronomy. 

Career opportunities for a physics major exist in a wide variety of settings, from teaching in a classroom to basic research in an industrial or government laboratory, as a self-employed consultant, or as a member of a multidisciplinary research team.

Students who enter Texas State needing mathematics at a level below MATH 2417 are urged to attend a summer session to avoid any delay in starting their physics courses.

For more information contact the College of Science and Engineering Advising Center or the departmental advisor for the Department of Physics. For information on engineering technology, electrical engineering, industrial engineering, and manufacturing engineering, see the Ingram School of Engineering and Department of Engineering Technology sections of this catalog.

Physics teacher preparation is one of the specialties of the Department of Physics. Through various peer teaching opportunities in the department, students may discover at any point during their undergraduate career that they have an interest in teaching physics at the secondary level (grades 7-12). There are multiple pathways for becoming a physics teacher, and which one is best for a particular student depends partly on the stage of degree progress at which the student identifies their interest. For those who identify a teaching interest early on. the recommended pathway is to pursue a B.S. Major in Physics (Secondary Education; Teacher Certification in Physics/Mathematics, Grades Seven Through Twelve, with Double Major in B.S. Education). This double major is required for any physics student wishing to graduate with a bachelor's degree and physics teacher certification. Students may choose to add a minor in Advanced Physics if they want to study all of the standard undergraduate physics curriculum that is offered in the regular B.S. Major in Physics. Students who are not pursuing Teacher Certification may not pursue the minor in Advanced Physics. Some students choose to pursue teacher certification after graduation. In any case, the department provides customized, one-on-one advising to each future physics teacher. Students should contact the department's Faculty Undergraduate Advisor as early as possible if they are interested in pursuing physics teaching.