Registration Guide: Physics

Physics majors are required to complete an appropriate level Physics 1 course in their first semester. The course you choose depends on any external credit you already have as well as the level you wish to take. You should select one course based on the following:

CAS PY 251 Principles of Physics (offered fall only)– In order to take PY 251, you must already have credit for CAS MA 123 Calculus 1, and you must take CAS MA 124 Calculus 2 in the same semester as PY 251. In other words: if you have advanced placement or external credit equivalent to CAS MA 123 Calculus 1, you may register for CAS PY 251. If you do not have advanced placement or external credit equivalent to MA 123, see the second physics course option below.

• If taken at BU, CAS PY 251 fulfills a single requirement in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning I, Critical Thinking, and Teamwork/Collaboration.

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CAS PY 211 General Physics (offered either semester) – Ideally, you should have credit for CAS MA 123 Calculus 1 prior to registering for PY 211. If you have advanced placement or external credit equivalent to MA 123, you can register for PY 211 now (and plan to take CAS MA 124 Calculus 2, as described in Course #2). If you do not have credit for MA 123 already, you should email the instructor of PY 211 to ask for permission to take the course. You will likely be approved as a physics major, but it’s important to check first! You can find the instructor’s name on MyBU Student when you look up PY 211, and you can search for their email address using the BU Directory. Assuming you are approved, you should register for both CAS PY 211 and CAS MA 123 as two of your four courses.

Physics majors are required to complete three levels of calculus: Calculus 1 (CAS MA 123), Calculus 2 (CAS MA 124), and Multivariate Calculus (CAS MA 225):

• If you have no external credit for calculus, take CAS MA 123 Calculus 1 (offered either semester).
• If you have external credit (such as AP or IB scores) that fulfills CAS MA 123, take the next course in the sequence, CAS MA 124 Calculus 2 (offered either semester; prerequisite: CAS MA 123).
• If you have already fulfilled both CAS MA 123 and CAS MA 124, then you will likely take the next course in the sequence, CAS MA 225 Multivariate Calculus (offered either semester; prerequisite: CAS MA 124).
• If you have taken AP or IB exams in calculus, but don’t have the scores back yet, register with cautious optimism. This means if you feel confident you did well on the exams, register as if you will be receiving the advanced credit according to our external/advanced placement guides. Once your scores have been received, you can drop this course if you were not awarded AP/IB credit and add the appropriate level.

 

• If taken as AP or IB credit you will receive one single requirement in Quantitative Reasoning II for CAS MA 123 (and one single requirement in Quantitative Reasoning II for CAS MA 124, if eligible).
• If taken at BU, you will fulfill the following Hub requirements:
  • CAS MA 123: Quantitative Reasoning II and Critical Thinking.
  • CAS MA 124: Quantitative Reasoning II, Scientific Inquiry II and Critical Thinking
  • CAS MA 225: Quantitative Reasoning II and Critical Thinking.

CAS Language Course: CAS students must exhibit proficiency through the fourth-semester level of a language other than English. If you have not already done so, please review the full language policy here.

If you will fulfill this requirement through coursework at BU, then your next course should be a language. If you’re new to the language, you’ll start with the first-semester level (usually coded as 111 – for example, Spanish 1 is LS 111, Arabic 1 is LY 111, etc.). If you have previously studied the language, you will need to take a placement test to determine what level to start with (for instance, LS 112 Spanish 2, LY 211 Arabic 3, LK 212 Korean 4, etc.). Please review the CAS Language Requirement page for detailed information about placement tests and appropriate levels.

If you will fulfill your language requirement through advanced credit (such as AP/IB scores) or through native proficiency of another language, you have fulfilled your language requirement and can instead take a course of interest (as seen below).

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Course of Interest: Select a course that interests you – perhaps based on subjects you’ve enjoyed in the past or a new subject you’re excited to try for the first time! If you’re not sure where to start, you can review our Registration Instructions for tips on browsing by topic or Hub requirement. 

Your fourth course should be a writing course:

• If you did not apply to BU with a TOEFL/IELTS score, you can take either:
  • CAS WR 120 First-Year Writing Seminar. Each section of WR 120 focuses on a specific topic/theme, so you should register for a section that pairs with your interests.
  • CAS CC 101 Core Humanities 1: Ancient Worlds: (offered fall only): An interdisciplinary study of the origins of civilization, from Mesopotamia and the Hebrew Bible to the development of Greek civilization through Homer, Greek tragedy, and the philosophy of Plato. You should enroll in CAS CC 101 if you are considering the Core Curriculum. This course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, First-Year Writing Seminar, Creativity/Innovation.

• If you applied to BU with a TOEFL/IELTS score, you should take the Multilingual Writer Placement (instructions will be sent via email) before you register for a writing course. The writing placement is a suggestion, but it will help you make an informed decision about the most appropriate level for you. Depending on what level WR course you register for, you will fulfill the following Hub requirements:
  • CAS WR 111 Academic Writing for ESL Students 1 – fulfills The Individual in Community Hub
  • CAS WR 112 Academic Writing for ESL Students 2 – fulfills Global Citizenship & Intercultural Literacy Hub
  • CAS WR 120 First-Year Writing Seminar – fulfills First-Year Writing Seminar Hub (If you place into WR 120, you are welcome to take CC 101 Core Humanities 1 instead to fulfill your FYW Hub.)

CAS PY 195: Freshman Seminar for Physicists (offered fall only, 1 unit) – Optional

Seminar where freshman physics majors learn successful strategies for studying physics and become familiar with BU’s policies, procedures, resources, and extracurricular activities. Exploration of research and career opportunities through invited speakers, book discussions, and laboratory tours.

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First-Year Seminar: FY 101 (offered fall only, 1 unit) – Optional

FY101 is a one-unit course that serves as a semester-long introduction to BU and college life. Each section is co-taught by a BU staff member alongside a BU student.  You will meet with a small community of other incoming students who will serve as conversation partners as together you learn how to leverage BU’s resources to create a more successful and meaningful college experience. Through discussions, activities, class field trips and program-wide events, you will make immediate connections with the BU community. Specialty sections are available for natural science majors, social science majors, computer science and math majors, undeclared students, and first-generation college students. Check out the natural science sections below! Is your preferred specialty section full or unavailable? Register for a general CAS section (CAS FY101 AB-IE) where you will get to meet students from across CAS!

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First-Year Career Development Seminar: FY 102 (offered spring only, 1 unit) – Optional

FY102 will help first-year students get started on utilizing the Career Development Cycle to maximize their time at BU. During this course students will create a plan of action towards choosing a major, creating a resume, finding an internship, and preparing for a career that they will love. Seminars are offered in various fields of interest and include guest speakers from different industries.