{"id":2543,"date":"2020-05-07T05:32:23","date_gmt":"2020-05-07T09:32:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/?page_id=2543"},"modified":"2025-05-28T16:27:27","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T20:27:27","slug":"registration-guide-physics-graduate-option","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/registration-guide-physics-graduate-option\/","title":{"rendered":"Registration Guide: Physics"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Students majoring in physics will ordinarily, through coursework in the major, satisfy BU Hub requirements in Quantitative Reasoning and Scientific Inquiry, as well as some of the requirements in Communication and the Intellectual Toolkit. Remaining BU Hub requirements will be satisfied by selecting from a wide range of available courses outside the major or, in some cases, cocurricular experiences.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>A typical first semester Physics schedule looks like:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Physics course<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Calculus course<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Language course<\/strong>\u00a0<em>or<\/em>\u00a0<strong>Course of interest<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><b>Writing course<\/b><\/li>\n<li><em>Optional add-on:<\/em><span>\u00a0<strong>First-Year Seminar<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Please see below for more detailed suggestions on each course:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h5 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Course #1. Physics Course<\/h5><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Physics Course:<\/strong> The level you choose will depend on any external credit you already have as well as the level you wish to take. You should select <strong>one <\/strong>course based on the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>CAS PY 251 Principles of Physics<\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>(offered fall only)\u2013 In order to take PY 251, you must already have credit for CAS MA 123 Calculus 1, <em>and<\/em> you must take CAS MA 124 Calculus 2 before or in the same semester as PY 251. In other words: if you have<span>\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/admissions\/apply\/faqs-helpful-forms\/advanced-credit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">advanced placement or external credit<\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span>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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em><strong>-OR-<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>CAS PY 211 General Physics<\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>(offered either semester) \u2013 Ideally, you should have credit for CAS MA 123 Calculus 1 prior to registering for PY 211. If you have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/admissions\/apply\/faqs-helpful-forms\/advanced-credit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">advanced placement or external credit<\/a> equivalent to MA 123, you can register for PY 211 now (and make sure to take CAS MA 124 Calculus 2, as described below in Course #2). If you do not have<span> credit for MA 123 already, please email your advisor, who can help you connect with the Physics department to request permission. You will likely be approved to take PY 211 and calculus at the same time, but it&#8217;s important to check first! Assuming you are approved, you should<\/span> register for both CAS PY 211 and CAS MA 123 as two of your four courses.<em> <\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h5 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Course #2. Calculus Course<\/h5><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Calculus Course: <\/strong>Physics majors are required to complete three levels of calculus: <strong>Calculus 1<\/strong> (CAS MA 123), <strong>Calculus 2<\/strong> (CAS MA 124), and <strong>Multivariate Calculus<\/strong> (CAS MA 225):<\/p>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>If you have no external credit for calculus, take<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong>CAS MA 123 Calculus 1<\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>(offered either semester)<strong>.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>If you have external credit (such as AP or IB scores) that fulfills CAS MA 123, take the next course in the sequence,<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong>CAS MA 124 Calculus 2<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>(offered either semester; prerequisite: CAS MA 123)<strong>.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>If you have already fulfilled both<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong>CAS MA 123<\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>and<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong>CAS MA 124<\/strong>, then you will likely take the next course in the sequence,<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong>CAS MA 225 Multivariate Calculus<\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>(offered either semester; prerequisite: CAS MA 124).<\/li>\n<li>If you have taken AP or IB exams in calculus, but<span>\u00a0<\/span><strong>don\u2019t have the scores back yet,<\/strong><span>\u00a0<\/span>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<span>\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/admissions\/apply\/faqs-helpful-forms\/advanced-credit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">external\/advanced placement guides<\/a>. Once your scores have been received, you can drop this course if you were not awarded AP\/IB credit and add the appropriate level.<em><\/em><em> <\/em><em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h5 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Course #3. Language course or Course of Interest<\/h5><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><b>CAS Language Course<\/b><span>: 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<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/cas\/programs\/second-language-requirement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <span>full language policy here<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If you plan to fulfill this language requirement through coursework at BU, then your next course should be a language course:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span>If you\u2019re <\/span><b>new to the language<\/b><span>, you\u2019ll start with the first-semester level (usually coded as 111 \u2013 for example, Spanish 1 is CAS LS 111, Arabic 1 is CAS LY 111, etc.).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span>If you have <\/span><b>previously studied the language<\/b><span>, you will need to take a placement test to determine what level to start with (for instance, CAS LS 112 Spanish 2, CAS LY 211 Arabic 3, CAS LK 212 Korean 4, etc.). <\/span><b>Please review the<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/academics\/undergraduate-education\/academic-advising\/advising\/language-advising\/foreign-language-requirement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <b>CAS Language Requirement page<\/b><\/a><b> for detailed information about placement tests and appropriate levels.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>If you\u2019ll fulfill the language requirement through <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/admissions\/apply\/faqs-helpful-forms\/advanced-credit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>advanced credit (such as AP\/IB scores)<\/b><\/a><b> or through native proficiency of another language<\/b><span>, you have fulfilled your language requirement and can instead take a course of interest (as seen below). <\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>-OR-<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><b>Course of Interest<\/b>: Select a course that interests you \u2013 perhaps based on subjects you\u2019ve enjoyed in the past or a new subject you\u2019re excited to try for the first time! If you\u2019re not sure where to start, you can review our <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/registration-instructions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Registration Instructions<\/a>\u00a0for tips on browsing by topic or Hub requirement.<em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h5 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\"><\/em>Course #4. Writing Course<\/h5><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Your fourth course should be a writing course:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>If you did not apply to BU with a TOEFL\/IELTS score,<\/strong> you can take either:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>CAS WR 120<\/strong> First-Year Writing Seminar. Each section of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/writingprogram\/schedule\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">WR 120 focuses on a specific topic\/theme<\/a>, so you should register for a section that pairs with your interests.<\/li>\n<li><strong>CAS CC 101<\/strong> 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/core\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Core Curriculum<\/a>. <em>This course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, First-Year Writing Seminar, Creativity\/Innovation.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>If you applied to BU with a TOEFL\/IELTS score<\/b><span>, you should take the\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/writingprogram\/writing-program-curriculum\/placement\/placement-faqs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span>Multilingual Writer Placement<\/span><\/a><span> (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<\/span>:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>CAS WR 111<\/strong> Academic Writing for ESL Students 1 &#8211; fulfills\u00a0<em>The Individual in Community\u00a0<\/em>Hub<\/li>\n<li><strong>CAS WR 112<\/strong> Academic Writing for ESL Students 2 \u2013 fulfills <em>Global Citizenship &amp; Intercultural Literacy <\/em>Hub<\/li>\n<li><strong>CAS WR 120<\/strong> First-Year Writing Seminar &#8211; fulfills <em>First-Year Writing Seminar<\/em> Hub (If you place into WR 120, you are welcome to take CC 101 Core Humanities 1 instead to fulfill your <em>FYW <\/em>Hub.) <em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h5 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Optional Course #5. First-Year Seminar<\/h5><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/physics.bu.edu\/undergrad\/introductory_courses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>CAS PY 195<\/strong><\/a><strong>: Freshman Seminar for Physicists <\/strong>(offered fall only, 1 unit) <strong>&#8211; Optional<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Seminar where freshman physics majors learn successful strategies for studying physics and become familiar with BU&#8217;s policies, procedures, resources, and extracurricular activities. Exploration of research and career opportunities through invited speakers, book discussions, and laboratory tours.<\/p>\n<p><b><i>\u00a0-OR-<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>First-Year Seminar: FY 101<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span>(1 unit)<\/span><b><span>\u00a0<\/span>\u2013 Optional<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/student-life\/undergraduate-students\/ospl\/the-first-year-experience\/fy101\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span>FY101<\/span><\/a><span> is a one-unit, low stress, non-academic class that serves as a semester-long introduction to BU and college life. FY101 helps you get a head start on making connections at BU. Each section is taught by a student peer mentor and a staff instructor.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span>FY101 classes are small and are for new students only, so they provide a great way to get to know other first-years!<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span>Your peer mentor and instructor will provide resources to create a more successful and meaningful college experience and help you get ahead in your first semester here.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>FY101 includes free, optional trips around Boston.<\/b><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span>There are specialty sections based on major and identity (e.g., Undeclared, Natural Sciences, First Generation, etc ) so be sure to choose the one that\u2019s right for you!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/casreg\/files\/2025\/05\/Natural-Science-636x636.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"636\" height=\"636\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-8372\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/files\/2025\/05\/Natural-Science-636x636.png 636w, https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/files\/2025\/05\/Natural-Science-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/files\/2025\/05\/Natural-Science-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/files\/2025\/05\/Natural-Science-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/files\/2025\/05\/Natural-Science.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 636px) 100vw, 636px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b><i>\u00a0-OR-<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>First-Year Career Development Seminar: FY 102<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span>(offered spring only, 1 unit)\u00a0<\/span><b>\u2013 Optional<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/student-life\/undergraduate-students\/ospl\/the-first-year-experience\/fy102\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span>FY102<\/span><\/a><span> 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 they will love. Seminars are offered in various fields of interest and include guest speakers from different industries. <\/span><span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h5 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Interested in Pursuing the Core?<\/h5><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span>If you are interested in the Core Curriculum, we recommend registering for CAS CC 101 for your writing course (see above in Course #4). There are additional natural science Core courses offered; however, we do not typically recommend these for natural science majors who are already taking a lab course this semester. If you have questions about completing additional Core courses beyond CAS CC 101, please talk about this with your academic advisor!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Find out more about the Core Curriculum, the Hub, and registration\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" class=\"c-link\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/the-core-program\/\" delay=\"150\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/the-core-program\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<\/span><span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>Ready to register?\u00a0 <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/registration-instructions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>Let\u2019s go \u2013 click here!<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For more information about your specific major requirements click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/cas\/programs\/physics\/ba\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>!<\/p>\n<ul><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Students majoring in physics will ordinarily, through coursework in the major, satisfy BU Hub requirements in Quantitative Reasoning and Scientific Inquiry, as well as some of the requirements in Communication and the Intellectual Toolkit. Remaining BU Hub requirements will be satisfied by selecting from a wide range of available courses outside the major or, in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4971,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":115,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2543"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4971"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2543"}],"version-history":[{"count":38,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2543\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8449,"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2543\/revisions\/8449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/casreg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}