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Physics

1500 N. Warner St. #1031
Tacoma, WA 98416-1031

253.879.5901

Administrative Support

Soph Kobernusz-Gibbs

Main Office Hours

Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The mission of the Department of Physics is to educate undergraduate students in the fundamental ideas and methods of physics. The department strives to provide an environment of scientific inquiry and discovery on the part of both students and faculty.

People inside an observatory

 

Follow the University of Puget Sound Physics Department on Facebook for news on students and faculty as well as important physics-related events.

News, Events and General Information

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The Thompson Hall Seminars are open to the general public and feature presentations by Puget Sound faculty, students, and guests on a wide range of topics.

Five students in graduation gowns stand together smiling.
Congrats to the 2023 Physics Graduates!

Information about majoring in physics

 

Research resources at Collins Memorial Library

 

Dual Degree Engineering Program

The Dual Degree Engineering Program aims to meet the educational needs of students who wish to become engineers while still receiving a liberal arts education. It allows students to earn two Bachelor’s degrees, one in a chosen major like physics, chemistry or mathematics from the University of Puget Sound and one in engineering (from an engineering school). Dual-degree students spend their first three years of college at Puget Sound and then transfer to spend their last two years at one of our partner engineering schools. Partner schools include Columbia University in New York, the University of Southern California, and Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. For more details, see the Dual Degree Engineering program web page.

 

Summer research opportunities

Physics students who are interested in graduate study in physics or other technical fields should consider gaining some research experience. Paid summer research opportunities are available both on campus (working with Puget Sound physics faculty members) and off-campus at other universities and government laboratories. The list of off-campus opportunities shown here is just a sample of the available programs. Deadlines for applications for summer programs usually fall in early January to early March.

On campus at Puget Sound:

At other locations:

 

Are you looking for a job after earning a Bachelor’s degree in physics?

As a starting point, consider contacting the Puget Sound Office of Career and Employment Services. Look at their advice for job-seeking physics majors.

Below are listed a few websites with job listings related to physics. There should be ways to search the listings so that you can find "entry-level" or "bachelors"-level positions.

  1. Work in Optics (Mostly industry positions, along with maybe a few government lab jobs.)
  2. NASA jobs
  3. Society of Physics Students job listing
  4. Physics Today job listing (may have lots of overlap with #3)
  5. Department of Energy
  6. American Institute of Physics Career Information
  7. Physics World Jobs Partner Network

 

Do you want to earn a Master’s or PhD in physics?

Students who are interested in graduate school in physics should take the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) General Test and the Physics Subject Test late in their junior year or early in their senior year. The General Test is computer-based and can be taken on a wide variety of dates. The Physics Subject Test is a paper-based exam and is only given in April, September, and October. Deadlines for applications for graduate programs usually begin in December for the following fall.

More information can be found by following these links:

 

Physics-related extra-curricular activities at Puget Sound