Minor in Physics

The Physics minor at UW Bothell gives students a strong background in the quantitative analysis of nature through a combination of coursework and practical laboratory experience. It is a natural extension to many STEM majors on campus, including Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics, and Chemistry. A Physics minor will strengthen your fundamental knowledge and demonstrate to prospective employers and graduate schools the depth and rigor of your academic preparation and laboratory experience.

Declaring the minor

Before declaring the Physics minor, you must complete BPHYS 121: Mechanics (5 credits).

Calculus I (STMATH 124) is the prerequisite for BPHYS 121 (can be taken concurrently) and for several other classes that you will take in the Physics minor. STMATH 124 itself requires foundational knowledge in math concepts. Visit our Math Directed Self-Placement page for help determining what math course to start with.

The prerequisites must be completed (not in-progress) before declaring the minor. Once you have completed the prerequisites, contact the academic advisor for your major at any time to declare the Neuroscience minor.

Program requirements

Minimum credits and grades

• A minimum of 30 credits must be earned for this minor (not including prerequisites).
• A minimum of 15 credits used for this minor must be taken at UW Bothell, which means that a maximum of 15 credits may be taken elsewhere (including other UW campuses).
• The cumulative average grade of courses used for the minor must be 2.0 or higher.
• The minimum grade for any one course used for the minor must be 0.7 or higher.

Core requirements (10 credits)

• BPHYS 122: Electromagnetism and Oscillatory Motion (5 credits)
• BPHYS 123: Waves (5 credits)

Elective requirements (20 credits)

You must complete a selection of “BPHYS” elective coursework, meeting the following criteria:

• You must take at least 20 credits (usually four courses)
• The credits must be 200-level or higher
• No more than 5 credits total may be BPHYS 498 (Independent Study) or BPHYS 499 (Undergraduate Research)

Registration

Some Physics courses may be restricted to students in the majors that require them for registration period 1, but become available to all students from registration period 2 onwards. You can contact the academic advisor for Physics for assistance with registration.

Petitions

Physics-related courses from UW Bothell or elsewhere that are not on the pre-approved elective lists are considered on a case-by-case basis. If you have a syllabus, letter from your instructor, or other detailed description of the class you want to use as an elective, you can submit a petition to request for the course to count.