PHYSICS MAJOR & MINOR

Acquire valuable training in analytical thinking and a quantitative approach to problem solving.

Where degrees in physics can take you.

Requirements for the major provide students with a broad, flexible background in the discipline that enables them to develop analytical skills necessary to pursue a career in physics or a related field.

Typically, graduates pursue careers as:

  • Computer Programmers
  • Software Developers
  • Operations Research Analysts
  • Computer Systems Analysts
  • Management Analysts
  • Materials Engineers
  • Industrial Designers
  • Technical Writers
  • High School Teachers

Putting Physics to work

Hartwick alumni at work.

Hartwick physics students graduate ready to thrive in their careers. Hartwick alumni work for:

  • Corning Glass
  • Raytheon
  • Lucent Technologies and Jet Propulsion Laboratory
  • The National Security Administration
  • General Electric
  • GE Global Research
  • NASA
  • GE Aviation(aeronautical engineering)
  • Lockheed Martin

Alumni in graduate school.

Hartwick physics alumni are well-prepared for further study at some of the nation’s finest institutions. Our graduates have been accepted to:

  • Rochester Institute of Technology
  • University of Texas-Austin
  • Drexel University
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
  • The University of Arizona
  • State University of New York at Stony Brook
  • Columbia University
  • New York University
  • University of Virginia
  • Baylor College of Medicine (Neuroscience PhD Program)
  • Tufts University
  • University of Rochester
  • College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering

Beyond the basic.

Students are encouraged to engage in research and work on projects with faculty members during the academic year and during the summer at Hartwick and other institutions. For example, students have built a carbon dioxide laser and an electromagnetic “can crusher” in the lab and are building a ruby crystal laser. Our students have also completed competitive summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)’s at the following institutions:

  • Stanford Linear Accelerator Collider (SLAC) – studying dark matter astrophysics
  • Large Hadron Collider at CERN
  • Michigan State University
  • Columbia University
  • Georgetown University

A closer look.

Hartwick physics students can tailor their academic programs to meet their interests and needs. They get hands-on experience in the nuclear physics laboratory, the optics laboratory, and the Ernest B. Wright observatory, and at off-campus facilities.

Faculty

Kevin Schultz

Associate Professor and Department Chair of Physics

Larry Nienart

Professor of Physics
607-431-4737

Parker Troischt

Professor of Physics, Astronomy & Planetary Sciences Program Director