The Global Education Office and the Physics Department have compiled the following information for Physics majors to assist in planning for a semester of study away. Students should let their Academic Advisor know as soon as possible about their plan to study away so they can help fit this experience into the student’s graduation plan.
Academic Planning Prior to Going Away
To be eligible to study away, students in the Physics major must successfully complete the following courses at Allegheny prior to studying away: Students in the Physics major are recommended to study away anytime in the sophomore year or the fall of junior year to avoid conflicts with the junior seminar and the senior project. Students who want to study away in the spring of their junior year or during their senior year must get the permission of the department before the spring of their sophomore year. Allegheny’s graduation requirements state that a student’s final 16 semester credit hours before graduation must be taken in academic residence on campus, therefore study away during the second semester of senior year is not allowed without the permission of the Dean’s Exemption Committee. The junior seminar for Physics majors is only offered on campus in the spring term, meaning students must remain on campus for the spring of their junior year OR get permission from the department to take the junior seminar the spring semester of their sophomore year. Physics majors usually complete a 2-semester senior project. Students who plan to study away during their senior year need to inform the department when they take junior seminars so an appropriate 1-semester project can be found. The following courses in the Physics major cannot be taken during a study-away program: Successfully Complete the Following Courses Before Studying Away
When should I study away?
Plan Around Your Junior Seminar/Senior Project
Courses that Must Be Taken on Campus
How Studying Away Counts Towards the Major
Students in the Physics major should focus on coursework for the 12 credits at the 300 level while studying away.
Students in the Physics major can transfer 24 total credits awarded by outside institutions toward the physics major requirements. This includes AP credits, summer courses, and study away credits.
Suggested Programs for Physics Majors
The following is a highlighted list of sponsored study away programs that might be of special interest to the Physics Major:
Program Name
Distinguishing Features
This program allows students with no knowledge of Spanish to take classes at a Spanish university in English in a variety of topics not only in the area of Engineering but in Business, Computer Science, Economics, and others.
The Oak Ridge Science Semester (ORSS) enables students to join ongoing investigations at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in research areas as diverse as astrophysics, cell biology, DNA sequencing, genetic mutagenesis, parallel computing, robotics, toxicology, and more. Students spend 40 hours per week at the lab, including their research internship and interdisciplinary seminar.