Physics

The Physics major general program that focuses on the scientific study of matter and energy, and the formulation and testing of the laws governing the behavior of the matter-energy continuum. Includes instruction in classical and modern physics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, mechanics, wave properties, nuclear processes, relativity and quantum theory, quantitative methods, and laboratory methods.

Please consult the UMW Undergraduate Catalog for specific and up-to-date major requirements.

Thinking About This Major?

The Center for Career & Professional Development has many tools and resources available to help you choose your major. Below are three of them:

Focus 2: A series of reliable, intuitive, career and education decision-making assessments to help students select a major, explore occupations, make informed career decisions, and take action in their career development.

Skills developed as a Physics major (via Focus2): Decision making, equipment selection, mathematics, problem solving, reading comprehension, reasoning, science, writing and authoring.

What Can I Do With This Major: Learn more about what you can do as a Physics major! Some areas of career options are astrophysics, biophysics, research, chemical and engineering physics, geophysics, and medical physics.

Handshake: UMW’s online career management platform that includes the latest jobs from employers hiring at your school. You can search for organizations based on major, location, job type, and many other categories.

Physics – Current Job Opportunities

Note: Job & Internship opportunities are pulled from UMW’s online job and internship database, Handshake, and update every 12 hours. Log into your UMW Handshake account to find hundreds of other opportunities and events.

Data Scientist, Defense - Logistics and Readiness Modeling

Experienced Fleet Mechanic

Clinical Research Coordinator I / BWH-BWFH Emergency Medicine / MOLAR

Software Integration Specialist

Scientific and Technical Intelligence (S&TI) Analyst

Physics Graduate Data

Note: Undergraduate outcome data is collected by the UMW Career Center each year. The data is then broken down by major in order to determine how many graduates in each major are employed, attending graduate school, or pursuing a different path within 6 months of graduation.

• “knowledge rate” defines the percent of graduates for which the institution has reasonable and verifiable information concerning the graduates’ post-graduation career activities
  
• “career outcome rate”  is the number of graduates who have landed in any of the employment categories (full-time, part-time, internship) in addition to service, military, and continuing education divided by the total number of students for whom an outcome is known.

Physics Alumni (2018-2022)

Total Graduates: 34

Knowledge Rate: 78%

Career Outcome Rate: 78%

• Employed Full-time: 59%
• Employed Part-time: 15%
• Grad School: 7%
• Seeking Employment: 7%
• Waiting on Grad School: 11%

Where do our alumni land?

 

Alumni Success Stories

UMW alumni are excited to help current students and other alumni succeed in their fields. Below are stories from alumni about their experiences at UMW and after.

STAY TUNED for our Alumni Success Stories.

Professional Associations