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Physics Major

"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." Genesis 1:31

The physics major prepares students to explore the laws that govern the universe. Topics include electricity, magnetism, and relativity — all in relation to space, time, matter and energy. As stewards of God’s creation, it is paramount to explore and understand the most complex workings of our world. 

Physics is the study of the most basic principles that govern all natural phenomena. For the Christian, the motivation for studying the world around us is quite clear: the creation reflects the nature of the creator. Because man is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26), we are able to both understand and appreciate the beauty of the world around us. The study of physics depends on the following assumptions:

• There are basic laws that govern all natural phenomena.
• These laws can be understood by us. Since we are created in the image of God we have some hope of understanding his creation.
• These laws are worth discovering. Physics is a lot of hard work; is all that work worth it? The Christian has the expectation that basic laws will be truly beautiful, profound, and amazing. They reflect the nature of the creator.
• All physicists implicitly use these assumptions when they work. Only the Christian, however, has a reason to believe that these assumptions are valid.

Why choose physics at Geneva College?

• Learn how and why the natural world around you works.
• Develop and apply your mathematical skills.
• We have an introductory physics lab featuring computer-based data acquisition and analysis using LabView, 9-foot airtracks, oscilloscopes, and laser-based optics experiments. 
• The electronics lab supports courses in electronic design, as well as acoustics and astronomy. 

Classes you might take

• Electromagnetic Fields and Waves
• Electronic Devices and Circuits
• Differential Equations
• Optics

What can you do with a physics degree?
Why would a company hire a physics bachelor? The technology that dominates the world around us, automobiles, computers, airplanes, lasers, et cetera, was made possible by the great advances in physics during the 19th and 20th centuries. Thus, a person with training in physics can contribute to almost any area of science or engineering. Technology changes quickly and specific job skills can become obsolete in a few years. However, the problem solving skills, the way of thinking, learned by studying physics will be the more valuable tool in the long run.

Roughly half of our physics grads go on to graduate school, while the other half get jobs in a wide variety of fields, such as:

• Industry
• Teaching
• Government
• Finance

For more information about careers in physics, check out the American Institute of Physics Web site at www.aip.org.