Physics, the study of the physical world, is an integral part of many other sciences, including astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth science, and engineering. You’ll take courses in classical and quantum mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and modern physics. Since physics incorporates so many other sciences, it’s a versatile degree. Employment rates for physics majors are among the highest nationwide.

Many graduates go on to careers as science educators or as physicist in national and international labs, and others pursue engineering. Because our curriculum is lab-based, you’ll work closely with other students and professors. The department is collaborative and close-knit. Your professors will offer research opportunities to supplement your studies at our two world-class facilities, the Nanoscience Laboratory and the Sagan Energy Research Laboratory, as well as study abroad options.

A Community of Support

Suffolk has a vibrant physics club, part of the national Society of Physics Students. This network connects you to students and events at more than 200 colleges nationwide, many right here in Boston. You’ll also have the chance to present papers and research at national and international conferences, with faculty guidance. Thanks to the intimacy of the program, you’ll forge strong relationships with professors, whom you’ll come to trust as academic and career advisors. Recent graduate Nathaniel Steinsultz, noted for his research work with Suffolk professors, won the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Award for Math, Science, and Engineering in 2010—an honor reserved for the top 300 science students in the country

State-of-the-Art Laboratories

Suffolk unveiled a modern nanoscience lab in 2012. (“Nanoscience,” a rapidly growing field, is the manipulation of matter at the smallest, atomic level.) You’ll have full access to these elite facilities, including advanced scanning electron microscopes and an atomic force microscope—equipment usually reserved for graduate work. Meanwhile, our Sagan Energy Lab, run by Carnegie Foundation Professor of the Year Walter H. Johnson, gives you a training ground for energy-related research as it relates to physics.

Some students choose a concentration in astrophysics:

• Astrophysics

  Astrophysics is the study of the universe, and many students who pursue this track go on to work in the fields of astronomy and computational astrophysical modeling. The Physics department offers an immersive, travel-based astrophysics program with a strong teaching component. A key feature of the concentration is its study abroad program in Spain, which you can enter during your sophomore or junior year. Juniors and seniors can also work on a two-year-long capstone research project with faculty in Spain and here in Boston. In addition to working as a teaching assistant in our campus labs, you’ll have the chance to travel wherever science calls. Recent visits include the Canary Islands and the Gran Telescopio Canarias in La Palma. Spain. Through the study abroad program, you’ll work closely with professional astronomers at top observatories and at the Centro de Astriobiología in Madrid.