Explore the universe through hands-on experiments, cutting-edge labs and faculty-mentored research. At Pacific, you’ll study everything from quantum optics to astrophysics and even use our 2.3-meter radio telescope. Our physics graduates go on to careers in engineering, education, research and beyond. If you're curious, driven and love to ask big questions, this is your launchpad.
At Pacific, you’ll get research experience from day one. Based in Olson Hall, our labs support work in optics, solid-state physics, astronomy and more. You’ll use professional-grade tools and collaborate on faculty research from physics to music.
Thanks to the department’s $1 million endowment, you’ll have the opportunity to earn a scholarship, typically around $8,000, as a physics major. The physics faculty awards scholarships to students in their second year or beyond based on merit.
Do your part to stay on track and you could shave a year off your undergraduate work by completing your physics degree at Pacific in just three years. By taking a focused courseload, you’ll save on tuition and get a head start on launching your career.
Contact Scot Meeker, director of COP recruitment strategy, for more information.
At Pacific, you’ll explore everything from the building blocks of matter to the structure of galaxies, while preparing you for a career as a data analyst, systems engineer, computational physicist or beyond. With many programs now including astronomy, physics is broader than ever, giving you the flexibility to follow your passion.
Louis Johnson graduated from Pacific with a BS in physics. He conducted research at the National Center for Astrophysics in Trieste, Italy where he studied quasars and had the opportunity to spend a summer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, paid for entirely by the National Science Foundation. Johnson is currently enrolled in a bridge program at Princeton University in preparation for graduate school in astrophysics.
You can focus your studies by choosing a concentration within the Bachelor of Science in Physics. Each concentration builds on faculty research strengths and gives you opportunities for one-on-one mentorship and hands-on undergraduate research. You’ll take two upper-division electives tied to your focus area, along with advanced lab work and a senior thesis related to your chosen topic.
The study of planets, stars, galaxies and the large scale structure of the universe
The interface of math and physics (for the theoretically inclined).
Scientists are debating how galaxies can exist if they do not have any dark matter, the mysterious substance thought to compose up to 27% of the universe. Pacific physics professor Elisa Toloba, with the support of her students, is trying to answer this mystery by analyzing galaxies in the Virgo Cluster.
The PacNoyce Scholars Program supports STEM majors who want to teach in high-need school districts like Stockton. If you’re a junior or senior, you may be eligible for the Robert Noyce Teachers Scholarship worth up to $13,750 per year or $20,000 during the final MA/teaching credential year.
This degree is jointly offered with Pacific's School of Engineering and Computer Science. Pacific is one of only 21 schools in the United States with an accredited bachelor's degree in engineering-physics.
There’s a strong demand for qualified secondary (8–12th grade) physical science teachers to mentor the next generation of scientists. Pacific’s Bachelor of Arts in Physics includes fewer specialized upper-division courses, giving you the flexibility to build a broad foundation across the physical sciences. If you’re considering a teaching career, you can enhance your studies with additional courses in chemistry, geosciences, as well as education through Pacific’s Benerd College.
