Physics, Geology, and Astronomy Department
The Department of Physics, Geology, and Astronomy offers three degree programs for its majors: the B.S. in physics, and the B.S. in geology and in environmental geology. The department also contributes to programs leading to degrees in other sciences, engineering, and professional areas. In addition, the department offers minors in geology and physics, and encourages our students to pursue a minor in any discipline of interest, including education; an education minor could lead to a teaching career at the high-school level.
The mission of the department is to provide students with basic knowledge in the respective disciplines of Earth sciences and physics, and the intellectual skills necessary to become valuable members of society, as they apply their knowledge successfully to graduate studies or professional endeavors. To insure this, our geology students graduate with a general knowledge of geology and specific knowledge of mineralogy, petrology, sedimentation and stratigraphy, and structural geology, while our physics students graduate with a general knowledge of physics and specific knowledge of mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, waves and optics, and modern physics, appropriate to the undergraduate level.
The astronomy program is augmented by specialized equipment for astrophotography. The off-campus UTC Clarence T. Jones Observatory provides astronomy presentations to the community at large.
