Bachelor of Arts in Physics

College of Science & Engineering

The Department of Physics & Astronomy offers 5 undergraduate degree options: The B.A. Physics, the B.A. Physics with Concentration in Astronomy, and the B.S. Physics with Concentration in Teaching Physics degrees all provide excellent preparation for students interested in pursuing careers in K12 teaching, outreach in museums, planetaria, and science centers such as the Cal Academy of Sciences or the Exploratorium, science reporting and journalism, or for general business & industry in which a technical background and problem-solving skills are valued. These degrees are flexible enough for students to simultaneously pursue minors or B.A. degrees in other disciplines. The B.S. Physics and the B.S. Physics with Concentration in Astrophysics degrees provide broad and deep rigorous theoretical and experimental training that is ideal for students who want to pursue scientific and technical careers or advanced degrees such as the M.S. or Ph.D.

Access the list of the major requirements to better understand the structure of the major.

The roadmap puts all of your graduation requirements into an easy to follow semester by semester plan so you know what to take to stay on track.  Whether you are a freshman or a transfer student, you'll be able to find a roadmap that best fits you. 

Besides your major requirements, students must complete their GE and University requirements.  Be sure to make sure you've completed all of these requirements for graduation. 

To learn more about this major, check out the major department’s website below. You can also find out how you can access their faculty advisors who can assist you not just with course choices, but also answer questions about the field and discuss your career plans.     

Department of Physics and Astronomy 

Thornton Building, Room 334
Phone: (415) 338-1659
Email: physics@sfsu.edu
Website: http://www.physics.sfsu.edu/
Chair: Joseph Barranco

Freshmen Student Advising Information

After choosing “Basic Subjects” GE courses in Steps 1-3 of your Orientation process (if you haven’t done so, log onto your Orientation Profile page to follow the “Pre-Orientation Advising Module”), STEP 4 Choosing Major Classes will show you if there are any classes you can take to satisfy major requirements for your first and/or second semester.

Once you have determined your Roadmap above, review the first section below and write down any course recommendations based on your corresponding major roadmap on your Freshmen Class Planner worksheet.

First Semester Course Recommendations 

Major Class & Title 

Units 

Other Requirement Area(s) Met 

Class selected from Step 1 of your Freshmen Class Planner 

3 units 

Will vary depending on your class selection 

MATH 226 –Calculus I1,2,3,4 

OR 

MATH 199- Pre-Calculus2,3,4 

OR 

MATH 197 Prelude to Calculus I3 

4 units 

 

4 units 

 

3 units 

MATH 226 is a lower division major requirement. MATH 226 and MATH 199 are GE-Area B4 classes.   

 

Class selected from Step 3 of your Freshmen Class Planner  

 

3 units 

Will vary depending on your class selection: GE Area A1 or GE Area A3  

 

If there are any course(s) listed above, please enter this information onto “Step 4” of your Freshmen Class Planner. 

Advisor Recommendations: 

  • 1AP Calculus AB or AB subscore of 4 or 5 (but not 3) satisfies Math 226 requirement (4 units) 

  • 2Prerequisite for MATH 226 is high school pre-calculus with “B” or better, or high school calculus with a grade of “C” or better; or a college-level pre-calculus course with a “C” or better 

  • There are no other alternate courses for this major  

  • If more units are needed, consider General Education courses from the areas suggested in the "GE Area Recommendations" section below. Do not pick General Education Area B1/B3 or B4 courses, as these GE Area B requirements will be fulfilled with major classes.

Once you have made your course choices for Steps 1-4, you may already have between 12-15 units chosen for your first semester—about 4 to 5 classes.  

If more units are needed, you will proceed to "Step 5 - Choosing GE Courses" from your Orientation Advising Module after considering the following recommendations... 

GE Area  

Advisor Notes 

A1 Oral Communication 

Covered in “Step 3” on Class Planner 

A2 Written English Communication 

Covered in “Step 1” on Class Planner 

A3 Critical Thinking 

Covered in “Step 3” on Class Planner 

B1 Physical Science 

There are major courses for this area 

B2 Life Science 

Choose Any 

B3 Laboratory Science 

There are major courses for this area 

B4 Quantitative Reasoning 

Covered in “Step 2” on Class Planner 

C1   Arts 

Choose Any 

C2 Humanities 

Choose Any 

D Social Sciences 

Choose Any 

D US History 

Choose Any 

E Lifelong Learning & Self-Development (LLD) 

Covered in “Step 1” on Class Planner 

F Ethnic Studies 

Choose Any 

US/CA Government 

Choose any 

All Physics & Astronomy majors need to complete coursework in linear algebra and differential equations. Students may take a combined course that covers both these topics with less depth (MATH 245 - Elementary Differential Equations and Linear Algebra), or students who want more depth (especially students who want to complete a Minor in Mathematics) should take two separate courses in linear algebra (MATH 325) and ordinary differential equations (MATH 376).

(1) A.P. Calculus AB with a score of 4 or 5 is equivalent to MATH 226 - Calculus I

(2) A.P. Calculus BC with a score of 4 or 5 on the AB subpart is equivalent to MATH 226 - Calculus I

(3) A.P. Calculus BC with a score of 5 is equivalent to both MATH 226 - Calculus I and MATH 227 - Calculus II

(4) A.P. Physics CM with a score of 4 or 5 is equivalent to PHYS 220/222 - General Physics with Calculus I and Lab

(5) A.P. Physics CEM with a score of 4 or 5 is equivalent to PHYS 230/232 - General Physics with Calculus II and Lab

(6) A.P. Computer Science A with a score of 4 or 5 satisfies the computer science requirement for the B.S. degrees

The B.A. Physics, the B.A. Physics with Concentration in Astronomy, and the B.S. Physics with Concentration in Teaching Physics degrees all provide excellent preparation for students interested in pursuing careers in K12 teaching, outreach in museums, planetaria, and science centers such as the Cal Academy of Sciences or the Exploratorium, science reporting and journalism, or for general business & industry in which a technical background and problem-solving skills are valued.

Transfer Student Advising Information

Please see the box above labeled “Major Curriculum/Roadmaps & GE/University Requirements” for information on what courses to take in your first semester at SF State. View our Frequently Asked Questions for Transfers for helpful tips and additional information.