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Physics

Available as a major or minor

Physics provides a rich framework for appreciating the universe as well as a system for explaining the phenomena within it. Our program offers you a close-knit community, challenging coursework and the opportunity for genuine scientific investigation. Because physics impacts discoveries in astronomy, engineering, chemistry, mathematics, geology and biology, you'll be encouraged to pursue meaningful connections across the curriculum.

Dan Robb with two students

Curriculum & Courses

Sample Course Offerings

PHYS 203: Modern Physics 
PHYS 299: Astrophysics 
PHYS 458: Optics & Spectroscopy 

Physics Class

Student Experiences

  • Student’s Love for Computational Astrophysics Explored Through Summer Scholars stacked image

    Student’s Love for Computational Astrophysics Explored Through Summer Scholars

    Austin Bane was able to spend his summer working on research with Dr. Matthew Fleenor in the field of computational astrophysics through the Summer Scholars program. "I have a passion for computer science and physics and wanted to combine the two elements into one project," Bane says. Bane created a simulation that modeled protostellar disk formation, or the transition from a shapeless cloud of dust into a disk. "It's unlikely that I would have been able to do this research without being at Roanoke College. Undergraduate research isn't easy to get at large institutions with graduate students."

Wonder In The Sky

Equipped with knowledge and a desire to share it, a group of Roanoke students, faculty and alumni helped national park visitors safely view the rare total solar eclipse of 2017. On campus, the student community also paused to revel in the amazing spectacle. Read more about it in Roanoke College Magazine.

Magazine cover photo of students and faculty with telescope against a backdrop of an expansive sky

Roanoke College physics majors have been valedictorians three times in the last 15 years.

Peering into the nano world

The Physics Group has purchased a high-resolution atomic force microscope (AFM). This instrument can produce high-resolution images of structures that are 1,000 times smaller than a human hair. Physics students and faculty use the AFM for mapping micro and nanostructures, studying surface properties of thin films, and manipulating matter at the nanoscale.

high-resolution atomic force microscope (AFM).

What Makes Roanoke Different?

Why Roanoke?

  • Awarded the Nationally Distinguished Chapter of the Society of Physics Students in 2017.
  • Two of the College's four Goldwater Scholarship recipients are physics students.
  • Four valedictorian and salutatorians over the past 11 years.
  • Roanoke physics faculty have recently received awards to research at Harvard and Stanford Universities, as well as Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
  • Six physics majors presented their research at PhysCon, the international quadrennial physics conference.
“Rather than being a vague face in a sea of students, each student receives personal attention, creating an excellent classroom environment and allowing for valuable research experiences.”

Jake Bennett ’08, physics graduate and current assistant professor of physics at the University of Mississippi

Physics at Roanoke | Classrooms That Put You First

Learn By Doing

Many opportunities for independent study

Our program emphasizes opportunities for hands-on research and student-led projects. Here are a few examples of work our students have pursued:

  • Physics of Nanotechnology: Daniel Ballou synthesized Goethite nanotubes.

  • Physics of Galaxy Formation: David Guynn studied the influence of environment on galaxy clusters.

  • Physics of Material Science: Anne Kyner analyzed Mossbauer data from planet Mars.

Students learn value of community outreach through work in schools

Members of the Society of Physics Students have been working with local elementary school students through an after-school STEM program. "We hope that getting kids excited about exploring science and math will help keep them engaged in their STEM classes," says club member senior Morgan Heckman. The opportunity to run this program has also been an educational experience for club members. "Learning how to communicate and foster excitement about STEM is a necessary skill for anyone in the STEM fields. Kids helps us find ways to do this more effectively, and their enthusiasm can be infectious."

student in lab coat, googles and hat holds a balloon

Who wants to lay on a bed of nails?

Professor laying on a bed of nails

Professors hold a math and physics "magic" show to show off a few cool tricks, including laying on a bed of nails.
Professor explaining math behind a magic trick

Professors hold a math and physics "magic" show to show off a few cool tricks, including laying on a bed of nails.
Students watching their professor

Professors hold a math and physics "magic" show to show off a few cool tricks, including laying on a bed of nails.
Students trying their own magic tricks

Professors hold a math and physics "magic" show to show off a few cool tricks, including laying on a bed of nails.
Students trying a magic trick with a professor

Professors hold a math and physics "magic" show to show off a few cool tricks, including laying on a bed of nails.

Careers & Outcomes

Our grads work at great organizations

Logos for Carnegie Mellon University, Google, DuPont, Verizon, and Northrop Grumman

Faculty

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News

Interested in studying physics at Roanoke College?

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Matter, energy, space, time

Whether you're a first-year student or an upper-level minor in physics, research experiences with individual faculty mentors abound.

Graduates in physics prosper in the employment market and graduate school programs, with recent students going on to excel in engineering, computer science, law and, of course, physics.

We offer both a major and a minor in physics.  We also offer a concentration in Materials & Nanoscience.