Medical / Health Physics

Information on Courses for Non-Physics Majors: Dr. Dana Browne

Undergraduate Advisor for Physics Majors: Dr. David Young and Dr. Kenneth Matthews

Our Undergraduate Program is for students wishing to major in Physics and Astronomy, Medical and Health Physics, or who would like to minor in Physics. The usual course of study includes Calculus, General Physics including laboratory experiments in the first year. In the second year, courses in differential equations, modern physics, mechanics are suggested. In your junior and senior years, you can choose an area in which to concentrate - Physics, Minor in Physics, Astronomy, Medical/Health Physics, Secondary Education or Second Discipline.

Course of Study

Health Physics:

Students interested in a career in Health Physics should complete one of the concentrations for the BS in Physics along with the Minor in Nuclear Science. To get the proper background in Health Physics, the student should take these courses as part of the Minor in Nuclear Science: NS 4411, NS 4352, NS 4570, and MEDP 4351/4352.

Medical Physics Concentration

Freshman (30 Semester Hours)

Fall Spring

PHYS 1201 General Physics for Physics Majors (4)

This is a General Education course. Prereq.: credit or registration in MATH 1550 or MATH 1551.
Primarily for students intending to major in physics. Credit will not be given for this course and PHYS 2001, PHYS 2110, PHYS 2112. 4 hrs. lecture/demonstration. Fundamentals of classical physics and some concepts of modern physics; calculus and vector analysis introduced and used in development of subject matter.

PHYS 1202 General Physics for Physics Majors (4)

This is a General Education course. Prereq.: PHYS 1201 and credit or registration in MATH 1552 or MATH 1553.
Primarily for students intending to major in physics. Credit will not be given for this course and PHYS 2002 or PHYS 2113. 4 hrs. lecture/demonstration. Fundamentals of classical physics and some concepts of modern physics; calculus and vector analysis introduced and used in development of subject matter.

PHYS 1208 General Physics for Laboratory Physics Majors (1)

Prereq.: credit or registration in PHYS 1201. Credit will not be given for this course and PHYS 2108. Laboratory to accompanyPHYS 1201.
3 hrs. lab.

PHYS 1209 General Physics Laboratory for Physics Majors (1)

Prereq.: credit or registration in PHYS 1202. Credit will not be given for this course and  PHYS 2109. Laboratory to accompanyPHYS 1202. 3 hrs. lab.

MATH 1550 Analytic Geometry and Calculus (5)

[LCCN: CMAT 2115, Calculus I] This is a General Education course. An honors course, MATH 1551, is also available. Prereq.:An appropriate ALEKS placement score. Credit will be given for only one of the following: MATH 1431, MATH 1550, MATH 1551.Limits, derivatives, and integrals of algebraic, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions, with applications. 

MATH 1552 Analytic Geometry and Calculus (4)

[LCCN: CMAT 2124, Calculus II] This is a General Education course. An honors course, MATH 1553, is also available. Prereq.:MATH 1550 or MATH 1551. Credit will not be given for both this course and MATH 1553 or MATH 1554. Techniques of integration, parameter equations, analytical geometry, polar coordinates, infinite series, vectors in low dimensions; introduction to differential equations and partial derivatives.

ENGL 1001 English Composition (3)

[LCCN: CENL 1013, English Composition I] This is a General Education course. Placement by department. Introduction to analytical writing and research-based inquiry.

CHEM 1202 General Chemistry (3)

[LCCN: CCEM 1133, Chemistry II (Science Majors)] This is a General Education course. Prereq.: CHEM 1201 or CHEM 1421.Credit will not be given for both this course and CHEM 1422. For science/engineering curricula. Continuation of CHEM 1201.Additional theory with emphasis on solution chemistry and a quantitative approach; descriptive chemistry of selected elements and compounds from the main groups and the first transition series.

CHEM 1201 General Chemistry I (3)

[LCCN: CCEM 1123, Chemistry I (Science Majors)] This is a General Education course. Prereq.: credit or registration in MATH 1022, MATH 1023, MATH 1431, MATH 1550 or MATH 1551. Credit will not be given for this course and CHEM 1421. For science/engineering curricula. Modern chemical theories and principles; quantitative approach and problem solving; descriptive chemistry of selected elements and compounds.

CHEM 1212 General Chemistry Laboratory (2)

[LCCN:CCEM 1132, Chemistry I+II Lab (Science Majors)] Prereq.: credit or registration in CHEM 1002, CHEM 1202 or CHEM 1422. Credit will not be given for both this course and CHEM 1431. Students registering for laboratory courses in chemistry are charged a laboratory usage deposit on their fee bill. 6 hrs. lab. Basic laboratory operations including selected experiments and introductory inorganic qualitative analysis.

 

Sophomore (29 Semester Hours)

Fall Spring

PHYS 2203 Introductory Modern Physics (3)

Prereq.: PHYS 1202 or PHYS 2112, PHYS 2113. Elementary modern physics; special relativity, wave/particle duality, quantum mechanics, hydrogen atom, many-electron atoms, nuclear structure elementary particles, solid state, astrophysics and cosmology.

PHYS 2221 Introduction to Mechanics (3)

Prereq.: MATH 2057; PHYS 1202 or both PHYS 2112 and PHYS 2113.
Basic concepts of mechanics with emphasis on corresponding mathematical techniques.

PHYS 2207 Introductory Modern Physics Laboratory (1)

Prereq.: PHYS 1209. Coreq.: PHYS 2203. For physics majors only. Laboratory to accompany PHYS 2203.
3 hrs. lab.

PHYS 3098 Instrumentation Electronics for Scientists (3)

Prereq.: PHYS 1202 or both PHYS 2112 and PHYS 2113; PHYS 2207; CSC 1253 or equivalent. For physics majors only. 2 hrs. lecture; 3 hrs. lab. Basic electronic technology and circuits used in scientific instrumentation; circuit analysis, discrete components, operational amplifiers, digital electronics and microcontrollers.

MATH 2057 Multidimensional Calculus (3)

An honors course, MATH 2058, is also available.  Prereq.: MATH 1552 or MATH 1553.  Credit will not be given for both this course and MATH 2058. Three-dimensional analytic geometry, partial derivatives, multiple integrals.

MATH 2090 Elementary Differential Equations and Linear Algebra (4)

Prereq.: MATH 1552 or MATH 1553. Credit will not be given for both this course and MATH 2065, MATH 2070,or MATH 2085.Introduction to first order differential equations, linear differential equations with constant coefficients, and systems of differential equations; vector spaces, linear transformations, matrices, determinants, linear dependence, bases, systems of equations, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, and Laplace transforms.

CSC 1253 Computer Science I with C++(3)

Prereq.: credit or registration in MATH 1550 or credit in MATH 1431. Credit will not be given for both this course and CSC 1250 orCSC 1350.
Fundamentals of algorithm development, program design and structured programming using an object-oriented language.

MEDP 2051 Radiation Science with Applications (3)

This is a General Education course. Prereq.: MATH 1021 or MATH 1023. Matter and energy; structure of the atom and nucleus; radioactivity; types of radiation; radiation interactions and detection; dose and biological effects; radiation safety; background radiation; applications of nuclear science in industry and medicine.

**CHEM 2060 Survey of Organic Chemistry (3)

[LCCN: CCEM 2203, Organic Chemistry, Survey] Prereq.: CHEM 1202 or CHEM 1422. Credit will not be given for both this course and CHEM 2261 and CHEM 2461. Aliphatic and aromatic compounds; biological aspects of organic chemistry.

 

 

**CHEM 2261 may substitute for CHEM 2060

+ENGL 2000 (3)

Junior (30 Semester Hours)

Fall Spring

PHYS 2411 Computational Science I (3)

Prereq.: CSC 1253 or equivalent and one of the following three choices: PHYS 2221; or MATH 2057 and PHYS 1202 or both PHYS 2112 and PHYS 2113; or CHEM 4581 and credit or registration in MATH 2065 (or MATH 2090). 2 hrs. lecture; 2 hrs. lab. Introduction to symbolic manipulation and numerical techniques used to analyze or simulate a broad range of physical systems.

NS 4411 Fundamentals of Nuclear Radiation Science (3)

Prereq.: MATH 2065 or MATH 2090; PHYS 1202 or both PHYS 2112 and PHYS 2113.
Concepts of atomic and nuclear structure, transmutations and decay. Interactions of charged particles, neutral particles and photons with matter; radiation attenuation and energy deposition. Introduction to nuclear fission and fusion; application to nuclear power. Biological effects of radiation.

PHYS 2231 Electricity and Magnetism (3)

Prereq.: PHYS 2221 or CHEM 4581 and credit or registration in MATH 2065 or MATH 2090. Electricity and magnetism; static and quasistatic electromagnetic fields in vacua and in dielectric and magnetic media.

PHYS 4132 Electromagnetism and Electromagnetic Waves (3)

Prereq.: PHYS 2231. Continuation of PHYS 2231. Emphasis on electromagnetic waves and radiation.

BIOL1201 Biology for Science Majors I (3)

[LCCN: CBIO 1033, 1034, General Biology I (Science Majors)] This is a General Education course. Prereq.: minimum ACT composite of 23 or “C” or better in CHEM 1201. Credit will not be given for both this course and BIOL 1001. Primarily for students in science, agriculture or education. General concepts in cellular structure, cellular metabolism, cellular communication and genetics.

PHYS 4141 Introduction to Quantum Mechanics (3)

Prereq.: PHYS 2221 and credit or registration in MATH 2065 or MATH 2090; or CHEM 4581 and credit or registration in MATH 2065or MATH 2090. Elementary principles of quantum mechanics, including Schrodinger equation, one-dimensional problems, harmonic oscillator, angular momentum, perturbation theory, matrix mechanics and spin.

+Gen. Ed. Social Science (3), Gen. Ed. Humanities (2), Foreign Language (4),
ENGL 2XXX (3) 

Senior (31 Semester Hours)

Fall Spring

MEDP 4351 Radiation Detection and Instrumentation (2)

Prereq.: PHYS 3098 or equivalent; consent of instructor. Introduction to the physics of detection, instrumentation and data analysis used to measure ionizing radiation (gamma rays, x-rays, neutrons and charged particles) using scintillation crystal, solid state, film and gas detectors. Provides understanding of underlying principles of detection systems used in radiation therapy, radiological imaging and health physics.

PHYS 4125 Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics (3)

Prereq.: PHYS 2203 or CHEM 3491; PHYS 2221 or CHEM 4581; credit or registration in MATH 2065 or MATH 2090. Basic physical concepts and methods appropriate for description of systems involving many particles; unified view point of thermodynamics, statistical mechanics and kinetic theory.

MEDP 4352 Radiation Detection Laboratory (1)

Prereq.: credit or registration in MEDP 4351. 3 hrs. lab. laboratory exercises covering fundamental principles of radiation detection systems and data analysis techniques used for radiation measurements in radiation therapy, radiological imaging and medical health physics.

BIOL 2160 Human Physiology (3)

BIOL 1001 or BIOL 1201 recommended. May be taken for free elective credit by a student majoring in Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, or Microbiology. Students will not receive credit for both this course and BIOL 4160.
Elements of human physiology; controls and functions of the various organ systems.

PHYS 4123 Intermediate Mechanics (3)


Prereq.: PHYS 2221 and MATH 2057. Lagrangian mechanics; central force motion; rigid body dynamics; small oscillations.

 

BIOL 1202 Biology for Science Majors II (3)

[LCCN: CBIO 1043, 1044, General Biology II (Science Majors)] This is a General Education course. Prereq.: BIOL 1201.Primarily for students in science, agriculture or education. Credit will not be given for this course and BIOL 1002. General concepts in evolution, ecology and the function of organisms.

 

+Gen. Ed. Social Science (3), Gen. Ed. Arts (3), Approved Electives (10)