College of Science Degrees

Undergraduate Program
Graduate Program
Ph.D. in Physics with Medical Physics Emphasis
Ph.D. in Chemical Physics
Ph.D. in Biology
Ph.D. in Molecular Biology/Biological Chemistry
Physics M.S. with Instrumentation Emphasis
M.S. Degree for Secondary School Teachers of Science or Mathematics
M.S. Degree Program in Computational Engineering and Science

INTRODUCTION

The College of Science pursues a variety of related educational activities. It provides systematic programs for those who wish to follow careers as professional scientists. It presents courses of instruction for students not specializing in science but who plan careers that require a science background. Finally, the college provides general instruction for those studying science as part of a broad and rounded education. Those who major in departments of the college are encouraged to develop breadth in science disciplines but also in areas outside the sciences. The college is committed to science and at the same time to the concept of liberal education.

Departments
Biology
Chemistry
Mathematics
Physics

Degrees
Bachelor of Arts, B.A.
Bachelor of Sciences, B.S.
Master of Arts, M.A.
Master of Science, M.S.
Master of Statistics, M. Stat.
Master of Philosophy, M.Phil.
Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D.

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM

Admission:

Admission requirements for the College are the same as those for the University. After admission and orientation, each student needs to declare a major as soon as possible by visiting a departmental advisor. The departmental undergraduate advisors help students plan both academic course work and careers.

The level at which entering students begin course work is determined by their past academic records and standardized test results. Mathematics is used in all scientific disciplines, and students intending to major within the college should study as much mathematics in high school as feasible. All departments in the college require calculus as part of their program. Students majoring within the college may not count remedial courses offered through Academic Outreach and Continuing Education, or through the Mathematics Department, toward the mathematics requirements of their major department.

Graduation Requirements:

Candidates for a B.S. or B.A. degree in a major in the College of Science must satisfy the graduation requirements of the University of Utah and complete at least 122 semester credit hours of approved course work including:

  • The university's general education, American Institutions, statistical reasoning, and writing requirements.
  • At least 40 semester credit hours in courses numbered 3000 or above.
  • Major requirements specified by one of the departments of the College of Science, typically consisting of a minimum of 30 semester credit hours in the major department and a minimum of 14 hours in allied fields. Contact undergraduate advisor in the department for these requirements.

The candidate must have a GPA of at least 2.0 in all university graded course work. Candidates for the B.A. degree must have fourth-semester proficiency in a foreign language. The mathematics courses taken by students in the college as part of their major programs can normally be used to satisfy the mathematics requirement for the B.S. degree.

Preparation for Professional Schools. The College of Science offers many courses commonly required for admission to professional schools. Undergraduate students planning to enter professional studies are advised to complete science courses required by the relevant professional school. See medicine, engineering, and law sections in the University of Utah General Catalog.

GRADUATE PROGRAM

The college offers M.A., M.S., M.Stat., M.Phil., and Ph.D. degrees in biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics as well as the following other graduate programs. Contact individual departments for graduate program brochures and additional information.

Ph.D. in Physics with Medical Physics Emphasis. The medical physics program is designed to give an appropriate education to physics Ph.D. students desiring to specialize in some branch of medical physics. This program will provide students with a solid physics background (through core and elective courses) but will still allow enough flexibility for students to perform research in medical and other interdisciplinary areas (through elective courses). The research will normally be supervised jointly by faculty from the physics department and from medical departments.

Areas of current research in medical physics in the physics department include nuclear magnetic resonance, (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applied to lungs (Professor Ailion), MRI with hyperpolarized noble gases (Professor Saam), biomedical optics and materials research for medical and laser applications (Professor Gellerman), imaging of biological structures and surfaces using Scanning Probe Microscopy (Professor Williams). Professors Symko, Taylor and Vardeny also have some connection in their research to medical physics.
Visit their personal research pages; (Professor David Charles Ailion), photodynamic therapy using high speed optics (Professor Zeev Valentine), bio-magnetism using superconducting devices (Professor Orest Symko), and imaging using atomic force and scanning tunneling microscopy (Professor Clayton C. Williams Jr.).

Ph.D. in Chemical Physics.The College of Science offers a program in chemical physics, restricted to candidates for the Ph.D. degree. This program, administered by an executive committee of faculty from the Departments of Chemistry and Physics, permits maximum flexibility for students seeking advanced training in areas of interest common to physicists and chemists.

To enter the chemical physics program, students must first gain admission to the doctoral program in either chemistry or physics. For more information contact Dr. Charles A. Wight, Department of Chemistry.

Ph.D. in Molecular Biology/Biological Chemistry. The Departments of Biology and Chemistry participate with departments from the colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy in the Molecular Biology Program and the interdepartmental Graduate Program in Biological Chemistry. First-year graduate students share a core curriculum and spend a trial semester in each of two research laboratories. After the first year, students select a thesis adviser and enter the Ph.D. program of that faculty member's department. For more detailed information, see Biological Chemistry and Molecular Biology in the courses section of the University of Utah General Catalog.

Physics M.S. with Instrumentation Emphasis. A special master's degree with emphasis on physical sensors, data collection and analysis, and instrument control. This program is designed for students with a B.S. in a scientific or engineering field who want a broad approach to instrumentation. A special theoretical physics sequence may be included in this program for students whose B.S. was not in physics. Most of the courses have a strong laboratory component. A significant instrumentation project must be completed by students in this program. To meet the needs of individuals who are employed full time, all courses are available in the late afternoon or in the evening. A brochure describing the program is available by contacting the Department of Physics office, which can also arrange for an in-person discussion of the program.

M.S. Degree Program for Secondary School Teachers of Science or Mathematics

The College of Science offers a special M.S. option for secondary school teachers of science or mathematics. The program is for career teachers with a bachelor's degree and at least three years of teaching experience. It allows a science or mathematics teacher to acquire an M.S. degree in a science and/or mathematics discipline. A special feature of the degree is that a teacher may qualify for admission even with prior formal training limited to elementary college courses in science. Under the guidance of a college committee, the candidate's knowledge of science or mathematics is advanced as far as practicable within the limits of a 30 to 33 semester credit-hour program. Part of the work may include special seminar courses relating the subject matter being studied to classroom teaching. For more information click here.

Inquiries regarding this program should be directed to the College of Science, Dean's Office, 581-6958.

M.S. Degree Program in Computational Engineering and Science

The Departments of Mathematics and Physics and the School of Computing have established a special degree program in Computational Engineering and Science. This degree program provides interdisciplinary experience in the computational solution of scientific or engineering problems, including an understanding of the scientific or engineering context of the problem, the mathematical modeling of the problem, the choice of mathematical and numerical methodology, the selection of computer architecture and algorithms, and the visual and/or statistical rendering of computational results. The program is designed for students with a B.S. in an engineering or scientific discipline, but is open to all fields. For further information and application forms, see www.ces.utah.edu