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| Volume VI, Number 1 | SPRING 1998 |
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New Undergraduate Programs Are Successful,
Lead to Record Graduation Rates
| Our two undergraduate programs, the Bachelor of Science (BS) and Bachelor of Arts (BA) programs in physics, have been undergoing overhauls for modernization, adaptability to the needs of different students, and relevance to today's graduates. The effects on enrollments and graduation rates have been striking. By Spring 1998, 45 students were enrolled as undergraduate physics majors, with 11 of them graduating this year. This is nearly double the previous record of 6 undergraduate degrees awarded in one year (1994), and a 5-fold increase over the average annual number (2) of undergraduate degrees during the past decade. The numbers of students currently in the "pipeline" indicates that we should be able to maintain a rate of 10 or more graduates into the forseeable future. | ||||
| This achievement is the result of several factors: We have thoroughly revamped both the BS and the BA programs in a manner that is in line with national career and employment trends, we are devoting greater attention to advising and mentoring our undergraduate physics majors, the University Physics course has a new look both as regards teaching method and course content, and we are trying harder to talk up the physics program on and off campus.
The new BS program recognizes the need for 4-year graduates to be able to enter directly into industrial employment. At the same time, the program continues to serve those graduates who are headed for PhD programs. Thus, the program now includes four possible "tracks." The Professional Track is similar to the old standard physics degree, and is designed for students who plan to go on to graduate school, perhaps to become a university professor or a researcher. The other three tracks, namely Optics, Electronics, and Computational, capitalize on our department's research strengths in optics and solid state physics, and are designed for students who want to do applied research and development in industry immediately following their 4-year degree. |
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All four tracks require a total of 40 credit-hours in physics or astronomy. The first 24 credit-hours are identical for all four tracks, which means that students needn't decide on their track until their junior year. All students complete University Physics I, II, and III, and Modern Physics, during their first two years, followed by 1-semester courses in Electricity & Magnetism, and Quantum Mechanics. This completes the first 24 credit-hours. The remaining 16 credit-hours are quite different in the different tracks: Professional Track students take courses in Mechanics and Thermal Physics plus 10 credit-hours of physics and astronomy electives; Optics Track students take the Optics course plus two optics electives and one physics elective; Electronics Track students take two courses in hands-on electronics experimentation, courses in Thermal Physics and Solid State Physics, and one physics elective; finally, Computational Track students take the Mechanics course and several electives in physics, math, and computer science.
Another innovation in the BS program is our revamping of the University Physics course. We are now teaching this during 4 semesters instead of 3. UP I is now nearly entirely devoted to mechanics, with only a brief introduction to waves and heat. UP II is nearly entirely devoted to electricity and magnetism, with a brief section on geometric optics. UP III covers waves, physical optics, thermodynamics, kinetic theory, and an introduction to quantum mechanics. The fourth semester of introductory physics is now called "Modern Physics," and includes special relativity, statistical physics, quantum physics, and a survey of nuclear and particle physics.
In addition to these changes in content, notable pedagogical changes have occurred in UP II. Dr. Gay Stewart (see her Faculty Profile in Reflections for Spring 1996 ) has broken the traditional single large lecture section down into smaller groups within which there are elements of lecture, lab, and drill combined. With the help of modern "peer instruction" and "active learning" techniques, there is far more student-student and student-teacher interaction than in the past. The talents of faculty members and of graduate teaching assistants are combined in a creative way to provide students with more individual attention, while not putting unreasonable demands on faculty and graduate student time.
These University of Arkansas innovations are beginning to have some impact across the nation. Dr. Stewart will present this research as part of an NSF Faculty Enhancement Conference this summer at Harvard. Dr. Stewart will also present a poster at the conference on our successful UP II course.
While other physics departments are suffering declining enrollments, ours is seeing an increase. Since the new UP II course began in Fall 1994, no physics major who has passed the course has left the major, and new majors are recruited in the course every year. The course sees large gains in confidence in physics in all students, but particularly in women. While women enter the course far less confident than men, and with a less positive attitude about science, by the end of the course there is no statistically significant difference between men and women in confidence or attitude. This is a result that is independent of the gender of the instructor as well!
Turning now to the BA Physics program: This program's goal is nearly unique in the nation, but it is one that we and many other observers believe is essential to the health of our profession. That goal is to provide a degree program for students who wish to study physics as a background for future employment in some field outside of physics. In our high-tech, science-oriented society, nearly every profession can use individuals with a strong science background. Examples include law (science in the courtroom, environmental law, patents), business (high-tech firms, business statistics), science education, journalism (science reporting, energy and environment news), creative writing (science fiction, prose and poetry reflecting our scientific age), communication (technical writing, communications industry), history (history of science and technology), philosophy of science, music (acoustics, instrument design, electronic music), and such science-related fields as medicine, anthropology and sociology. Training in physics and mathematics is thought by professionals in many fields to provide a unique background whose usefulness transcends the boundaries of the professional disciplines. In our increasingly technological society, scientific literacy is ever more important for the successful employee.
Many students plan careers in fields that are somewhat different from their college major subject. Students headed for careers in, say, law or business often begin by obtaining degrees in, say, history, english, or political science. We believe that many students would find more satisfaction and benefit in physics as a background for such professions. In addition, the BA Physics program is directed toward students who are headed for more directly science-related fields such as medicine, or science teaching.
The BA program is less intense technically than the BS program, and broader. It requires 24 credit-hours of physics, and four courses in mathematics. The entry-level physics course is the two-semester algebra-based College Physics course rather than the calculus-based University Physics course. Students take a modern physics course designed for the BA program, and 12 credit-hours of physics and astronomy electives. Because BA students should be proficient in some field outside of physics, they must select nine credit-hours at an advanced level in some "special emphasis area" of their own choosing, outside of physics.
We have cooperated with the School of Law, the Department of Journalism, the Business College, and other branches of the university to develop four-year courses of study toward the BA Physics degree that also fulfill the professional requirements for employment or for further education in these related areas.
The new BS program will appear in the University Catalog for the first time this Fall. The new BA program appeared for the first time only two years ago. We are proud of both of them, and feel that they will lead to continuing success in our undergraduate program.
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REFLECTIONS is published by the Department of Physics, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, and distributed free to alumni and friends. Copies may be obtained by writing to the editor, Art Hobson, at the above address, or emailing to ahobson@comp.uark.edu. The University of Arkansas is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.