Advice for Physics Students

1. Take the Physics Placement Diagnostic to receive advice on the Physics course in which you will be challenged but not overwhelmed.  This is required before enrolling in PHYS 41, 41E, 43, 45, or 61 if you have never taken an entry-level Physics course at Stanford -- i.e., you have not taken at least one of the PHYSICS 20, 40 or 60 series. (We recommend taking the Math Placement Diagnostic before the Physics Placement Diagnostic.)
2. Check out the six possible plans for the start of the Physics and Engineering Physics Majors; each plan is optimized for a different starting point in math and physics.  Also see the Physics pathways to determine which pathway might be of interest to you. 
3. Check out the STEM Roadmap to Your First Year 2024-2025, which was designed by representatives from the School of Engineering and Natural Sciences. From the web page: “Many paths lead successfully through Stanford's STEM majors. Because we know that students interested in math, science, and engineering may discover their academic home in many places across Stanford, the goal of this tool is to show some common plans to start a number of different STEM majors.”
4. Questions? Email choosingphysics [at] stanford.edu (choosingphysics[at]stanford[dot]edu) with questions regarding placement, suitable starting point, AP/IB/transfer credit, Physics pre-major advising, etc. 

Physics and Engineering Physics always arrange to have neighboring tables at the annual Majors Events organized by Academic Advising, staffed by faculty, staff and students who are on the UG Studies Committee, and members of the student groups (SUPS, PUWMAS). 

At least once per year, we schedule a pre-major advising event for prospective majors in Physics and Engineering Physics. The majors are introduced by the Directors of Undergraduate Studies in Physics and Engineering Physics, and the Physics pre-major advisor.  We invite instructors of Physics 41, 43, 61, 71, 81, faculty advisors, and SPS/PUWMAS officers to attend to help represent the Physics and Engineering Physics programs.   

This advising event is advertised in relevant Physics courses and to the following email lists, which we recommend you consider joining:

• Stanford University Physics Society (SUPS), https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/sups-stanford 
• Physics Undergraduate Women & Gender Minorities at Stanford (PUWMAS), https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/puwmas-members 

Several changes to the current requirements for the Physics major and the Engineering Physics major take effect in Autumn quarter 2022. The changes and the motivation for each are described in these brief documents:

See the recently updated sample plans for the start of the Physics and Engineering Physics majors for students matriculating in Autumn 2022 or later, and plans for Physics pathways.

For pre-major advising in Physics, send an email to choosingphysics [at] stanford.edu (choosingphysics[at]stanford[dot]edu) to set up a meeting.  See the How to Declare page for more information. 

Advisors for declared Physics majors are listed below on this page. 

For pre-major advising in Engineering Physics, send an email to either of the Co-Directors for Engineering Physics:  Prof. Patricia Burchat in Physics (burchat [at] stanford.edu (burchat[at]stanford[dot]edu)) or  Prof. Mark Cappelli in Mechanical Engineering (cap [at] stanford.edu (cap[at]stanford[dot]edu)).

Advisors for each specialty in Engineering Physics are listed on this page.

In addition to the description of the Engineering Physics requirements in the Engineering Undergraduate Handbook (which is more complete and easier to parse than the Bulletin), see the recently updated sample plans for the start of the Physics and Engineering Physics majors for students matriculating in Autumn 2022 or later,  as well as the flowchart linked to this page.

See the Physics section of the Course Bulletin for requirements for the Physics major (including the Senior Thesis and Honors requirements) and the Physics minor.

Several changes to the current requirements for the Physics major and the Engineering Physics major will be implemented beginning in Autumn quarter 2022. The changes and the motivation for each are described in these brief documents:

The Summer Research webpage contains resources for the Physics/AP/SLAC program, including a list of specific research opportunities at Stanford for the most recent summer, and a link to a compilation of opportunities outside Stanford.

Conferences for Students

Students may apply for a VPUE Conference Grant of up to $1,500, which supports students who have been accepted to present their own project results at a professional or scholarly conference.

The Undergraduate Resources page includes information on how students can apply for Physics Department support to attend a conference, if they are unable to secure other funding; see the application for funding for profeessional conference reimbursement.

Suggestions for Students Interested in Pursuing a Ph.D. Program in Physics or Closely-Related Fields

Physics research is roughly divided into fields that include astrophysics, atomic, molecular and optical (AMO) physics, biophysics, condensed matter physics, and particle physics. Physics research at Stanford includes computational, experimental, observational, and theoretical work in these fields. It can be helpful to consult with faculty in each research area you might be interested in pursuing in graduate school since recommendations for preparation often vary by field. See the Physics Research Areas webpage to get started.

The major requirements are the minimum for the Physics major; they are intended to provide a foundation in math and physics that prepares students for the wide range of careers pursued by Physics majors. However, if a student is considering pursuing a PhD in Physics, the department recommends completing more than the required Math and Physics courses in a pathway. In particular, they should take PHYSICS 110, 121, 131, 134, and 171, which are necessary elements of undergraduate Physics in preparation for PhD programs.

The department also recommends acquiring laboratory experience, e.g., courses such as PHYSICS 100, 104, 105, 106, 107, or 108, or research experience in an experimental laboratory. It also recommends completing additional Physics and Math courses based on the student’s interests and the advice of faculty in their field(s) of interest. In addition, they should pursue research in physics, e.g., through the Undergraduate Summer Research program in the Physics department or through research opportunities outside Stanford.

The department strongly recommends that students consult with their Physics major advisor (and faculty in any research area in which they are interested) for recommendations on courses and research or internship opportunities and attend the faculty-led group advising meetings held near the end of autumn quarter on applying for summer research and in the autumn and spring quarters on thinking about advanced degrees.

Resources for students applying to graduate programs in physics-related fields (google doc)