Undergraduate Contacts
Advice for Physics Students
An advising guide for prospective and declared Physics and Engineering Physics majors, as well as first-year students who are choosing an introductory physics sequence:
Resources primarily for first-year students
NSO academic session on majors in the Natural Sciences
See these slides from September 2019, which cover all four Natural Sciences majors (Physics, Math, Biology, Chemistry) in a coherent way. The advice is also relevant to a number of related majors (see slide 4).
ENGR 1
Engr 1 ("Want to Be an Engineer?”) is a one-unit course that was offered for the first time in Autumn 2018 and is designed for any student interested in learning more about the range of STEM majors at Stanford. The course introduces students to all the majors in the School of Engineering, all the majors in Stanford Earth, and many of the STEM majors in the School of Humanities and Sciences.
Stanford Summer Engineering Academy presentations
Each summer, we present a SSEA module on a challenging but interesting physics topic (angular momentum, torques, gyroscopes, etc.). This usually includes a follow-up lunch with students interested in Physics or Engineering Physics.
We also meet with the SSEA cohort to answer questions about introductory physics and math sequences, and the Physics placement diagnostic.
Placement diagnostic [all STEM majors]
The Physics Placement Diagnostic is required if you intend to enroll in PHYS 40 or PHYS 41 or PHYS 45 or PHYS 61 and have never taken an entry-level Physics course at Stanford -- i.e., you have not taken at least one of PHYS 21, 23, 25, 41, 41A/E, 43, 45, 61, 63, 65.
choosingphysics@stanford.edu [all STEM majors]
Students can email choosingphysics [at] stanford.edu (choosingphysics[at]stanford[dot]edu) with questions on placement, suitable starting point, AP/IB/transfer credit, etc.
STEM Roadmap to Your First Year [all STEM majors]
The STEM Roadmap to Your First Year 2020-2021 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.”
Resources for prospective Physics or Engineering Physics Majors
Changes in requirements for Physics and Engineering Physics majors beginning Autumn 2022
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:
WIN/SPR Lunch for prospective Physics & Engineering Physics majors
This pre-major advising lunch, which we do each Winter or Spring, is advertised to all the students in the Physics 40 series and PHYSICS 61, 71, 81, and more. It is similar in content to the advising dinner in the Autumn, but without the alumni, extra faculty, and current students in attendance. And there is a bit more focus on requirements, etc.
Majors Night [prospective Physics & Engineering Physics majors]
Physics and Engineering Physics always arrange to have neighboring tables at the Majors Night 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, EPIC). For 2019/20, Majors Night will be held the evening of January 28, 2020.
AUT dinner for prospective Physics & Engineering Physics majors
Each Autumn, we schedule a pre-major advising dinner for prospective majors in Physics and Engineering Physics. We invite instructors of the Physics 40 series and PHYSICS 61, 71, 81, the Undergraduate Studies Chair, the Physics Chair, co-directors of Engineering Physics, faculty advisors, SPS/PUWMAS/EPIC officers, and alumni who work in the local area to attend to help represent the Physics and Engineering Physics programs.
UG Peer Advisors
The Peer Advisors webpage includes advising hours and bios for the current Peer Advisors, as well as a sampling of just a few of the topics you can ask the Peer Advisors about.
Resources for prospective and declared Physics or Engineering Physics majors
Changes in requirements for Physics and Engineering Physics majors beginning Autumn 2022
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:
Sample plans for the start of the Physics & Engineering Physics majors
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.
Physics major advising
Pre-major advising: Prof Patricia Burchat (burchat [at] stanford.edu (burchat[at]stanford[dot]edu)), Chair of UG Advising in Physics, Co-Director of Engineering Physics
Advisors for Physics majors are listed below on this page.
Engineering Physics major requirements and four-year plans
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.
Engineering Physics major advising
Pre-major advising: Pat Burchat (Professor in Physics, burchat [at] stanford.edu (burchat[at]stanford[dot]edu)), Mark Cappelli (Professor in Mechanical Engineering, cap [at] stanford.edu (cap[at]stanford[dot]edu))
Advisors for each specialty in Engineering Physics are listed on this page.
UG Peer Advisors
The Peer Advisors webpage includes advising hours and bios for the current Peer Advisors, as well as a sampling of just a few of the topics you can ask the Peer Advisors about.
Resources for declared Physics or Engineering Physics majors
Applying for summer research/internships
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
Applying for support to attend a conference
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.
Applying for advanced degrees
Resources for students applying to graduate programs in physics-related fields (google doc)
UG Peer Advisors
The Peer Advisors webpage includes advising hours and bios for the current Peer Advisors, as well as a sampling of just a few of the topics you can ask the Peer Advisors about.
Contact information for...
- Premajor advising in Physics, contact Professor Patricia Burchat
- Premajor advising in Engineering Physics, contact Professor Patricia Burchat in Physics or Professor Mark Cappelli in Engineering.
- Physics course transfer evaluation, contact choosingphysics [at] stanford.edu (choosingphysics[at]stanford[dot]edu).
- Administrative questions, contact the UG Student Services Officer in Physics, %20elva [at] stanford.edu (Elva Carbajal.)
- Approvals of waivers and substitutions in the Physics major, first contact your major advisor and then contact Director of Undergraduate Studies in Physics, Prof. Peter Graham.
Major Advisors in Physics
The following faculty are currently accepting new advisees for 2023/24:
- Patricia Burchat
- Savas Dimopoulos
- Kent Irwin
- Ben Lev
- Andrei Linde
- Hari Manoharan
- Sri Raghu
- Lenny Susskind
Major advisors in engineering physics
For information on major advisors in Engineering Physics, see Engineering Physics Major in the School of Engineering site.