Bachelor of Science in Physics
B.S. in Physics Why Choose Our Program?
The Science Behind the Engineering. Engineering and applied technology are built on physics: mechanics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics and the quantum behavior of matter. 最新天美传媒's B.S. in Physics gives you a direct foundation in physics, along with the calculus, differential equations, and Python programming skills you need to put that knowledge to work. Classes are small, you work closely with faculty mentors, and you can begin research-intensive coursework as early as your sophomore year. Your next step might be a career in engineering or technology, graduate school, or a profession such as medicine or law. Whichever it is, you will learn to model a problem, compute an answer and test it.
B.S. in Physics 最新天美传媒 the Major
The B.S. in Physics combines a calculus-based physics curriculum with mathematics, chemistry, and computing. The department emphasizes the close connections among physics, mathematics, and computing science, and students work directly with faculty in class, in the lab, and on research projects. Physics faculty research includes computational nuclear physics: simulations of the first instant of heavy-ion collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), in collaboration with Texas A&M University. Students can join with calculus and an introductory physics course.
- Build a broad foundation in physics: mechanics, electricity and magnetism at the introductory and advanced levels, modern physics, thermodynamics and quantum mechanics.
- Develop the mathematics of science and engineering: Calculus I, II and III, Differential Equations and Linear Algebra.
- Learn to program in Python for scientific computation, data analysis and machine learning, then study artificial intelligence. You can go further in Computational Research Methods, a research-intensive course built around computational projects.
- Gain laboratory skills in two General Physics labs and two General Chemistry labs, with the option of an experimental research-methods course.
- Build research skills in two research-methods courses, chosen from computational, experimental and theoretical; you can take the first as early as your sophomore year. Then complete a two-part senior project: a literature review, a research proposal and the start of your project, followed by the research itself and a formal written report.
- Prepare for your next step, whether that is graduate school, a career in engineering, software or another technical field, or professional school. With your advisor, you can use free electives to explore engineering, computing or another interest.
Physics Major students learn to write scientific code in Python and run large-scale simulations on a national supercomputer through an NSF ACCESS allocation.
Alumni Spotlight
Joel ValdezEngineering Physics and Electrical Engineering (2024)
Joel Valdez graduated from JU in 2024 with bachelor鈥檚 degrees in engineering physics and electrical engineering, and minors in mathematics and English. As a student he helped found JU鈥檚 chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He spent the summer of 2022 as a research and development intern at Medtronic in 最新天美传媒. After graduation he joined KBR in Orange Park as an electronic warfare engineer. In 2026 he moved to the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), where he works as an electronic engineer.
Eleanor MartinPhysics and Marine Science (2025)
Eleanor Martin graduated from JU in 2025 with a double major in physics and marine science and minors in applied mathematics and GIS. She was named Student of the Year in Physics, Outstanding Student of the Year in Marine Science, and Student of the Year for the School of Sciences and Mathematics. She helped rebuild JU鈥檚 Society of Physics Students chapter, which grew to more than 70 members. In her senior year she completed an independent project on the orbital dynamics of Jupiter鈥檚 moon Europa, using data from NASA鈥檚 Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She is now working toward a master鈥檚 degree in marine geology and geophysics at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography. Her fieldwork there has included recovering seismic instruments near the summit of Mauna Loa in Hawai鈥榠. After her degree she will join the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Panama City, Florida.
Zachary HowardEngineering Physics and Mechanical Engineering (2025)
Zachary Howard graduated from JU in 2025 with a dual degree in engineering physics and mechanical engineering. Much of his time at JU went to helping other students learn. He was a physics teaching assistant and the Supplemental Instruction leader for General Physics I and II, and as a manufacturing lab assistant he trained engineering students on the mill and lathe. He gained industry experience as a mechanical engineering intern at Moon Research Park, designing and prototyping consumer and health-monitoring devices. He then worked as an engineering coordinator at Safariland, designing product assemblies, test fixtures and tooling. Since graduating he has worked as a mechanical design engineer at Teledyne Marine in Daytona Beach, designing electrical and fiber-optic connectors for undersea systems.
Fritz IllnerPhysics and Electrical Engineering (2025)
Fritz Illner graduated from JU in 2025 with degrees in physics and electrical engineering. From his second year he worked as a research assistant in theoretical particle physics with Dr. Guangyao Chen. He studied how charmonium, a bound state of a charm quark and its antiquark, is produced in electron鈥損roton collisions. He turned theoretical models of the process into computer code and tested their predictions against data from the HERA collider in Germany. He presented the work at the 2023 Florida Undergraduate Research Conference and at JU鈥檚 research symposium. He was a member of the Society of Physics Students and the Sigma Pi Sigma physics honor society, and he tutored physics and electrical engineering students. He also spent a summer as an electrical engineering intern at EDAG in Fulda, Germany. He is now working toward a master鈥檚 degree in electrical and computer engineering at Boston University.
Zachary Leinart IIEngineering Physics and Mechanical Engineering (2025)
Zachary Leinart II graduated from JU in 2025 with degrees in engineering physics and mechanical engineering. Through most of his time at JU he worked as an engineering technician co-op at RepOne Strength in 最新天美传媒, designing, analyzing and prototyping smart fitness equipment. That work ran from CAD models and finite-element simulations to motor control and sensor integration. He also spent a summer as an automation and innovation intern at the 最新天美传媒 Transportation Authority, working on autonomous vehicle projects. He competed in the IEEE SoutheastCon 2024 robotics competition and was a physics teaching assistant. He now works as an automation engineer at Amazon in Virginia Beach.
Avery BiggerstaffEngineering Physics and Electrical Engineering (2026)
Avery Biggerstaff graduated from JU in 2026 with a dual major in engineering physics and electrical engineering, completed in four years. He arrived with practical experience, having spent seven years of school breaks as an apprentice electrician. At JU he was in the Honors Program and was treasurer of the IEEE student chapter. He was also a founding officer of the STEM Research Association and a member of the Society of Physics Students, and he tutored and advised other students. In the summer of 2025 he interned in electrical engineering at Yates Construction, preparing engineering drawings and wiring documentation for industrial sites. He now works as a junior electrical engineer at Birdi Systems in 最新天美传媒, where he checks electrical designs against conditions in the field.
Joseph ShowahEngineering Physics and Electrical Engineering (2026)
Joseph Showah graduated from JU in 2026 with degrees in engineering physics and electrical engineering. Throughout his time at JU he worked as a student technician in the Office of Information Technology, supporting the campus computer and network systems, and he competed on the JU shooting team. In the summer of 2025 he interned as an electrical engineer at Communications & Power Industries in State College, Pennsylvania. He then spent most of his senior year as an electrical engineering intern at Vantage Nexus in 最新天美传媒, designing printed circuit boards. He also earned a Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification. He now works as an automation technician at Siemens in Dallas.
Gabriella VelandiaPhysics and Mechanical Engineering (2026)
Gabriella Velandia graduated with honors from JU in 2026 with degrees in physics and mechanical engineering, and minors in applied mathematics and engineering management. She founded JU鈥檚 chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and served as its president. She interned in manufacturing engineering at Johnson & Johnson Vision. She then spent nearly a year as a survey and engineering intern at Manson Construction, surveying dredging sites by boat and analyzing stresses in pipeline floats. For her senior design project, sponsored by KLS Martin, her team built a semi-automated finishing system for patient-specific craniofacial implants. It cut surface roughness by about 70 percent and reduced hands-on technician time from two hours to ten minutes. She now works as a manufacturing engineer at Blue Origin in Cape Canaveral.
Bachelor of Science in Physics Career Pathways
A physics degree trains you to take an unfamiliar problem, build a model of it and check the result - these skills carry into many fields. Nationally, half of new physics bachelor's graduates go straight into jobs and 46% go on to graduate school. Among those employed, engineering (27%) and computer software (16%) are the two largest fields (American Institute of Physics, graduates of 2020鈥�21 and 2021鈥�22).
Physics graduates go on to careers and further study in:
- Engineering and applied technology
- Software development and scientific computing
- Data analysis and artificial intelligence
- Graduate study in physics, engineering and related fields
- Medicine
- Law and business
- Teaching and education
* Average median wages in the United States as per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics 2025.
Median Wages in Physics and Engineering*
最新天美传媒 Bachelor of Science in Physics
By applying early, you are setting yourself up for academic success!
Contact Us
Dr. Mary Grace I. Galinato, Ph.D.
Department Chair
- Email address mgalina@ju.edu
- Telephone number (904) 256-7292
- 最新天美传媒 Dr. Galinato 最新天美传媒 Dr. Galinato
Request Information
Contact Information Department of Chemistry & Physics
Merritt Penticoff 132
最新天美传媒
2800 University Blvd N
最新天美传媒, FL 32211
Phone: (904) 256-7292