Academic ProgramOur mission is to introduce all our students to phenomena in the physical world, and give them an appreciation for the underlying order of the universe. We do this via many introductory courses for non-majors, both large and small, many with laboratories. And we also do it via a rigorous introductory sequence for majors and minors, which emphasizes modern physics (quantum mechanics, cosmology, and relativity), mathematical methods, and computation in the first two years, and advanced topical seminars for juniors and seniors. Individual students present most of the material in seminars, and learn to be good and confident public speakers on technical topics. Of course, they also learn high-level physics and astrophysics, making them well-prepared for graduate studies, should they choose to go on to graduate school after Swarthmore. We view research (often culminating in an honors thesis) as an important component of our academic program, complementing the coursework. Many students do research over the summer, whether they are planning on writing theses or not, and these research experiences are an important part of many of our students' educations. Students also run evening peer-mentoring sessions to provide help for students in introductory classes, attend research colloquia given by visiting scientists, and generally participate in the academic life of the department. |