The Department of Physics offers coursework leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science. The Bachelor of Science degree program is designed to prepare students for graduate studies in physics and for the workforce. Entering students who are not placed in the calculus sequence will follow a modified sequence and may require additional time to complete the selected program of study.
The Department is located in the Olin Building for the academic programs and has well-equipped laboratories and computer rooms for the undergraduate program at several locations on campus. Physics faculty, staff, and students conduct research on-campus in the newly renovated Graduate Physics Research Facility and in the Olin Building, and off-campus at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility and other international research institutions when appropriate funding is available. Undergraduate physics majors are encouraged to participate in funded research programs, conduct research, and publish findings. Research areas include nanoscience, intermediate-energy nuclear physics, optical science, high-energy physics, and accelerator physics.
Department of Physics Research Areas
Intermediate Energy Nuclear Physics
Jefferson Lab
The Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science with strong support from the City of Newport News and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Minerva
MINERvA seeks to measure low-energy neutrino interactions both in support of neutrino oscillation experiments and also to study the strong dynamics of the nucleon and nucleus that affect these interactions.
Olympus
OLYMPUS at DESY (Deutsches Elektronensynchrotron) in Hamburg, Germany aims to measure the effect of a two-photon exchange by comparison of positron-proton and electron-proton elastic scattering.
TREK
TREK (Time Reversal Experiment with Kaons) aims to discover the violation of time reversal invariance beyond the Standard Model in the decay of positive kaons.
Optical Sciences
Advanced Center for Laser Science and Spectroscopy (ACLASS)
ACLASS merges traditionally separate disciplines by advancing the fundamental understanding of selected problems at the forefront of science and technology using laser spectroscopy as the common unifying theme.
Accelerator Physics
Low Energy Linear Accelerator (LELIA)
A new Accelerator Physics program is under development within the Physics Department and will be centered on on-campus research that will utilize a 500 keV electron linac modeled after the CEBAF injector at Jefferson Lab.
Society of Physics Students
The Society of Physics Students (SPS) is a professional association explicitly designed for students and their mentors. With over 4100 official members in about 800 chapters on college campuses, SPS provides opportunities for physics students across the nation, including research awards, outreach programs, scholarships, and travel awards. The SPS website (www.spsnational.org) provides information and applications for these opportunities, as well as other physics contacts, society news, hot science, physics career information, and the lighter side of physics. Membership, through collegiate chapters, is open to anyone interested in physics.
Hampton University SPS participates in several projects, research opportunities, outreach programs, and mentorship programs throughout the year. They volunteer their services at local schools and reach out to students in grades K-12 in hopes of getting them interested in going on a physics path. Whether it is on or off campus, the SPS is involved year-round in physics-related activities.