Program Overview

Between the innermost workings of the nucleus and the outer edges of the visible universe lies the playground of physics. Combining imagination with systematic reasoning, the physics major seeks to understand the laws of nature, the structure of matter and the behavior of physical processes — the keys to many of the universe's secrets.

Make a name for yourself.

As a physics major you can work directly with physics faculty as they push the frontiers of physics knowledge. You will get to know physics so deeply that you may find yourself building your own telescope, teaching fruit to fly, getting published or speaking at the podium of a physics conference and sharing your discoveries with physicists — as an undergraduate.

Want to know how far a melon can fly?

Marquette's award-winning Chapter of the Society of Physics Students received a grant to design, build and use a trebuchet, a medieval catapult. (They learned a ripe melon could fly — with considerable velocity and grace — at least four city blocks. Just don't tell anyone we told you … or how we know.)

What can I do with physics?

For starters, Marquette's physics program allows you to tailor your program to suit your interest in physics by choosing a special focus — traditional physics, pre-med physics with a clinical focus, pre-med physics with a research focus, teaching, mathematical physics, astrophysics, computational physics or astronomy.

The physics of finance.

Major Wall Street brokerage houses employ physicists to build and analyze models for stock trading, with particular emphasis on capitalizing on small price fluctuations.