Delve into the theoretical and practical aspects of physics — a field fundamental to the science, engineering and technology industries.
Benefit from innovative teaching methods with an emphasis on active classroom experiences. Learn in cutting-edge environments, guided by the best ideas from leading physics education researchers.
Enjoy a learn-by-doing approach that begins with a first-year introductory class taught without formal lectures and continues in upper-division courses where students work on sophisticated, open-ended projects.
“Doing summer research has been extremely beneficial to me. I can talk to several professors in my department and try on different approaches to research. And I think it also is extremely helpful in applying to graduate schools, because they really prize that experience of working in a lab and being able to demonstrate the level of self-motivation and responsibility to work on a less tightly defined project.”
— Shannon Gallagher '21
Diverse Real-World Experience
In Pacific's physic program, you will work with a diverse group of peers: 30 percent of our physics students are women and 30 percent are from Hawai‘i. Together, you will work in teams to make a wide range of computer-aided measurements to study physics principles and collect and analyze real data (the way a professional scientist would) to discover how physics works in the real world.
Headlines
Following a grant from the Oregon National Space Grant Consortium, physics alumnus Huy Nguyen '21, along with Physics Professor Todd Duncan built a three-dimensional model showing the optimal orbit for spacecraft to "park" between the earth and moon. The model will be exhibited at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville.
Jasper Riogeist ’21 was named Pacific University’s Outstanding Senior in Physics.
Duncan previously has been recognized for his teaching excellence by Pacific students, who selected him for the 2019 Charles Trombley Award Honoring Faculty-Student Relations, as well as by the Oregon Academy of Science, which named in the 2019 Outstanding Educator in Science and Mathematics.