Welcome to the Seattle University Department of Physics!
New Physics Scholarships Announced!
The Physics Department Creates the Boscovich Physics Scholarship Program
The Physics Department has won a $582,000 grant from the National Science Foundation S-STEM program (Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to fund scholarships for physics majors. Scholarships will be awarded competitively based on a combination of academic merit and financial need.
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Physics at Seattle University
Even with a challenging economy, our Physics Department graduates have been finding interesting technical jobs or have gone on for further graduate study in physics, astronomy, geophysics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or biomedical fields. We have graduates flying converted spy planes for NASA, working as engineers and physicists in private companies, government labs, or universities, and programming computers or managing computer networks. In recent years, we have sent SU physics major graduates to PhD programs in physics, mechanical engineering, planetary sciences, electrical engineering, aerospace egineering, and mathematics at Stanford, UC-San Diego, Arizona, Ohio State, UC-Santa Barbara, Michigan, Oregon, Vanderbilt, Penn State, Wisconsin, Texas A&M, and Purdue.
Physics is the foundation science upon which all other natural sciences and most types of engineering are built. This makes physics the most diverse and applicable technical major you can have. These are just a few of the things physicists study, using experiments, observations, theory, and computer simulations: optical systems, subatomic particles, exploding stars, high-powered lasers, biological cells, magnetic materials, nuclear fusion power, protein folding, planets, tsunamis, materials for computing, teleporting photons, earthquakes, black holes, and endless more topics.
In other words, physicists work to deeply understand the smallest things, the biggest things, the oldest things, the newest things, and everything in between. Physicists either invented, or made possible, such major inventions as electric power; electric motors; radio, TV, and cellular phone communication; superconductors, transistors, microprocessors, lasers, and spacecraft.
The Seattle University Department of Physics offers small classes and personalized attention to the education of undergraduates in physics. The active research of our faculty contributes to knowledge, keeps classes lively, and provides opportunities for motivated students to participate in on-going research projects. Why go to a huge university with gigantic, impersonal classes taught by graduate students? At Seattle University, you are taught by caring, dedicated, and highly capable professors
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Physics is universally recognized as a subject that teaches thoughtful problem-solving skills, and people trained in physics are typically seen as intelligent and adaptable. These traits are essential for a world of rapidly changing computation, communication, and developing technology, from nanotechnology and bioinformatics, to the next-generation internet, quantum cryptography, and quantum computing. Physics majors are highly sought after by admission committees in graduate programs in engineering and at medical schools, law schools, or business schools.
Physics is a universally respected, challenging, and very versatile major that leads to many employment and graduate and professional study opportunities. And it's fun! If you are a student of intellectual curiosity and math ability, consider joining us as a physics major, here in exciting Seattle, Washington.