The flexibility of the upper-level courses in the physics major makes off-campus study a popular option.
Studying Abroad in the Junior Year
If you’re a physics major studying abroad in your junior year, many Colgate study groups and Colgate-approved off-campus study programs will allow you to complete courses for physics concentration credit, with approval from the department chair. However, some programs, particularly language programs, do not allow you to choose courses. In this case, students can adjust the basic schedule by taking a second physics elective in another semester.
If you wish to study astronomy-physics, it is best to choose a spring study group. This is because the two required astronomy courses (210 and 312) are offered in alternate fall semesters, so you won’t have a chance to take the one that’s offered during your study-abroad semester. In exceptional circumstances, one of these courses can be replaced with an additional upper-level course.
Studying Abroad in the Sophomore Year
This is a difficult choice because the courses in the fall of sophomore year are prerequisites for courses in the spring of sophomore year, and the courses in the spring of the sophomore year are prerequisites for most upper-level courses. The end result is that it will probably be necessary to complete the sophomore courses in your junior year and then double-up on courses in the senior year to complete the major. (See the option for students who don’t start the major until the sophomore year to see your schedule for junior & senior year.)
Extended Study
If one of Colgate's semester study groups doesn't seem to be a good fit for you or your schedule, there are other options for studying off campus.
Across disciplines, several courses each year include a 3-4 week off-campus study component with the class and faculty member following the conclusion of the semester.
Combining Study Abroad with Preparation for Graduate Study
The department encourages you to take one or more classes in your major while studying overseas. At the very least, it’s a good way to meet students from elsewhere who share your interest in physics or astronomy.
Since many of the department’s advanced courses are offered only every second year, by going abroad for a semester, you are virtually assured of missing your only opportunity to take one or more courses here. Careful advanced planning with your adviser can help ensure that you get the most out of your time away, and that you have the greatest opportunity to take the courses you most want when you return.
Students planning to attend the Colgate Study Groups in Cardiff, Wollongong, or Manchester should be aware of the following opportunities which might make their course planning easier:
- If you go to Cardiff or Wollongong in the spring, you can take an equivalent to Physics 432: Electricity & Magnetism.
- If you go to Manchester in the fall, you can enroll in Lagrangian Dynamics as an equivalent to Physics 431: Classical Mechanics.
- If you go to Manchester in the fall, there is not a perfect equivalent to Physics 433, but if you are able to learn introductory statistical mechanics on your own over the summer, you can enroll in Thermal Physics of Bose and Fermi Gases, which is equivalent to the second half of Physics 433.
- If you go to Wollongong in the spring, it may be possible to take an equivalent to Quantum Mechanics, but you will need to discuss this with the department chair.