To uphold the standards of the physics degree program, ensure the integrity of the academic curriculum, and ensure student success throughout and beyond the undergraduate years, strict enforcement of the major requirements and enrollment policies will be implemented. Informal Exceptions are incorporated to maintain the continuity of degree programs and are most often needed to address changes in faculty and/or course availability. Informal exceptions are included in the degree audit.

Informal Exceptions to the Major Requirements

​​​​​Effective Starting WI24:

• PY26, PY28, PY32, PY33, and PY34 majors can use PHYS 41 toward the programming requirement.

​​​​​Effective Starting SP24:

• PY34 majors can use MAE 180 in place of MAE 180A for the PHYS UD REs for the PY34 major.

​​​​​Effective Starting FA24:

• PY26, PY28, PY32, PY33, and PY34 majors can can use ASTR 123 and ASTR 150 as PHYS 163 and 164, respectively.


• PY26, PY28, PY32, PY33, and PY34 majors can majors can use PHYS 122, 124, 133, 164, 173, or ASTR 150 as the PHYS UD LAB requirement.

The Degree Audit system has been reprogrammed to reflect these changes so students will not need to petition for these exceptions to apply. However, Physics majors filling out Completion Plans, Double Major Packets, and/or plans as part of other types of request packets (eg. Max Unit Appeal, Financial Aid Appeal, etc.) will need to use the new course names, numbers, and scheduling info. if planning to take these courses FA24-forward (see Background section, below, for more information).

Background

MAE 180A "Spacecraft Guidance I" (4 units) will be MAE 180 "Orbital Mechanics" (4 units). The course will continue to be exclusively offered by the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering (MAE). Students must check the MAE Department website for the tentative schedule of annual MAE course offerings; the scheduling of MAE courses is at the sole discretion of MAE.

PHYS 41 "Scientific Computing with Python" is a new course aimed to train physics majors in programming useful for physics courses and research (click here for more details). 

PHYS 133 has extremely limited seating due to equipment challenges. 

PHYS 163 "Galaxies" (4 units) will be ASTR 123 "Galaxies" (4 units) and PHYS 164 "Observational Astrophysics Research Lab" (4 units) will be ASTR 150 "Observational Optical Research Lab" (5 units). Both courses will be exclusively offered by the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A). Students must check the A&A Department website for the tentative schedule of annual A&A course offerings; the scheduling of ASTR courses is at the sole discretion of the A&A. Via EASy, the A&A Dept. will allow PHYS majors to use MAE 8 or CENG 15 or NANO 15 or ECE 15 or PHYS 41 to apply as the LD programming class for the prerequisites, even though those courses do not yet appear on the list of prereq options.

• Freshman admits to Physics FA24 or prior and Transfer admits to Physics FA25 or prior may request a prereq waiver for the programming requirement when enrolling in ASTR 150. 

PHYS 173 has been removed from the annual schedule of course offerings while the course goes under significant redevelopment (a multi-year process).

The Physics 4 series is designed to prepare students for the upper-division program and is required for all physics majors. Students who are exempt from Physics 2A (Mechanics) and/or Physics 2B (E&M) based on AP/IB/A-Level exams are not exempt from these topics in the Physics 4 series.

The honors math series (Math 31AH, 31BH, 31CH) can replace the standard math courses (Math 18, 20C, 20E, respectively). For students following the four year plans, please note that Math 18/31AH must be completed by the end of summer of year 1 because it is a prerequisite for Physics 4C in fall of year 2.​​​​​​

Students in PY26, PY28, PY30, PY31, PY32, PY33, and PY34 can select one course from the following to satisfy the lower division programming requirement: CENG/NANO 15; COGS 18; CSE 8A, 11, 12; ECE 15; MAE 8. 

Students in PY29 or PY35 may or may not be required to take PHYS 41. Refer to chart below.

Check Courses sections of the General Catalog for the prerequisites to all listed courses and note that, due to the campus’ catalog publication schedule, prereqs may change before the changes appear in the General Catalog. See our policies on prereqs and WebReg for term-specific prereq information.

Permissible only by approved petition to the department. For more information, click here.

A course that is listed in several areas cannot count towards more than one area and can satisfy only ONE of the major requirements.

Not allowed for any courses applied to the major (the exceptions are courses completed via AP/IB/A-Level and a single 4-unit Physics 199/199H that may only be applied as an upper-division restricted elective, as well as the special COVID-19 related exceptions discussed here). 

If you take a major requirement for P/NP credit and earn a P, you will not be able to use the course for the major and will be required to complete more advanced coursework on the same topic(s) that is not already applying to the major requirements in order to make up the coursework taken for P/NP grading. In addition, the Department will also add 12 additional units of core physics coursework at the upper division and/or graduate level to the requirements for the major for the student and will select which 12 units of additional coursework the student must complete; the student’s time-to-degree may need to be extended to account for the overall 16 units of additional coursework.

A grade point average of 2.0 or higher in the upper-division major program is required for graduation. Students must receive a grade of C– or better in any course to be counted toward fulfillment of the major requirements.

At least 60 percent of the upper-division courses in the major must be taken while in residence at UC San Diego. All core upper-division courses must be taken while in residence at UC San Diego.

Bachelor of Arts (BA):
A BA degree—whether in Physics or another field—emphasizes critical thinking, communication, and analytical skills. The curriculum is broader and more flexible, with fewer advanced physics core requirements and a higher number of “self-select” courses, including up to four upper-division electives from departments outside of Physics.

For example, BA students are not required to take advanced courses such as PHYS 105A or PHYS 140A, and PHYS 130B is not part of the standard BA curriculum. This makes the BA a good fit for students who want exposure to physics but don’t plan to pursue graduate studies in the field. It also works well for students interested in pairing physics with another discipline, or in industries where a combination of physics knowledge and broader skills is valuable.

Bachelor of Science (BS):
A BS degree focuses more heavily on mathematics, laboratory work, research methods, and data analysis. The program is structured, with a stronger emphasis on advanced physics core topics and fewer electives outside the department (up to three “self-select” courses if you choose one of our optional focus areas).

Students pursuing the BS will complete advanced courses such as PHYS 105A (105B strongly recommended), PHYS 130B (130C strongly recommended), and PHYS 140A (140B strongly recommended). This degree path is designed for students who want deeper preparation for graduate studies in physics or technical careers requiring advanced physics knowledge.

Planning for Your Future:

• Graduate school in physics? The BS is the right choice, giving you the foundation to explore research areas, determine whether you lean toward theory or experiment, and build connections with faculty, graduate students, and peers.

• Technical industry career? Either degree can work, but you’ll want to focus on developing tangible skills through coursework and research that align with your career interests.

• Non-technical or interdisciplinary paths? A BA may be sufficient, especially if paired with other fields of study that support your goals.

Advice for All Students:
Stay open-minded and let your interests guide you. You don’t need to commit to one area of physics right away—use your time to explore different labs, projects, and coursework. Building relationships with professors, postdocs, graduate students, and peers will give you invaluable mentorship and insight into possible pathways. If you’re not sure where your passion lies yet, use the early years to test out different directions and see how physics fits into your larger academic and career goals.

Physics majors are required to follow a plan provided to them by the Physics Department for completion of the major requirements. Click here to see all standard qtr-by-qtr plans and click here to see all alternate qtr-by-qtr plans. Since summer offerings of PHYS 4A-B are never guaranteed, the Physics Department does not post plans that include the summer offerings of PHYS 4A-B. When PHYS 4A-B are offered in summer, students can use them to catch up in the PHYS 4 series on the plans we provide:

*MATH 18 may be moved but must be taken no later than Summer Session 2.

**MATH 20A, 20B, 20C can be moved earlier, but not later than is listed.

Please contact Physics through the Virtual Advising Center (VAC) for questions/concerns about qtr-by-qtr planning in Physics.

As the standard academic plans show, there are two pathways through Physics 4. 

The standard PHYS 4 pathway is designed for freshman admits, including those majoring in physics and non-majors who are seeking to study core physics topics at the upper division level:

*MATH 18 may be moved but must be taken no later than Summer Session 2 (it is a prereq for PHYS 4C).

The accelerated PHYS 4 pathway is designed for anyone transferring into a physics major from outside of UCSD (i.e. transfer admits), and students who declare a physics major after completing most of the PHYS 2 seriesn. Eligible non-majors seekig to take core physics topics at the upper division level can also follow this pathway.

NOTE: Based on the listed prereqs, prior completion of "Transfer Major Prep" courses MATH 18 + 20A-B-C + PHYS 2A-B-C is required to be eligible to follow the accelerated PHYS 4 pathway.

As the standard academic plans show, there are two pathways through the core UD requirements:

The standard core UD course pathway

The accelerated core UD course pathway 

Per campus policy, freshman admits are granted 12 quarters to complete their undergraduate degree. Transfers are granted 6 quarters to complete their undergraduate degree. Summer terms are not included in the term count. To request more time, submit a Completion Plan for review. Allow each academic unit up to 3 weeks to process your request. 

To change between a BA and BS in Physics, use the Major/Minor Tool. Please note:

• To propose a double major, follow the Instructions for Filling Out & Submitting the Double Major Packet. 


• Majors w/ Specializations have been retired. It is no longer possible to declare a Physics major w/ a Specialization.

Transfer admits must adhere to the Transfer policies here.

Contact Physics through the VAC to report the error so that we can have it fixed.

Each Department has sole authority over the courses they will/won't accept toward their degree. The PHYS 2 and 4 series are not equivalent (the 4 series is more advanced, has more topics than PHYS 2, etc.). The following should be noted about topics:

• PHYS 2A is most similar to 4A 
• PHYS 2B is most similar to 4C 
• PHYS 2C is most similar to 4B    
• PHYS 2D is most similar to the combo of PHYS 4D + PHYS 4E

Transfer Students: Keep in mind that if you leave the physics major, you cannot re-add Physics as your single or double major. 

Per the posted campus information about the Degree Audit, "The General Catalogue is the official repository of the curricular requirements for degree audits. If there are inconsistencies between the General Catalogue and the Degree Audit, the General Catalogue shall be deemed correct. Any errors on the Degree Audit do not automatically grant students an exception to their degree requirements. If you discover an inconsistency, report it to Advising Staff." 

Students are responsible for contacting PHYSICS through VAC to report any suspected errors in the PHYS MAJOR section on the Degree audit. Contact PHYSICS through VAC if you would like the Department to review the PHYS MAJOR section of your degree audit.