Apr 19, 2024  
2017-2018 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog 
    
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2017-2018 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Descriptions

How to Read Catalog Course Descriptions

Texas Tech offers nearly 5,000 courses as part of its curriculum. These courses are listed alphabetically by subject prefix within each college and departmental section of this catalog. The courses appear in numerical order, moving from beginning freshman or developmental level courses to graduate, research, and professional courses.

Not all courses listed in this catalog are offered every year. An online class schedule published before each registration period indicates courses that will be available during the upcoming term or semester and when each class will meet. The class schedule can be found at (www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/class_schedule/index.php). The university reserves the right to cancel any scheduled course or withdraw any program from the list of offerings when the best interests of the institution require such action.

Courses are designated by a subject prefix and number along with a descriptive title. Learn more  about interpreting the course descriptions found throughout the catalog.
 

PHYS - Physics (Undergraduate Courses)
  

  • PHYS 1100 - Physics Laboratory Science

    1 Semester Credit Hours
    Corequisite: Enrollment in a lab section of the appropriate physics course. For transfer students only. Provides lab credit for a transferred lecture-only natural sciences core course in physics.
  

  • PHYS 1171 - Physics Fieldwork

    1 Semester Credit Hours
    Interact with public school teachers and students to deliver a limited lesson for students. Texas Tech student will learn and implement a lesson.
  

  • PHYS 1304 - Physics: Basic Ideas and Methods

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Intended to provide physics background to pre-engineering students. Examines basic concepts in physics. Problem-solving techniques, graphical representations, and pertinent mathematics.
  

  • PHYS 1401 - Physics for Non-Science Majors

    4 Semester Credit Hours
    TCCNS: PHYS1305+1105, 1310+1110, 1405 Covers the basic laws and vocabulary of science using a minimum of mathematics. Partially fulfills core Life and Physical Sciences requirement.
  

  • PHYS 1402 - Physics of Living Matter

    4 Semester Credit Hours
    Covers the physics principles found in living matter and techniques useful in biomedical sciences. Not for physics majors.
  

  • PHYS 1403 - General Physics I

    4 Semester Credit Hours
    TCCNS: PHYS1301+1101; 1401 Prerequisite: MATH 1320 , MATH 1550 , MATH 1420 , MATH 1451 , or MATH 1321 . Non-calculus introductory physics covering mechanics, heat, and sound, thus providing background for study in science-related areas. Partially fulfills core Life and Physical Sciences requirement.
  

  • PHYS 1404 - General Physics II

    4 Semester Credit Hours
    TCCNS: PHYS1302+1102; 1402 Prerequisite: PHYS 1403 . Non-calculus introductory physics covering electricity, magnetism, light, and modern physics, thus providing background for study in science-related areas. Partially fulfills core Life and Physical Sciences requirement.
  

  • PHYS 1406 - Physics of Sound and Music

    4 Semester Credit Hours
    Sound and music, including waves, harmonics, musical instruments, voice, hearing, room acoustics, elementary music theory, classroom demonstrations, music performances, high school mathematics. Laboratory. Partially fulfills core Life and Physical Sciences requirement. Satisfies natural science requirement in Arts and Sciences. Partially fulfills core Life and Physical Sciences requirement.
  

  • PHYS 1408 - Principles of Physics I

    4 Semester Credit Hours
    TCCNS: PHYS2325+2125, 2425 Prerequisite: MATH 1451 . Calculus-based introductory physics covering mechanics, kinematics, energy, momentum, and thermodynamics. (Honors section offered) Partially fulfills core Life and Physical Sciences requirement.
  

  • PHYS 2302 - Principles of Physics III: Intermediate Classical Mechanics

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisites: C or better in PHYS 1408  and MATH 1452 . Special and general relativity, thermodynamics, and statistical dynamics.
  

  • PHYS 2305 - Computation for the Physical Sciences

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisites: PHYS 1408  and PHYS 2401 . Introduces computational tools to solve science problems. Emphasizes interplay between technology application and practical learning. (CL)
  

  • PHYS 2401 - Principles of Physics II

    4 Semester Credit Hours
    TCCNS: PHYS2326+2126, 2426 Prerequisites: PHYS 1408  and MATH 1452 . Calculus-based introductory physics covering electric and magnetic fields, electromagnetic waves, and optics. (Honors section offered) Partially fulfills core Life and Physical Sciences requirement.
  

  • PHYS 3000 - Undergraduate Research

    V1-6 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: Permission of the department chair. Individual and/or group research projects in basic or applied physics, under the guidance of a faculty member.
  

  • PHYS 3101 - Legacy Modern Physics Lab

    1 Semester Credit Hours
    Corequisite: PHYS 3301 . Laboratory experiments designed to illustrate the basis of quantum physics.
  

  • PHYS 3201 - Modern Physics Lab and Data Analysis

    2 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: C or better in PHYS 3301 . Laboratory experiments and accompanying lectures designed to illustrate the basis of quantum physics and proper techniques for data acquisition, analysis, and determination of uncertainties.
  

  • PHYS 3301 - Principles of Physics IV: Introduction to Quantum Physics

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: PHYS 1408  and MATH 2450 . Corequisites: PHYS 3201  or PHYS 3101 . Failure of classical physics in the microscopic realm, development and fundamentals of quantum theory, applications to atoms, molecules, solids, nuclei, and particles.
  

  • PHYS 3302 - Cosmophysics: The Universe as a Physics Lab

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: PHYS 3301 . Deals with topics from astrophysics, cosmology, and cosmic ray physics of interest to all physicists.
  

  • PHYS 3304 - Intermediate Physics Laboratory

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: C or better in PHYS 3301  and PHYS 2305 . Laboratory course on advanced physical principles. Experiments in atomic, molecular, solid state, and nuclear, and particle physics as well as relativity, electricity and magnetism including data acquisition and analyses. (CL)
  

  • PHYS 3305 - Electricity and Magnetism

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: PHYS 2401  and either MATH 3350  or MATH 3354 . Electrostatics, dielectric materials, Maxwell’s equations, currents, and magnetostatics.
  

  • PHYS 3306 - Electricity and Magnetism

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: PHYS 3305  and either MATH 3351  or MATH 4354 . Magnetic properties of materials, electrodynamics, electromagnetic waves, waveguides and resonators, interaction with matter, AC circuits, radiation.
  

  • PHYS 3400 - Fundamentals of Physics

    4 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisites: Education majors only; preference given to EC or HDFS; instructor approval. Teaches the fundamentals of physics and strategies for teaching these fundamentals. Not open to engineering, science, or mathematics majors.
  

  • PHYS 3401 - Optics

    4 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisites: PHYS 1408 , PHYS 2401 , and PHYS 3301 . Covers geometrical and physical optics, waves, reflection, scattering, polarization, interference, diffraction, modern optics, and optical instrumentation. (CL)
  

  • PHYS 4000 - Independent Study

    V1-4 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: Approval of advisor. Study of advanced topics of current interest under direct supervision of a faculty member.
  

  • PHYS 4301 - Computational Physics

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisites: PHYS 1408 , PHYS 2305 , PHYS 2401 , PHYS 3301 . Numerical modeling of physical systems. Data acquisition and analysis. Graphics for displaying complex results. Quadrature schemes, solution of equations.
  

  • PHYS 4302 - Statistical and Thermal Physics

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisites: PHYS 3301 ; MATH 3350 , MATH 3354 , or PHYS 4325 . Introduction to statistical methods in physics. Formulation of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics from a unified viewpoint with applications from classical and quantum physics.
  

  • PHYS 4304 - Mechanics

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: PHYS 1408  and PHYS 4325 , or MATH 3350  or MATH 3354 , or department chair consent. Dynamics of particles and extended bodies, both rigid and fluid, using Newtonian mechanics and the Euler-Lagrange equations from Hamilton’s principle. Nonlinear systems and chaos with numerical modeling. Applications of the Navier Stokes equation.
  

  • PHYS 4306 - Capstone Project

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: Senior standing in physics major. Research in a current topic in physics and astronomy with a faculty mentor culminating in an oral presentation and a written report. (CL)
  

  • PHYS 4307 - Quantum Mechanics I

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: C or better in PHYS 3301  and MATH 3351  or MATH 4354  or PHYS 4326 . Introduction to fundamental concepts in quantum mechanics: probability, normalization, operators, solutions to Schrodinger equation for various potentials. Discussion of quantum mechanics in 3D, generalized uncertainty principle, angular momentum and hydrogen atom.
  

  • PHYS 4308 - Quantum Mechanics II

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: PHYS 4307 . Review of quantum mechanics, time-independent and dependent perturbation theory, variational principle, WKB approximation, the adiabatic approximation and scattering.
  

  • PHYS 4309 - Solid State Physics

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisites: PHYS 3305  and knowledge of elementary quantum mechanics. The structural, thermal, electric, and magnetic properties of crystalline solids. Free electron theory of metals. Concept of energy bands and elementary semiconductor physics.
  

  • PHYS 4312 - Nuclear and Particle Physics

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: PHYS 4307 . Deals with modern nuclear physics covering such topics as nuclear structure models, radioactivity, nuclear reactions, elementary particles, nuclear conservation, forces, and symmetry.
  

  • PHYS 4325 - Mathematical Methods in Physical Sciences I

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: C or better in MATH 2450 . Vectors and coordinate systems, vector and scalar fields, ordinary differential equations, boundary-value problems and partial differential equations. (MATH 4325)
  

  • PHYS 4326 - Mathematical Methods in Physical Sciences II

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Preqrequisit: C or better in PHYS 4325 . Calculus of variations, an introduction to complex analysis special functions, integral transforms. (MATH 4326)
  

  • PHYS 4350 - Relativity

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisites: C or better in PHYS 3305  and PHYS 4304  (may be taken concurrently). Introduction to spacetime, differential geometry, special and general relativity; with applications to black holes, cosmology, and gravitational waves.
  

  • PHYS 4371 - Physics as It Is Taught

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Discusses the teaching of introductory material. Extends topic coverage into advanced treatments and mathematics. Designed for students seeking teacher certification.
  

  • PHYS 4372 - Astronomy as It Is Taught

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Discusses solar system, stellar, and galactic astronomy and develops the use of activities in the process of instruction. Designed for students seeking teacher certification.
  

  • PHYS 4373 - Math Modeling in Physics

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Motivates extensive use of mathematics in the practice of physics and teaching physics. Designed for students seeking teacher certification.

PHYS - Physics (Graduate Courses)
  

  • PHYS 5000 - Independent Study

    V1-3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: Permission of the department chair. Offers independent study under the direct supervision of a faculty member. Not to be used for thesis or dissertation research or writing.
  

  • PHYS 5001 - Master’s Internship

    V1-12 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: Permission of the internship coordinator. Internship in an industrial or research laboratory setting. Arranged through the department and directly related to degree program.
  

  • PHYS 5101 - Seminar

    1 Semester Credit Hours
    Must be taken by every graduate student for at least the first four semesters. Taken pass-fail.
  

  • PHYS 5104 - Instructional Laboratory Techniques in Physics

    1 Semester Credit Hours
    Laboratory organization and instructional techniques. Must be taken by all teaching assistants when on appointment.
  

  • PHYS 5274 - Physics Pedagogy

    2 Semester Credit Hours
    A course in teaching methods and pedagogy for physics laboratories and recitations.
  

  • PHYS 5300 - Special Topics

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: Approval of graduate advisor and/or department chair. Topics in semiconductor, plasma, surface, particle physics, spectroscopy, and others. May be repeated in different areas.
  

  • PHYS 5301 - Quantum Mechanics I

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Experimental basis and history, wave equation, Schrodinger equation, harmonic oscillator, piecewise constant potentials, WKB approximation, central forces and angular momentum, hydrogen atom, spin, two-level systems, and scattering. M.S. and Ph.D. core course.
  

  • PHYS 5302 - Quantum Mechanics II

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: PHYS 5301  or equivalent. Quantum dynamics, rotations, bound-state and time-dependent perturbation theory, identical particles, atomic and molecular structure, electromagnetic interactions, and formal scattering theory. Ph.D. core course.
  

  • PHYS 5303 - Electromagnetic Theory

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Electrostatics and magnetostatics, time varying fields, Maxwell’s equations and conservation laws, electromagnetic waves in materials and in waveguides. M.S. and Ph.D. core course.
  

  • PHYS 5304 - Solid State Physics

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: PHYS 5301  or equivalent. A survey of the microscopic properties of crystalline solids. Major topics include lattice structures, vibrational properties, electronic band structure, and electronic transport.
  

  • PHYS 5305 - Statistical Physics

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Elements of probability theory and statistics; foundations of kinetic theory. Gibb’s statistical mechanics, the method of Darwin and Fowler, derivation of the laws of macroscopic thermodynamics from statistical considerations; other selected applications in both classical and quantum physics. M.S. and Ph.D. core course.
  

  • PHYS 5306 - Classical Dynamics

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Lagrangian dynamics and variational principles. Kinematics and dynamics of two-body scattering. Rigid body dynamics. Hamiltonian dynamics, canonical transformations, and Hamilton-Jacobi theory of discrete and continuous systems. M.S. and Ph.D. core course.
  

  • PHYS 5307 - Methods in Physics I

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Provides first-year graduate students the necessary skill in mathematical methods for graduate courses in physical sciences; applications such as coordinate systems, vector and tensor analysis, matrices, group theory, functions of a complex variable, variational methods, Fourier series, integral transforms, Sturm-Liouville theory, eigenvalues and functions, Green functions, special functions and boundary value problems. Tools course.
  

  • PHYS 5308 - Molecular Biophysics

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Study of the physics of the structures and dynamics of biological molecules and assemblies at the molecular level. Required for students in biophysics research.
  

  • PHYS 5309 - Methods in Biophysics

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Study of experimental and computational methods in biophysics. Requires an individual research project. Mandatory for students in biophysics research.
  

  • PHYS 5311 - Nuclear Physics

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: PHYS 5301 . Deals with nuclear physics covering such topics as nuclear structure models, interactions, reactions, scattering, and resonance. Nuclear energy is discussed as an application. Deals with nuclear physics covering such topics as nuclear structure models, interactions, reactions, scattering, and resonance. Nuclear energy is discussed as an application.
  

  • PHYS 5312 - Elementary Particle Physics

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisites: PHYS 5302 , PHYS 5303 . The role of symmetries, gauge theories, and the Standard Model. First-order Feynman diagram calculations aided by computing tools and comparison with the experimental data. Experimental techniques and detectors in particle physics.
  

  • PHYS 5322 - Computational Physics

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Numerical modeling of physical systems. Data acquisition and analysis. Graphics for displaying complex results. Quadrature schemes and solution of equations. Use of minicomputers and microcomputers. Tools course.
  

  • PHYS 5330 - Semiconductor Materials and Processing

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Survey of semiconductor materials deposition, characterization, and processing techniques with emphasis on the fundamental physical interactions underlying device processing steps.
  

  • PHYS 5335 - Physics of Semiconductors

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Theoretical description of the physical and electrical properties of semiconductors; Band structures, vibrational properties and phonons, defects, transport and carrier statistics, optical properties, and quantum confinement.
  

  • PHYS 5336 - Device Physics

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Principles of semiconductor devices; description of modeling of p/n junctions, transistors, and other basic units in integrated circuits; relationship between physical structures and electrical parameters.
  

  • PHYS 5371 - Conceptual Physics for Teachers

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Inquiry-based course in elementary physical principles of mechanics, heat, electricity, and magnetism.
  

  • PHYS 5372 - Astronomy for Teachers

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Inquiry-based course in solar system, stellar, and galactic astronomy. Discusses history of human understanding of the universe.
  

  • PHYS 5373 - Mathematical Modeling of the Physical World

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Studies how and why mathematics is used to model physical situations and uses physical examples extensively.
  

  • PHYS 5374 - Research Experience in Physics

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Motivates physics/education research activities. Discusses scientific method, research plans, literature searches, data collection and analysis. Designed for math/science teachers; not allowed for physics majors.
  

  • PHYS 6000 - Master’s Thesis

    V1-6 Semester Credit Hours
  

  • PHYS 6002 - Master’s Report

    V1-6 Semester Credit Hours
  

  • PHYS 6304 - Condensed Matter Physics

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: PHYS 5304 . Problems of current interest in condensed matter physics. Topics include transport properties in solids, superconductivity, magnetism, semiconductors, and related topics.
  

  • PHYS 6305 - Statistical Mechanics II: Critical Phenomena

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Equilibrium treatments of strongly interacting systems, phase transitions, and critical phenomena; mean field and Landau theories, scaling and critical exponents, renormalization approach, disorder and percolation.
  

  • PHYS 6306 - Advanced Electromagnetic Theory

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: PHYS 5303 . Classical theory of electromagnetic fields, radiation, scattering and diffraction, special theory of relativity and electrodynamics, special topics. Ph.D. core course.
  

  • PHYS 6309 - Advanced Quantum Mechanics

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisite: PHYS 5302 . Scattering, second quantization, charge particle interactions, path integral, Klein-Gordon and Dirac equations, many electron systems.
  

  • PHYS 6312 - Quantum Field Theory I

    3 Semester Credit Hours
    Prerequisites: PHYS 5301 , PHYS 5302 . A first course in quantum field theory. Path integral approach to quantization of fields, Feynman diagrams and calculation of quantum electrodynamics (QED) processes.
  

  • PHYS 7000 - Research

    V1-12 Semester Credit Hours
  

  • PHYS 8000 - Doctor’s Dissertation

    V1-12 Semester Credit Hours