Program: Physics, B.S.: Astrophysics Concentration - Texas Tech University

Apr 19, 2025

2025-2026 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog

About the Physics: Astrophysics Concentration Bachelor’s Program

The astrophysics concentration is a variation of the professional concentration and is intended for physics majors who have a particular interest in astronomy and astrophysics. In addition to preparing students for possible employment paths associated with the professional concentration, the astrophysics concentration will prepare students to pursue graduate study in astronomy or astrophysics. Students will take all courses in the 35-credit-hour physics core curriculum, which includes PHYS 1408 , PHYS 2305 , PHYS 2401 , PHYS 3201 , PHYS 3301 , PHYS 3304 , PHYS 3305 , PHYS 3401 , PHYS 4302 , PHYS 4304 , and PHYS 4307 . Students in the astrophysics concentration will also take 14 credit hours of required astronomy and astrophysics courses, namely ASTR 1401 , ASTR 2401 , ASTR 4301 , and ASTR 4302 . Additionally, students in the astrophysics requirement must take nine hours of astrophysics electives, choosing from the following courses: ASTR 3300 , ASTR 4305 , PHYS 4312 , PHYS 4350 , and up to three credit hours of PHYS 3000 (the student’s research topic must be astronomy or astrophysics).

The required mathematics courses for physics majors are MATH 1451 , MATH 1452 , MATH 2450 , three hours of a first differential equations course (PHYS 4325 , MATH 4325 , MATH 3350 , or MATH 3354 ), and three hours of a second differential equations course (PHYS 4326 , MATH 4326 , MATH 3351 , or MATH 4354 ). PHYS 4325 and PHYS 4326 are the preferred differential equations courses for physics majors. Students planning to pursue an advanced degree in physics should consult the physics academic advisor about appropriate additional courses. Majors in this concentration are strongly encouraged to take MATH 2360 to complete the mathematics minor.

Communication Literacy Requirement. Communication Literacy courses for the physics major (all concentrations) are PHYS 2305 , PHYS 3304 , PHYS 3401 , and PHYS 4306 .

Recommended Curriculum

First Year

Fall

MATH 1451 - Calculus I with Applications 4 Semester Credit Hours
ASTR 1401 - Stellar Astronomy 4 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 1301 - Essentials of College Rhetoric 3 Semester Credit Hours
COMS 2300 - Public Speaking 3 Semester Credit Hours

Total: 14

Spring

PHYS 1408 - Principles of Physics I 4 Semester Credit Hours
MATH 1452 - Calculus II with Applications 4 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 1302 - Advanced College Rhetoric 3 Semester Credit Hours
POLS 1301 - American Government 3 Semester Credit Hours
Creative Arts 3 Semester Credit Hours *

Total: 17

Second Year

Fall

PHYS 2401 - Principles of Physics II 4 Semester Credit Hours
MATH 2450 - Calculus III with Applications 4 Semester Credit Hours
ASTR 2401 - Observational Astronomy 4 Semester Credit Hours
Foreign Language 3 Semester Credit Hours

Total: 15

Spring

PHYS 2305 - Computation for the Physical Sciences 3 Semester Credit Hours
PHYS 3201 - Modern Physics Lab and Data Analysis 2 Semester Credit Hours
PHYS 3301 - Modern Physics 3 Semester Credit Hours
PHYS 4325 - Mathematical Methods in Physical Sciences I 3 Semester Credit Hours
(MATH 3350 and MATH 3351 may substitute for PHYS 4325 and PHYS 4326 .)
Personal Fitness and Wellness 1 Semester Credit Hour

Total: 15

Third Year

Fall

PHYS 3305 - Electricity and Magnetism 3 Semester Credit Hours
PHYS 3401 - Optics 4 Semester Credit Hours
PHYS 4326 - Mathematical Methods in Physical Sciences II 3 Semester Credit Hours
(MATH 3350 and MATH 3351 may substitute for PHYS 4325 and PHYS 4326 .)
POLS 2306 - Texas Politics and Topics 3 Semester Credit Hours
Language, Philosophy, and Culture 3 Semester Credit Hours *

Total: 16

Spring

PHYS 4302 - Statistical and Thermal Physics 3 Semester Credit Hours
PHYS 4304 - Mechanics 3 Semester Credit Hours
ASTR 3300 - Special Topics in Astrophysics 3 Semester Credit Hours
ASTR 4301 - Astrophysics I 3 Semester Credit Hours
Multicultural 3 Semester Credit Hours ^†

Total: 15

Fourth Year

Fall

PHYS 4307 - Quantum Mechanics I 3 Semester Credit Hours
ASTR 4302 - Astrophysics II 3 Semester Credit Hours
ASTR 4305 - Radiative Processes in Astrophysics 3 Semester Credit Hours
HIST 2300 - History of the United States to 1877 3 Semester Credit Hours
Social and Behavioral Sciences 3 Semester Credit Hours *

Total: 15

Spring

PHYS 3304 - Intermediate Physics Laboratory 3 Semester Credit Hours
PHYS 4350 - Relativity 3 Semester Credit Hours
HIST 2301 - History of the United States since 1877 3 Semester Credit Hours
ENGL 2000 Level 3 Semester Credit Hours
Elective 1 Semester Credit Hour

Total: 13

Total Hours: 120

Astrophysics concentration students are strongly encouraged to minor in mathematics, as assumed in the curriculum above.

* Choose from the university’s core curriculum .
^† Choose from the university’s Multicultural Requirement list.

Foreign Language

A student must complete 3 hours at the sophomore level or above in a single language. The prerequisite for all sophomore language courses is proficiency at the freshman level. This proficiency can be determined through credit or by examination. The score attained on the exam will determine whether the student is placed in a second-year course, a 5-hour review course, or in some cases the first or second semester of a beginning (first-year) language course. See Arts & Sciences General Degree Requirements for further explanation.