The College of New Jersey has graduated between 15 and 25 physics majors each year over the past several years, placing us in the top 3-4% among physics programs that offer only Bachelor of Science degrees and in the top 15% of all programs, including those that offer PhDs. Our popularity reflects the excellent teaching and advising by the professors and the helpful attitude of the more senior physics students who run a very active Physics Club. Most physics majors perform research projects related to our faculty members’ interests in astrophysics, atmospheric science, biophysics, condensed matter physics, geophysics, optics, and photonics. The rigorous training in physics our students receive means that our graduates have the knowledge and flexibility to succeed in a wide variety of careers. We offer a larger number of specializations than most undergraduate programs that allow our students to deeply investigate their interests as they develop as scientists.
TCNJ physics classes are typically small, and the labs, even in introductory classes, are taught by the professors who also teach the lectures. All students are assigned academic advisers within the department. These initial relationships between students and faculty only expand through the four years as many students perform experimental, observational, theoretical and computational research with our faculty members. Many of our students attend national conferences and meetings to present their research results, and some students are co-authors on published papers with faculty members.
Some of our graduates accept jobs in industry similar to those taken by newly trained engineers and others go on to graduate school, almost always with full financial support, in physics, astronomy, geosciences, and engineering. Those who take the Physics/Secondary Education track are certified to teach in high schools and so far every graduate of this program has obtained a teaching position immediately upon graduation and most have had multiple offers. Other Physics majors go on to professional schools in medicine, medical physics and law. Click here to see a list of what some of our graduates have done after they left TCNJ. These links on physics employment trends are helpful as well: Who Is Hiring Physics Bachelor’s? and Latest Employment Data for Physicists.