The combined major in physics and music provides a strong foundation in classical and modern physics, along with the physics of acoustic and digital audio-related phenomena, and studies of the various physical phenomena including electromagnetism, dynamics, building blocks of matter, energy, and radiation. It also provides students with a solid background in the interdisciplinary application of creative audio technologies to a broad range of outcomes, including analog/digital systems, hardware and software design, musical instrument design, audio synthesis and signal processing, human-computer interaction, and innovative artistic applications of music technology. The combined major allows students to learn how physical principles influence sound production and propagation.
Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.
Universitywide Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the Universitywide Requirements.
NUpath Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.
Physics Major Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Introductory Physics | ||
Physics 1 | ||
PHYS 1161 and PHYS 1162 | Physics 1 and Lab for PHYS 1161 | 5 |
Physics 2 | ||
PHYS 1165 and PHYS 1166 | Physics 2 and Lab for PHYS 1165 | 5 |
Intermediate Physics | ||
PHYS 2303 | Modern Physics | 4 |
PHYS 2371 and PHYS 2372 | Electronics and Lab for PHYS 2371 | 4 |
Advanced Physics | ||
PHYS 3600 | Advanced Physics Laboratory | 4 |
PHYS 3602 | Electricity and Magnetism 1 | 4 |
PHYS 4115 | Quantum Mechanics | 4 |
PHYS 4305 | Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics | 4 |
PHYS 5318 | Principles of Experimental Physics | 4 |
Supporting Courses
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Mathematics | ||
MATH 1341 | Calculus 1 for Science and Engineering | 4 |
MATH 1342 | Calculus 2 for Science and Engineering | 4 |
MATH 2321 | Calculus 3 for Science and Engineering | 4 |
MATH 2341 | Differential Equations and Linear Algebra for Engineering | 4 |
Music Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Music Theory and Composition | ||
MUSC 1201 | Music Theory 1 | 4 |
MUSC 1202 | Music Theory 2 | 4 |
Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
Algebra and Geometry of Music | ||
Music Perception and Cognition | ||
Music Analysis Seminar | ||
Composing with Digital Technologies | ||
Music in Context | ||
Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
Music in Everyday Life | ||
Music in Everyday Life and Lab for MUSC 1002 | ||
Contemporary/Popular Music | ||
Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
Black Popular Music | ||
Making a Musical: Analysis, Craft, and Creation | ||
Popular Music Since 1945 | ||
Topics in American Music | ||
Punk Rock | ||
40,000 Years of Music Technology | ||
The Festival Experience | ||
Divas, DJs, and Double Standards | ||
Music, Sound, and the Screen | ||
The World of Choral Music | ||
Sounding Human | ||
Music and the Racial Imagination | ||
Sound and the Sacred | ||
Global Music Industries in Context | ||
Hip Hop in the Music Industry | ||
Music Technology | ||
MUSC 2350 | Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Music | 4 |
MUST 1220 | Introduction to Music Technology | 4 |
MUST 2431 | Computer Music Fundamentals | 4 |
Music Technology Electives | ||
Complete two of the following: | 8 | |
Music and the Brain Research | ||
Special Topics in Music Technology | ||
Digital Audio Signal Processing | ||
Electronics for Music | ||
Embedded Audio Programming | ||
Composition for Electronic Instruments | ||
Music Technology Capstone | ||
MUST 4611 | Music Technology Capstone/Senior Recital | 4 |
Physics/Music Integrative Requirement
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Integrative Course Requirement | ||
MUSC 2350 | Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Music | 4 |
Physics and Music Combined Major Credit Requirement
Complete a minimum of 98 semester hours in the major.
Music Technology Major Grade Requirement
Students must maintain at least a 2.667 GPA (B– average) in the requirements of the music half of the combined major and also complete all required music courses with grades of at least C. Students who fail to meet the above standards will be placed on departmental probation; those who remain on probation for two consecutive semesters will be dropped from the major.
Program Requirement
131 total semester hours required
Note on Physics Courses in Plans of Study
Some required physics courses are offered in both fall and spring semesters, while other required courses are offered less frequently. Therefore, the suggested plan of study will vary from student to student, depending on the year of entry for that student.
See course offering schedule at the end of the plans of study.
Please contact your academic advisor for additional information and plans of study.
Five Years, Two Co-ops in Spring/Summer 1
Year 1 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
ENGW 1111 | 4 | MATH 1342 | 4 | Vacation | Vacation | ||
MATH 1341 | 4 | MUST 1220 | 4 | ||||
Select one of the following: | 4 | PHYS 1165 | 4 | ||||
PHYS 1166 | 1 | ||||||
PHYS 1167 | 0 | ||||||
PHYS 1000 | 1 | Elective | 4 | ||||
PHYS 1161 | 4 | ||||||
PHYS 1162 | 1 | ||||||
PHYS 1163 | 0 | ||||||
18 | 17 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Year 2 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
MATH 2321 | 4 | MATH 2341 | 4 | Vacation | Vacation on ODD years. See offering schedule for EVEN years. | ||
MUSC 1201 | 4 | MUSC 1202 | 4 | ||||
PHYS 2303 | 4 | MUSC 2350 | 4 | ||||
Elective | 4 | PHYS 3602 | 4 | ||||
16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Year 3 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
EESC 2000 | 1 | Co-op | Co-op | PHYS 3600 | 4 | ||
MUSC 3541, 2111, or 3300 | 4 | PHYS 4305 | 4 | ||||
MUST 2102 | 4 | ||||||
MUST 2431 | 4 | ||||||
PHYS 2371 | 3 | ||||||
PHYS 2372 | 1 | ||||||
17 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
Year 4 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
MUSC 3541, 2111, or 3300 | 4 | Co-op | Co-op | Vacation | |||
MUST 3540 | 4 | ||||||
PHYS 4115 | 4 | ||||||
Music elective | 4 | ||||||
16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Year 5 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
ENGW 3307 | 4 | MUST 4611 | 4 | ||||
MUST 4610 | 4 | PHYS 5318 | 4 | ||||
Elective | 4 | ||||||
Elective | 4 | ||||||
16 | 8 | ||||||
Total Hours: 132 |
Four Years, One Co-op in Spring/Summer 1
Year 1 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
ENGW 1111 | 4 | MATH 1342 | 4 | Vacation | Vacation | ||
MATH 1341 | 4 | MUST 1220 | 4 | ||||
Select one of the following: | 4 | PHYS 1165 | 4 | ||||
PHYS 1166 | 1 | ||||||
PHYS 1167 | 0 | ||||||
PHYS 1000 | 1 | Elective | 4 | ||||
PHYS 1161 | 4 | ||||||
PHYS 1162 | 1 | ||||||
PHYS 1163 | 0 | ||||||
18 | 17 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Year 2 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
MATH 2321 | 4 | MATH 2341 | 4 | Vacation | PHYS 3600 | 4 | |
MUSC 1201 | 4 | MUSC 1202 | 4 | Elective in ODD years, PHYS 4305 in EVEN years | 4 | ||
PHYS 2303 | 4 | MUSC 2350 | 4 | ||||
PHYS 2371 | 3 | PHYS 3602 | 4 | ||||
PHYS 23723 | 1 | ||||||
16 | 16 | 0 | 8 | ||||
Year 3 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
EESC 2000 | 1 | Co-op | Co-op | ENGW 3307 | 4 | ||
MUSC 3541, 2111, or 3300 | 4 | PHYS 4305 (in EVEN years, elective in ODD years) | 4 | ||||
MUST 2102 | 4 | ||||||
MUST 2431 | 4 | ||||||
PHYS 4115 | 4 | ||||||
17 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
Year 4 | |||||||
Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
MUSC 3541, 2111, or 3300 | 4 | MUST 4611 | 4 | ||||
MUST 3540 | 4 | PHYS 5318 | 4 | ||||
MUST 4610 | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
Music elective | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
16 | 16 | ||||||
Total Hours: 132 |
Offerings Schedule (Subject to Changes)
- PHYS 2303 offered every fall, spring, and summer 2
- PHYS 2371/2372 offered every fall
- PHYS 3600 offered every summer 1 and summer 2 (take in year 2 or 3, whichever is even)
- PHYS 3601 offered spring and fall (even years)
- PHYS 3602 offered every fall and spring
- PHYS 3603 offered fall (even years) and summer 1 (odd years)
- PHYS 4115 offered every fall and spring
- PHYS 4305 offered every spring and summer 2 (take in year 2 or 3, whichever is even)
- PHYS 4621 offered spring (odd years) and fall (even years)
- PHYS 4623 offered summer 1 and fall (even years)
- PHYS 4651 offered spring and fall (odd years)
- PHYS 4652 offered every spring
- PHYS 5318 offered every spring