About


Contents

[edit]

Chair's Welcome

Hi, my name is Robert Ehrlich. Welcome to the Department of Physics & Astronomy at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. We offer many exciting possibilities for studying physics and astronomy. Our faculty has a deep commitment to facilitating learning and encouraging students to engage in research on the frontiers of knowledge. You can learn all about this work either by going to the research section of this site or else by visiting individual faculty profiles. Please browse through these pages to see what's new and exciting in our department and university!

[edit]

About Academics

The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers degrees at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The B.S. degree in Physics and B.A. degree or B.S. degree in Astronomy begin with a core curriculum in the first three years, followed by specialization in one of nine emphases in the fourth year. Majors receive a solid foundation in the basics of Physics and Astronomy and are taught analytical and problem-solving skills essential for success in any career path. Upper-level Physics and Astronomy classes, taught by faculty members who bring their research interests into the classroom, are small, typically ten to fifteen students. Such enrollments are considered optimal for dynamic learning and individual attention.

The Department offers an accelerated, five-year B.S./M.S. program and a M.S. program in Applied and Engineering Physics, as well as a Ph.D. program in Physics. The doctoral program in Physical S Additional information regarding the doctoral program is available here.

[edit]

About Research

The research interests of the Department's faculty span most of Astronomy and Physics. These include: 

   Applied Physics, Astrobiology, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Atmospheric Physics,
   Atomic physics, Biological Physics, Complex Systems, Computational Physics,
   Condensed Matter Physics, Material Science, Nonlinear Dynamics,
   Particle and Nuclear Physics, Planetary Science, and Space Weather Physics

Whenever possible, undergraduates, too, are offered the chance to participate in these programs.


[edit]

About Facilities

The Department has a variety of computing resources including Windows-based and UNIX-based machines. The Windows machines are linked to an NT server which provides shared disk space as well as mail and printer services.

Introductory physics laboratories are equipped with computer-interfaced experiments, allowing students to obtain quantitative results while gaining experience with modern data acquisition and analysis methods.

George Mason University recently opened the Research I building. An observatory sits atop this building, which houses a large optical telescope used in teaching and research.

Retrieved from "http://www.physics.gmu.edu/wiki/About"

This page has been accessed 5,886 times. This page was last modified 18:19, 5 February 2009.