物理课程的设计目的是为了满足学生的各种目标：那些希望为获得物理高级学位的研究生学习做准备的人，那些打算在另一个科学或工程领域从事研究生工作的人以及那些打算寻求学习的人获得学士学位后立即就业。通过物理课程获得的基本科学背景和分析性思维技能，加上涵盖所有文理学位课程的广泛知识基础，已证明是为各种职业做好的充分准备。这包括以前被视为“非科学”的工作，因为实际上各行各业已被当前的技术革命所吞没。准备进行物理研究生学习的学生通常会遵循选项I计划。其他课程将遵循已获批准的选项II计划，该课程除了包含物理课程的坚实核心
The Physics Curriculum is designed to accommodate students with a variety of goals: those who wish to prepare for graduate study leading to advanced degrees in physics, those who plan to do graduate work in another field of science or engineering, and those who intend to seek employment immediately after receiving the baccalaureate degree. The basic science background and analytical thinking skills acquired by taking physics courses, combined with the broad knowledge base which characterizes all Arts and Sciences degree programs, has proved to be excellent preparation for a wide variety of careers. This includes endeavors previously viewed as non-scientific, as virtually all walks of life have been engulfed by the current technological revolution. Students preparing for graduate study in physics will normally follow the Option I program. The others will follow an approved Option II program which contains, in addition to a solid core of physics courses, a concentration of electives in another area of science and/or engineering, such as electrical engineering, molecular biology, or computer science. Both programs lead to the Bachelor of Science degree in physics. Students in both options are eligible for summer employment in one of the research groups in the Department, for physics scholarships, and for participation in the Cooperative Education Program.