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2025-2026

Physics, Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Science in Science (Brightpoint Community College)
Brightpoint Community College
Associate degree

Associate of Science in Science

Completing the associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.

Program description

The curriculum in physics prepares students for technical careers in physics or an allied area, for careers in engineering and for the teaching of physics in secondary schools. The curriculum also prepares students for graduate studies in physics or a related area. Students will learn to perform scientific reasoning and complex problem-solving.


Physics majors will receive a fundamental understanding of the main areas of physics so that they are prepared for jobs that use physics-based technologies. They are expected to have mastered the analytical approach to solving technical problems by identifying simple subsystems that obey known physical laws and using these laws to approximate the behavior of the whole system.

Career opportunities

With a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics, students can pursue careers in research and development, science, engineering, education, medicine, law, business, and the military.

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Automotive Engineer
  • Computer Systems Analyst
  • Environmental Compliance Inspector
  • Geophysical Data Technician
  • High School Teacher
  • Photonics Engineer
  • Quality Control Analyst
  • Regulatory Affairs Specialist
  • Software Quality Assurance Engineer/Tester
  • Technical Writer
  • Web Developer
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Astrophysicist
  • Engineer
  • Meteorologist
  • Secondary School Teacher
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Guaranteed transfer admission requirements

Students are guaranteed admission to this degree program with:

  • Completion of the associate degree
  • Minimum GPA of 2.5
  • All courses completed with a "C" grade or better
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
  • MATH 201 or higher
Science required
  • 5+ additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
  • Yes
Additional tuition/fees
  • Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.0
VCU Major Maps

View VCU Major Map for Physics with concentration in Nanoscience, Pre-Medical

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2025-2026

Physics, Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)

Brightpoint Community College (Associate of Science in Science)

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Schedule an advising appointment with your Brightpoint advisor.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes and use tutoring to get ahead.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Explore financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
  • Attend cultural events at community college and VCU to celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
Experience Year 2
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing options for next year.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU Department of Physics, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Check out the VCU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and follow @vcuomsa.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or department-related events.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Schedule an advising appointment with your Brightpoint advisor.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes and use tutoring to get ahead.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Explore financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend cultural events at community college and VCU to celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing options for next year.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU Department of Physics, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Check out the VCU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and follow @vcuomsa.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or department-related events.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2025-2026

Physics, Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)

Brightpoint Community College (Associate of Science in Science)

Brightpoint Community College courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV 100 College Success Skills UNIV 101 1 Elective
ENG 111 College Composition I UNIV 111 3 General education
MTH 263 Calculus I (consult with your Brightpoint advisor about prerequisites for this class) MATH 200 4 Major
CHM 111 General Chemistry I CHEM/Z 101 4 General education
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
Arts/Humanities Elective (select one from approved BCC list) VCU equivalent 3 General education
Communication or Foreign Language (select one from approved BCC list) VCU equivalent 3 General education
MTH 264 Calculus ll MATH 201 4 Major
CHM 112 General Chemistry II CHEM/Z 102 4 General education
Social/Behavioral Science Elective (select one from approved BCC list) VCU equivalent 3 General education
MTH 245 Statistics l STAT 210 3 Elective
PHY 241 University Physics I PHYS/Z 207 4 Major
MTH 265 Calculus lll MATH 307 4 Major
Social/Behavioral Science Elective (select one from approved BCC list) VCU equivalent 3 General education
Literature Elective (select one from approved BCC list) VCU equivalent 3 General education
PHY 242 University Physics Ii PHYS/Z 208 4 Major
MTH 267 Differential Equations MATH 301 3 Major
History Elective (select one from approved BCC list) VCU equivalent 3 General education
Approved transfer elective VCU equivalent 3 Elective
Brightpoint credits transferred to VCU 62
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
PHYS 301 Classical Mechanics I (take in the same semester as PHYS 320) 3 Major
PHYS 320 Modern Physics (take in the same semester as PHYS 301) 3 Major
PHYZ 320 Modern Physics Laboratory (take after completing PHYS 320) 1 Major
PHYS 340 Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics (take with PHYS 376 in the spring) 3 Major
PHYS 376 Electromagnetism I (take with PHYS 340 in the spring) 3 Major
PHYS 380 Quantum Physics I (take in the fall semester) 3 Major
PHYS 450 Senior Physics Laboratory (take in the spring semester) 3 Major
PHYS 490 Seminar in Conceptual Physics (take in the spring semester) 1 Major
Major electives Note: Select courses from the physics and physics-related electives list (students who have their primary major in physics are required to fulfill at least three of the credits using upper-level physics courses). 9 Major
Open electives (consider a minor or second major) Upper-level electives (300 or 400-level courses): consider a minor or a second major. Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. 29 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 58
Minimum credits required for bachelor's degree 120
The accelerated B.S. and M.S. program allows academically talented students to earn both the B.S. in Physics and M.S. in Physics and Applied Physics in a minimum of five years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. Minimum qualifications for entrance to this accelerated program include completion of 85 undergraduate credit hours, including PHYS 376 and PHYS 380; an overall GPA of 3.25; and a GPA of 3.25 in physics course work.