We have taken great care to make the information below accurate. However, in case of any discrepancies, the academic calendar is the authoritative source of information.
Note: The Major program has been revised in 2024, and this is reflected in the information below. Major students who started their studies before 2024 will complete their program according to the old rules. The Chair may provide you with information on this if needed.
Click on a program name to learn more about it
Honours
This is the most specialized and the most stringent program in terms of average requirements and complexity of courses. It is designed to prepare students for graduate programs in physics or a related subject such as engineering, meteorology, or climate modeling. In their fourth year, Honours students work on a research project, which will enable them to develop the skills needed for research in these areas.
Advanced Major
This program provides a compromise between the rigor of the Honours program and the choices that the Major program offers. Students still can pick many elective courses, but also work on a thesis project and thus get exposed to research. The Advanced Major program can be combined with a Diploma in Engineering. It is well suited for students who consider careers in which physics plays a supportive role, such as graduate studies in oceanography or environmental studies, or any branch of medicine.
Major
If you are looking for the greatest amount of flexibility, the Major program is perfect. With 30 credits of open electives, 9 credits of approved electives, and 18 credits of arts electives, you can take courses from a very wide range of fields. A Major student will acquire the skills to apply mathematical and technical methods for problem solving. Such skills are required in fields such as IT services, financial analysis, or insurance risk estimates. A Physics Major automatically has Physics and Mathematics as teachables for a career in education. Both of these teachables are in high demand at high schools across Canada.
Major/Adv. Major with Diploma in Engineering
At StFX, students can complete two degrees - BSc Major and Diploma in Engineering - within four years. The close relationship between Physics and Engineering makes it even possible to combine the Diploma with an Advanced Major in Physics. This option is popular among Engineering students who have an interest in Physics, or who want to get an overview about novel technologies that are usually not taught in the Engineering program. Examples include new materials such as photonic band gaps (light confinement, used in telecommunication), metamaterials (used for cloaking devices) or graphene (unusual electronic properties); quantum technologies such as quantum key distribution, quantum computation, or quantum sensors; relativistic effects in GPS satellite networks; medical physics. You can learn more about this in our fact sheet about combining a Diploma in engineering with a BSc in physics.
Joint programs
Physics can be combined with almost all other science programs, and even with Economics. For a full list of options, see the table below.
Minor
A Minor consists of 24 credits of physics courses. Any physics course, except for PHYS 171 and 172 (Astronomy for non-science students), can be part of a Minor for students in a B.Sc. program. Recommended courses for a Minor in Physics include the following. For B.Sc. students: courses that use calculus
♦ PHYS 121 and 122 (Physics for Physical Sciences and Engineering I and II)
♦ PHYS 201 (Modern Physics)
♦ PHYS 202 (Relativity and Quantum Physics)
♦ PHYS 221 (Basic Circuits)
♦ PHYS 242 (Classical Mechanics)
♦ PHYS 305 (Quantum Information)
♦ PHYS 371 and 372 (Astronomy I and II)
♦ PHYS 374 (Computational Physics)
For B.Sc. students: courses that use no or little calculus
♦ PHYS 101 and 102 (Physics for Life and Health Sciences I and II)
♦ PHYS 202 (Relativity and Quantum Physics)
♦ PHYS 250 (Medical Imaging)
♦ PHYS 299 (Special topics)
♦ PHYS 371 and 372 (Astronomy I and II)
For non-B.Sc. students:
♦ PHYS 101 and 102 (Physics for Life and Health Sciences I and II)
♦ PHYS 171 and 172 (Astronomy I and II)
♦ PHYS 202 (Relativity and Quantum Physics)
♦ PHYS 250 (Medical Imaging)
♦ PHYS 299 (Special topics)
These courses can be combined, or other physics courses may be taken as well. However, it is not possible to take a Minor in Physics without taking calculus.
Pair
A Pair is a program option in the Faculty of Arts and consists of 12 credits in one subject, with at least 6 credits at the 200-level or higher. Since BA students generally are not required to take calculus, feasible options for a Pair in physics may only include courses that do not employ calculus. The Physics Department offers the following set of courses that meet this criterion.
♦ PHYS 101 and 102 (Physics for Life and Health Sciences I and II)
♦ PHYS 171 and 172 (Astronomy I and II)
♦ PHYS 202 (Relativity and Quantum Physics)
♦ PHYS 250 (Medical Imaging)
♦ PHYS 299 (Special topics)
Close program description
Interested? The table below enables you to plan the five most popular programs according to your personal preferences. You can move courses to different time slots, but pre-requisites need to be considered. The program will make you aware of potential problems, but if you need help simply contact the Chair of Physics.
How to use the table
Select the year when you start(ed) your BSc program at StFX
Select the program that you are interested in
Click and drag a course to move it to a different time slot. Drag and drop is not available on some mobile devices. Use the click options instead.
Click on a course to
move the course to a different location. The program will check prerequisites and availability.
show the course outline.
Enter the ID of a specific course. For instance, you can specify that an open elective should be PHYS 371. You can only edit courses shown in gray.
There is an empty 6th column to which you can drag courses as well, in case you are planning to take more than 5 courses in one term.
Contact the Chair if you encounter any problems with the table
A significant number of our courses is usually offered only every other year. However, we will always make sure that all courses are offered that you need to complete your program.
The program has information about most courses at StFX, but not about all. If you receive a message that the course is unknown, you need to check prerequisites yourself. Also, the joint programs with economics are preliminary and subject to change.
6-credit courses are treated like two 3-credit courses. If you decide to move such a course, make sure you move both parts.
This is only a tool to assist you in planning your studies, not an official resource. You still need to fill out the declaration form and have it approved by the Chair of the department and the Dean.
AGAIN: with this web page, you are only creating a plan for your studies. The actual courses you will take may be different, and there is some flexibility in these programs. Talk to the Chair if you have any questions.
If you haven't found the program that you would like to take, contact the Chair. Some of the programs in the table have been created because a student asked for it.
Physics Courses
By level (click on a course number to get more information):
