Physics
Learn about black holes, atmospheric phenomena, new materials, quarks and gluons. Investigate such phenomena as the big bang, quantum mechanical paradoxes and superconductivities. Experiment using telescopes, satellites, radar, tokamaks, synchrotron and particle accelerators. Conduct space weather observations and atmospheric ozone monitoring. These opportunities and more are available to you when you choose physics at the University of Saskatchewan.
What is Physics?
Physics is the study of matter and energy and how they interact. Students in physics study all aspects of nature—from the study of subatomic particles to the study of astronomical objects many times larger than the sun. Physicists attempt to understand the particles that make up the universe and the forces with which they interact. The goal of physics is to formulate comprehensive principles that bring together and explain the world around us.
The department was a very nice size. It was small enough that I knew most of the professors, but large enough that I was still getting a good education.
If you like problem solving and have strong math skills, the challenge the program offers can be very rewarding.—Joss Ives,
Alumnus
Career Opportunities
Physicists study fundamental scientific questions as researchers, may work as educators and journalists and are at the forefront of technological developments in many applied areas including: finance, information technology and medicine. They are employed as experimental or theoretical physicists, specializing in areas such as astronomy, biophysics, control systems, cosmology, electronics, geophysics, material physics, medical physics, optics, software development, subatomic physics and wireless communications.
Physicists study questions facing today's science and technology and are at the forefront of solutions for instrumentation, measurement techniques and model development in many areas:
Acoustics - hall design and speaker research
Electricity and magnetism - antenna design, instrumentation and power management
Environmental science - oceanography, pollution control and weather
Lasers and optics - holography, optometry and telecommunications
Materials science - biomaterials, computer technologies, magnetic thin films, semiconductor devices and superconductivity
Medicine - lasers, medical imaging and radiation treatment
Nuclear science - reactor design and waste management
Space science - mission specialists and satellite design
Graduates are employed with various companies and government laboratories such as: ABB Bomen, AECL, Corning, EXFO, IBM, INO, ITFTechnologies, JDS Uniphase, Nortel Networks and the National Research Council. As well, graduates are in demand as high school teachers. If graduate work is pursued, academic and research positions at universities and laboratories are possible.
A Stepping Stone ...
A degree in physics prepares students for studies in areas including atmospheric science, condensed matter physics, geophysics, medical physics, nuclear physics, particle physics, planetary astronomy, plasma physics, space physics, subatomic physics and theoretical physics. Many graduates go on to the M.Sc. and Ph.D. programs at the U of S and other top universities around the world, making important scientific and technological contributions.
The U of S Advantage
The U of S is home to the Canadian Light Source - the only national facility for synchrotron light research in Canada and the fourth most powerful synchrotron in the world! It is Canada's biggest scientific research project in more than 30 years. Physicists are coming to the U of S from around the world to do work in such areas as the structure of biological molecules, micro-sensors and micromachines, and environmental science.
Faculty members in the department are involved in collaborations with international institutions and laboratories in all of the research areas represented in the department. Department members are awarded over $5 million in external research funding each year. Department members have been recognized, nationally and internationally, receiving such awards as the IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Award and the NASA Group Achievement Award. The department has also been home to several Canada Research Chairs.
Apply for an
exciting summer opportunity to collaborate in a research project with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Undergraduate Summer Research Award.
The department values teaching excellence and instructors are committed to providing a stimulating and friendly learning environment. Instructors in the Department have been recognized with the U of S Master Teacher Award and the USSU Teaching Excellence Award.
Choose Your Program!
Programs in Physics offer several areas of study with an emphasis on applying experimental methods and theoretical analysis, with the aid of computers and mathematics, to the solution of problems in the physical world. All programs involve courses and laboratory work in electrodynamics, mathematical and experimental methods in physics, mechanics, optics, statistical physics, thermodynamics and quantum theory. You will also have the opportunity to take courses in astronomy and astrophysics.
A Major in Physics
Students majoring in Physics can choose from one of the following degrees:
- B.Sc. Three-year
- B.Sc. Four-year
- B.Sc. Honours (specializations include astronomy, atmospheric, space and plasma sciences, material science, nuclear science, and theoretical physics)
Minor in Astronomy The department also offers a minor in astronomy in conjunction with a
three-year, four-year or honours degree in any discipline in the College of Arts and Science.
Outstanding Students and Faculty
- As a professor of physics at the University of Virginia, alumnus Blaine Norum has contributed to the initiation of the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility—a continuous electron beam facility for subatomic physics research.
- Professor Kaori Tanaka has been awarded an NSERC University Faculty Award for Women on her work in condensed matter
physics theory.
- Professor Akira Hirose and Professor E.J. (Ted) Llewellyn are two of the seventeen University of Saskatchewan professors who have been elected Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada, an honour that is this country’s highest academic accolade. Dr. Hirose is also a current holder of a Canada Research Chair in plasma based materials science.
- Some of our recent Canada Research Chairs include: Dr. Akira Hirose, plasma based materials science; Dr. Alexander Moewes, materials science with synchrotron radiation; Dr. John Tse, materials science; and Dr. Jean-Pierre St.-Maurice, environmental sciences.
Getting Involved!
Join the Astronomy Club and the Physics Students' Society (PSS), both of which host many academic and social events. Each year, members of the Physics Students' Society attend the Canadian Undergraduate Physics Conference. Students from universities across Canada come together to discuss new and interesting developments in undergraduate physics.
Represent other Physics students on the Undergraduate Liaison Committee. Faculty members and students meet frequently to discuss such issues as course and program delivery, facilities, scientific equipment, textbooks and other materials and time tabling.
Join other students in promoting physics and raising awareness of careers in physics and engineering physics to high school students. This includes giving presentations or hands-on programs to school students at the U of S or elsewhere in Saskatchewan.
Students in physics also have the opportunity to apply for summer positions, in most of the Department research groups including the Canadian Light Source (Synchrotron). During the term there are also part-time teaching assistant positions available in the Department such as marking assignments, tutoring students and providing laboratory assistance.
Research Facilities
The department houses a number of excellent research facilities that benefit graduate and undergraduate students. These include the Canadian Light Source (Synchrotron), The Plasma Physics Laboratory, the Institute of Space and Atmospheric Studies, the Subatomic Physics Institute, Cluster computing facilities and a Scanning Probe Microscope facility. There are also on- and off-campus astronomical observatories.
Admission Requirements
The following is a list of high school subjects required for admission. Please select the province/territory where you completed high school.
Additional Information
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