Physics Minor

The physics minor is designed for students who want to add a concentration in physics to their studies. The critical thinking, data management, and analytical problem solving skills taught in physics courses are important to a wide variety of career paths, making physics minors more attractive to potential employers. Students who are interested in pursuing graduate education in biology, chemistry, engineering, finance, mathematics, or medicine will be particularly well served by this minor, as will be students who intend to transfer to pursue a physics major elsewhere in SUNY. The physics department at Farmingdale places a substantial value on performing practical physics research, and students may count academic credits from physics research towards a minor.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Students completing the Physics Minor will have been exposed to classical as well as modern physics, through coursework and laboratory exercises. They will be proficient in synthesizing information and the solution of problems commensurate with senior level physics.
Students completing the Physics Minor will be experienced in an area of basic physics research, and they will be able to articulate the results of that research through papers, poster sessions, and/or talks.

About Academic Minors

Farmingdale State College students are invited to enhance their studies with an "Academic Minor." A minor is a cluster of thematically related courses drawn from one or more departments. In addition to department based minors (e.g. computer programming & info systems), interdisciplinary minors are also available (e.g. legal studies).

Academic minors are approved by the College-Wide Curriculum Committee and the Provost. Students must make application for an academic minor through the department offering the minor in conjunction with the Registrar's Office Specific course work must be determined in consultation with a faculty member in the department offering the minor. A statement of successful completion of the academic minor will appear on the student's transcript at the time of graduation.

A minor is considered to be an optional supplement to a student's major program of study.
Completion of a minor is not a graduation requirement and is subject to the availability of the courses selected. However, if the requirements for a minor are not completed prior to certification of graduation in the major, it will be assumed that the minor has been dropped. Consequently, the student will only be certified for graduation in their primary major.
Only students in 4 year baccalaureate programs can apply for a minor.
A minor should consist of 15 to 21 credits.
At least 12 credits must be in courses at the 200 level or higher.
At least 9 credits must be residency credits.
Specific requirements for each minor are determined by the department granting the minor.
Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in their minor. Some minors may require a higher GPA.
Students are prohibited from declaring a minor in the same discipline as their major (e.g. one cannot combine an applied math minor with an applied math major). Academic minors may not apply to all curricula.
Students are permitted to double-count courses.
Students are only permitted to take more than one minor with appropriate written approval of their department chair or curriculum Dean.

Admission to Farmingdale State College - State University of New York is based on the qualifications of the applicant without regard to age, sex, marital or military status, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, disability or sexual orientation.

Physics | Dr. Lloyd Makarowitz | physics@farmingdale.edu | 934-420-2188

Fall 2026

Subject to revision

Required:	(11 credits)
PHY 143 General Physics I (Calculus)	4
PHY 144 General Physics II (Calculus)	4
PHY 333 Modern Physics	3
Nine credits of the following courses:	(9 credits)
PHY 255 Oscillatory Motion and Waves	3
PHY 310 Analytical Mechanics	3
PHY 323 Electromagnetic Theory	3
PHY 334 Modern Physics Lab	1
PHY 356 or MTH 356 Mathematical Methods in Math and Physics	3
PHY 420 Optics	3
PHY 480 Physics Research I	3
PHY 481 Physics Research II	3
RAM 303 Research Experience	3

Curriculum Summary

Total Credits: 20