Physics that works in the real world starting in your first year

Four students wearing protective lab coats, hair covers, gloves, and safety goggles standing together in a laboratory workspace, with shelves of lab equipment and bottles visible in the background.

The Applied Physics Major at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado is a Bachelor of Science degree that trains quantitative scientists with the technical skills to tackle hard problems across a range of scientific fields. The program builds a strong foundation in mathematical modeling, computational methods, laboratory science, and physics theory — then gives students the flexibility to apply those skills to geophysics, quantum sensing, fluid dynamics, energy systems, environmental science, and more. FLC Applied Physics students have worked alongside physicists at Los Alamos National Laboratory and taken data collection shifts at the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland. The program requires 120 credits and is offered through the Department of Physics and Engineering.

What makes it "applied"

A traditional physics degree builds theoretical foundations. The Applied Physics Major at FLC does that and then asks what you can do with them. 

Today's scientific fields are driven by large datasets, powerful computing, and quantitative analysis. This program is designed to meet that demand: graduates leave with the mathematical fluency, programming skills, laboratory experience, and broad scientific literacy to move in multiple directions. The degree draws on coursework across physics, engineering, chemistry, mathematics, and geoscience, and your elective choices let you build depth in the area where you want to make an impact.

What you'll study

The Applied Physics Major requires 82–89 credits of major coursework within a 120-credit degree. A required core of 52 credits covers the full arc from classical to contemporary physics, with coursework in: 

  • Physics foundations: Physics I and II (calculus-based), Modern Physics, and the Modern Physics Laboratory 
  • Mathematics: Calculus I–III and Differential Equations 
  • Computing: Fundamentals of Engineering Computing and Computational Methods — students build real programming and data analysis skills from the first year 
  • Engineering: Electric Circuits I and a two-semester Senior Seminar capstone (ENGR 496–497) 
  • Chemistry: Fundamentals of Chemistry I and II

Beyond the core, students complete four Physics electives (from Optics, Theoretical Mechanics, Electricity & Magnetism, Thermodynamics, and Quantum Mechanics I), three Physics and Engineering electives (including options in Fluid Mechanics, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Semiconductor Devices, Embedded Devices, and more), and three Interdisciplinary electives drawn from chemistry, geoscience, mathematics, and GIS. 

A minimum grade of C- is required in all major courses.

Senior Seminar & capstone

Every Applied Physics student completes a two-semester senior capstone (ENGR 496–497) as a member of an interdisciplinary engineering team. Students design and implement a physics-based project, develop and demonstrate mastery of the underlying theory, and present their work through written documents, posters, and talks. It's the culminating experience of the degree, and a direct rehearsal for the collaborative, cross-disciplinary environments graduates enter after FLC.

Research and partnerships

FLC Applied Physics students don't wait until graduate school to do real research. Within the department, students work on applied projects in quantum sensing, geophysics (with a focus on geologic hazards including earthquakes and volcanoes), nuclear energy, fluid turbulence, and environmental sensing.

Ongoing partnerships extend that reach further: 

  • Los Alamos National Laboratory — FLC students have spent summers working alongside world-leading particle physicists on problems at the fundamental level of the universe, and have traveled to Geneva, Switzerland to take data collection shifts at the Large Hadron Collider, the largest particle accelerator on Earth. 
  • Gran Sasso National Laboratory (Italy) — one of the premier underground particle physics laboratories in the world. 
  • Colorado Department of Natural Resources — connecting student work to applied geoscience and environmental challenges in the region. 
  • Research universities across the U.S. — ongoing collaborations that expand student exposure across a range of fields.

Locally, students have modeled fluid turbulence on FLC's most powerful computer to understand applications ranging from erosion of highway infrastructure to turbulent ocean mixing with implications for global climate cycles. Other students have studied rock fracture mechanics connected to the iconic geology of Yosemite National Park.

Small department. Real access.

The Department of Physics and Engineering is intentionally small. Students get to know their professors well; small classes mean education can be structured around individual goals, and specific opportunities can be created to help students get where they want to go. That includes direct faculty mentorship in geophysics, quantum sensing, alternative energy systems, and fluid dynamics.

Skills that carry forward

Applied Physics training builds the quantitative and analytical toolkit that powers careers across science, engineering, data, and policy. FLC graduates pursue work in fields including: 

Geophysicist | Biophysicist | Engineer | Data analytics specialist | Physical chemist | Astronomer | Teacher | Environmental scientist | Research scientist | Graduate study in physics, engineering, and related fields

Frequently asked questions

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