Physics

Why study physics?

Students who study physics will join in the academic and research experiences needed to pursue graduate degrees, engineering and a variety of careers.

The department values students’ intellectual growth and service surrounding this branch of science, which deals with matter, energy and the ways they interact.
Physics students immerse themselves in forefront research and rigorous coursework with professors in small settings.
Physics at Augustana provides expert scientific and technical instruction as well as undergraduate research opportunities.

Physics Department Physics Research & Grants

Physics at AU

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

MAJOR MAP

FACULTY

Related Programs of Study

Dual-Degree Engineering
Engineering Physics

Contact Us

Dr. Nathan Grau, department chair

Physics Department

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Latest News

Augustana University Awarded Grant to Fund Student Research, STEM Education

Augustana University has been awarded approximately $45,000 per year through 2028 to support key initiatives designed to inspire youth education in STEM-related fields in South Dakota.

Engineering the Future: Augustana University Launches New Hybrid Program to Meet Demands of Rapidly-Evolving Field

Augustana University is offering a new 5-year dual-degree engineering program — set to launch in Fall 2025. As part of the new program, students will take foundational courses at Augustana, earning a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in chemistry, physics or mathematics at the university. Students will begin taking online engineering courses in their second year — offered through the University of North Dakota (UND).

This is in addition to Augustana's other dual-degree engineering options.

Beyond the Books: Engineering Physics and Dual-Degree Engineering Major Bridges Concept and Application With SD-DOT Internship

Augustana University student Patrick Adah ‘26, who hails from Lagos, Nigeria, is an engineering physics and dual-degree engineering double major. He is interning at the South Dakota Department of Transportation (SD-DOT) in Mitchell, South Dakota, where he reviews construction plans, conducts field tests and collaborates directly with contractors on highway and bridge projects.

Highlights

Careers

Most Augustana physics students go on to graduate school, professional school or the dual-degree engineering program. The remainder find occupations in a wide variety of settings, spanning education, finance, programming and entrepreneurship among other fields. Augustana physics alumni have found employment with many companies, both large and small.

Outside of science and engineering, physicists secure careers in medicine, law, finance, journalism, education and public policy.

Employment

75F, AT&T, Atomic Data, Avera Health, BASF, Boeing, Boston Scientific, Braun Intertec, CACI, Central Square Technologies, Coherent, Collins Aerospace, Contango Oil & Gass, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, Express Scripts, Festo, Fiserv, GEA Group, General Dynamics, General Electric, GeoTek Engineering and Testing Services, Graco, Harley-Davidson, Hewlett-Packard, Honeywell, IBM, INVISR, IP Design Group, Johnson Controls, Johnson & Johnson, JS Sullivan Development, Kidney Specialists of Minnesota, KPMG, Link Manufacturing, Lockheed Martin, Mayo Clinic, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Motorola, National Solar Observatory, Northrop Grumman, North Dakota Department of Transportation, NimbeLink, Opsis Health, Oracle, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Pfizer, Prismatic, Raven Industries, Realtime Robotics, Rockwell, Rotary Systems, SAb Biotherapeutics, Sanford Health, Schlumberger, Seagate, Siemens, Sioux Falls School District, SONIFI Health, South Dakota Investment Council, Stony Brook University Hospital Cancer Center, Trane, Ulteig, US Army, US Navy, Weta Digital, WHKS, Xeal, Xerox

Graduate & Professional Schools

Students from the physics department have a track record of completing advanced degrees from well-respected graduate programs. Augustana alumni have gone on to study at:

Arizona State
California-Davis
Colorado
Columbia
Cornell
Duke
Emory
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Massachusetts-Amherst
Mayo Clinic
Michigan State
Minnesota
Nebraska
North Carolina State
North Dakota
North Dakota State
Ohio State
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Purdue
Rensselaer Polytechnic
Rice
South Dakota
South Dakota State
Texas
Virginia
Washington
Washington University in St. Louis
Wisconsin

Hands-On Learning

Undergraduate research is an essential part of a physics education. Augustana excels at providing these experiences for its students through Augustana-based research and finding internship and research experiences off-campus.

Past Internship Opportunities

Previous Off-Campus Research Experiences

Arizona State University
Clemson University
Iowa State University
Indiana University
Kansas State University
Michigan State University
National Radio Astronomy Observatory (VLA)
Sanford Research
Sanford Underground Laboratory
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC)
Temple University
University of California - Los Angeles
University of Minnesota
University of Oklahoma

Student Awards

By combining instructional knowledge and research experience with hard work, Augustana students have received a number of awards.

Americal Physical Society LeRoy Apker Award
- Bethany Jochim (2011)
Goldwater Scholarship
- Kelsie Betsch (2004-05)
- Bethany Jochim (2009-11)
- Hannah Roders | Honorable Mention (2011-12)
- Erika Zetterlund (2012-13)
- Lesyk Voznyuk | Honorable Mention (2014-15)
- Trey Waldrop | Honorable Mention (2017-18)
- Eleanor Weckwerth (2022-23)
Fulbright Scholar
- Nora Johnson (2009)
Post-Graduate Fellowships
- Ryan Mello | NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Fellowship (2006)
- Bethany Jochim | Department of Energy Science Fellowship (2012)
ELCA Rossing Physics Scholarship
- Amy Lueking | Alternate (2006)
- Bethany Jochim (2009, 2010)
- Shitong Zhao (2017)
- Trey Waldrop | Alternate (2017)
- Trey Waldrop (2018)
- Joshua Morin-Baxter | Alternate (2019)
- Eleanor Weckwerth (2022)

Courses & Organizations

Following four semesters of introductory courses, students may select from the following electives:

Analytical Mechanics
Biological Physics
Electromagnetic Theory
Electronics
Optics
Quantum Mechanics
Statistical and Thermal Physics

The regular course rotation includes all topics necessary for graduate school preparation in physics or a related field. Special topics are taught occasionally upon demand.

The physics department is also the primary contributor to the energy emphasis within the environmental studies program.

Physics students often participate in:

Society of Physics Students
Sigma Pi Sigma - The Physics and Astronomy Honor Society | Sigma Pi Sigma chapters are restricted to colleges and universities of recognized standing that offer a strong physics major. Students elected to membership must attain high standards of general scholarship and outstanding achievement in physics. Undergraduate candidates must be in the upper one-third of their class in general scholarship. The Augustana chapter was founded with an inaugural class in 2011.

Augustana Sigma Pi Sigma Membership

2022 | Kanan Ahmadov, John Babineau, Lauren Kelly, Luke Matzner, Mingkang You

2020 | Marie Anderson, MaKenna Koble, Ruoxi Li, Shuhang Li, Joshua Morin-Baxter, Anca Rusu, Eleanor Ronning, Emily Wanous

2019 | Trey Waldrop, Caitlyn Larson, Shannon Dancler, Charles Schwartz

2018 | Darwin Garcia, Josh Jaton, Abel Solomon, Shitong Zhao

2016 | Andrew Gardner, Emily Kaufman, Bereket Mamo, Alex Rickel, Selamawit Tegegn

2014 | Collin Noldner, Matthew Smallcomb, Lesyk Voznyuk

2013 | Anne Pfeifle

2012 | Matthew Wussow

2011 | Thomas Alexander, Trent Anderson, Jay Cole, Taylor Dickinson, Marcus Edginton, Jacob Elmer, Neal Gregerson, Bethany Jochim, Halvard Lange, Hannah Rogers, David Swanson, Erika Zetterlund