Physics (A.B.)

The Harvard Physics Department has a large and very active undergraduate program, graduating 50-60 majors (concentrators) a year (including those in the Chemistry and Physics concentration, also administered by the department). About 40-50 percent of their concentrators go to graduate school in physics or a closely related field; the rest pursue a wide range of careers including medical school, law school or business school as well as immediate employment.

The hallmark of the undergraduate program is flexibility. Students pursue a physics concentration with a wide range of goals in mind, and their program is tailored with this in mind. The flexibility comes from the relatively small number of course requirements relative to other science concentrations at Harvard. Many students choose joint concentrations such as Physics-Mathematics, Physics-Astronomy and Physics-History of Science, in addition to the special Chemistry and Physics concentration. 

The faculty are enthusiastic about both undergraduate students and physics. Almost all faculty teach in the undergraduate program. They take pride in their teaching and continually develop new materials and courses. Three physics faculty have recently won the Joseph R. Levenson Memorial Teaching Prize of the Harvard Undergraduate Council.

Entry Requirements Applicants must achieve an SAT score in the range of 1500–1600 to be considered for this program. English language requirements are assessed on a case-by-case basis.