Making Real World Connections
The Physics Department offers students a solid foundation in both classical and modern physics. Biophysics students take an additional 12 credits in biology. Together, these courses will build the bridge between biology and physics. Students will be able to apply their knowledge of the physical world to the study of life.
Faculty are always on hand to help guide you in class and on campus. Our courses are designed for meaningful connections, helping you get to know the faculty personally. You'll also have the chance to be mentored by a faculty member to help you find the most rewarding career path for you.
Faculty are always on hand to help guide you in class and on campus. Our courses are designed for meaningful connections, helping you get to know the faculty personally. You'll also have the chance to be mentored by a faculty member to help you find the most rewarding career path for you.
"The physics faculty are invested in the students. They make themselves available for questions and one on one mentoring. They also expect great things of their students, and provide them with valuable skills geared toward graduate programs and research."
HEATHER T.,
BYU-I GRADUATE
Highlighted Career Paths
Graduates with a degree in Physics, with an emphasis in Biophysics, have a wide array of rewarding careers before them. Check out some of the top careers students get with this degree or explore more career options in I-Plan.
Neuroscientist
Neuroscientists work with the brain. They build computer models called neural networks to model how the brain and nervous system work, leading to new understandings of how visual and auditory information is processed.
Imaging Technician
Biophysicists have developed sophisticated diagnostic imaging techniques including MRIs, CT scans, and PET scans. Biophysics continues to be essential to the development of even safer, faster, and more precise technology to improve medical imaging and teach us more about the body’s inner workings.
Environmental biophysicist
Environmental biophysics measure and model all aspects of the environment from the stratosphere to deep ocean vents. Environmental biophysicists research the diverse microbial communities that inhabit every niche of this planet, they track pollutants across the atmosphere, and are finding ways to turn algae into biofuels.
Getting Started in this degree
If you are interested in Biophysics, start with one of the following major-specific courses
Related Majors
Medical physics is the application of physics concepts in medicine and health care. A medical physicist may specialize in such areas as medical imaging, radiation therapies, health physics, and nuclear medicine.
The Physics Education degree prepares students to teach physics in high school. It includes courses for teacher certification as well as a cluster of courses designed to provide students with a fundamental understanding of physics and its role in the modern world.
Combining physics and chemistry can lead to opportunities in a variety of exciting careers. For example, an understanding of the physical properties of matter at an atomic scale is required in material science, the development of batteries and fuel cells, and innovations in semiconductors.
Mathematics is the language physicists use to describe physical laws and to make predictions based on those laws. Mathematics is very extensively used in every area of physics. If you do not know which emphasis area best meets your goals, the mathematical emphasis is a good default.
An emphasis in engineering can teach you to apply physics in mechanical and electrical engineering. Graduates can pursue a M.S. or Ph.D. in materials science or engineering, or work in rewarding high tech fields.
Astronomy is the study of celestial objects in the universe. This includes planets, stars, galaxies, and the overall structure of the universe. Astronomy emphasis students will learn advanced methods and theories related to astronomy, including cosmology and astrophysics.
Geophysics is the study of the earth with tools of physics. Geophysics includes the exciting fields of petroleum exploration, police work, archeology, civil engineering, near-earth space environment, atmospheric sciences, seismology, and even crystallography.
The computational emphasis combines an excellent the principles of physics with computer programming. This natural mixing of disciplines produces individuals who are well prepared to solve hard problems in many fields and industries.