A message from the Physics Department Chair A message from Roger Lilly, Department Chair Hello, and thank you for visiting the SDSU Physics Web site. The Physics Department at San Diego State University is committed to offering every undergraduate and graduate student the fullest opportunity to realize his or her potential as a physicist. The department has a history of teaching excellence and a commitment to continuing this tradition. The personal attention offered to each student is similar to that which exists at considerably smaller institutions. We take a personal stake in the success of each and every student.
Faculty members are always very accessible to undergraduate and graduate students alike.
Our teaching philosophy is based on two core tenets. Firstly, we place great emphasis on hands-on laboratory courses, from the freshman year all the way through the Master's program. We have found that this experience reinforces the understanding of the subject matter of our courses and allows students to become more productive, in either an industrial or academic setting, within a much shorter period of time than students coming from more traditional programs, emphasizing lecture courses. The lower division laboratory courses provide a solid foundation for subsequent courses. Secondly, we supplement the traditional physics program with several elective option programs.