A valued perquisite for physics majors is that all are provided keys to the Physics Building that give them access at any time to the Physics Library , two conference rooms and the departmental computer facility. Some very interesting facts about the skills physics graduates find most useful emerged from a recent survey by the American Institute of Physics . Computer skills were highly ranked by most of the respondents, but even more highly ranked were interpersonal skills and technical writing. These same skills have been identified as most important by many companies who hire physics graduates. We address the development of these skills explicitly in the physics major.
Problem solving and computing are already strong components of the program.
The upper-level physics laboratories and independent study courses are structured to provide excellent opportunities for developing skills in both oral and written communication of technical material. Spontaneous teamwork on solving problems in the upper-level courses has long been a part of being a physics major. Working with a variety of partners in the elementary and upper-level lab courses also helps develop skills in interpersonal relationships. These experiences are beginning to be supplemented in some physics classes by group problem solving, which has been shown to be an effective way of learning new concepts and has the added effect of teaching and encouraging teamwork. The weekly SPS meetings offer special talks on topics related to physics by faculty members from Physics and other departments at the university.