This emphasis is designed for students who have a strong interest in astronomy. It is the ideal preparation for astronomy graduate school. The department has a fully operational planetarium. Several students have been trained as planetarium operators and gone on to become planetarium directors. This particular program is available in only a very few universities in the nation.
Students develop a very solid understanding of electronics, quantum optics, and lasers.
This emphasis is also an excellent alternative to obtaining an engineering degree if one wishes to pursue engineering-type work in industry. Business Concentration Modern industry has a serious shortage of business managers with a solid grounding in the hard sciences. This concentration is designed for students who wish to enter business with the advantage of an excellent understanding of such areas as electronics, lasers, computer, etc. There are many opportunities to work in modern industries in applied physics or engineering-physics. Physicists can find employment in research or design, in quality control or testing, in mathematical and computer modeling, and in sales of technical equipment.