About the department

The Department of Physics offers a full set of courses, labor opportunities, and other activities designed to (a) prepare students to enter graduate schools or research laboratories en route to careers as professional physicists, (b) provide a liberal arts major for students who will not become physicists but are interested in careers in astronomy, engineering, medicine, computer science, secondary teaching etc., where a background in physics is essential, and (c) provide service courses for majors in other sciences such as pre-medicine, mathematics, technology and applied design, and agriculture.

We are committed to providing quality education. The physics curriculum at Berea College is flexible and comprehensive. Our courses are grounded in problem solving using both practical and quantitative reasoning skills. We also are committed to the idea that students should conduct research as part of their undergraduate curriculum. Our Faculty direct undergraduate research with our students as well as send some of our students to undergraduate research programs at other institutions. Berea College has a long-standing Dual Degree Engineering Program that includes an exchange agreement with the University of Kentucky. In this dual degree program, a student begins his/her college career at Berea, taking General Education, science, mathematics and other course work, then transfer to the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky for his/her professional engineering education. Upon completion of both programs, students will earn two baccalaureate degrees, one from each of two institutions they attended. Although Berea college does not have a special agreement with any other engineering school, some Berea students have, nevertheless, successfully entered dual degree engineering programs with other universities.