Physics/
Engineering
Why study PHYSICS and ENGINEERING at Morningside?
Individual attention. Innovative, discovery-based learning. Excellent preparation
for careers, research, and graduate school. Opportunities to explore challenging,
real world topics. Dual-degree options that add flexibility to your academic goals.
A foundation for most engineering fields, including civil, computer, electrical,
environmental, and mechanical.
What makes the
program special?
• A balanced curriculum provides
the theoretical framework
needed for graduate studies
and the practical skills needed in
industry.
• Dual-degree programs with
other engineering schools
let students earn multiple
degrees in less time and make a
smooth transition into graduate
engineering schools.
• Opportunities abound for
rewarding community service
projects, internships with local
engineering firms, and summer
research or upper-level student
research abound.
• All classes are taught by faculty
(unlike larger universities, where
graduate assistants teach many
undergraduate courses).
• A low student faculty ratio in the
department means classes are
small and students never run the
risk of getting lost in the crowd.
• Professors are primarily devoted
to teaching undergraduates.
• Innovative teaching is based on
discovery, small group activities,
cooperative learning, and design
projects.
• Students have access to the
latest technologies. Almost all
labs use computer-assisted data
collection and analysis.
How will I benefit?
As a physics or engineering-physics
major you will develop
• A thorough understanding of
the relationship between physics
and the other sciences
• A foundation in theoretical
and experimental physics and
engineering
• Preparation to conduct research
in industry and in national
laboratories
• Science literacy, a life-long
interest in the physical sciences,
and a sound grasp of all physical
processes
• The broad-based writing skills
expected of practicing physicists
and engineers
What’s New?
• All engineering classes include
an element of design, in
which students actually use
the concepts they have been
developing.
• A suite of free electives allows
students to pursue a variety of
interests.
• Engineering in the Community
service-learning course enables
students to engage in an
engineering project that benefits
the community.
How about the details?
We offer a selection of major
programs, each with its own
emphasis.
Engineering Physics
This 4-year program is intended
for students who want to work at
the boundary between science
and engineering. Students have
the benefit of developing practical
skills and learning the theoretical
basis behind those skills.
Graduates have the necessary skills
to take a job in small- to
 Physics/Engineering • Morningside College
medium-scale industry right
out of college, or go on to
graduate school in a variety
of areas, including science,
applied science, engineering,
or professional programs such
as medicine, architecture, and
law.
Engineering Science
This is a dual-degree program,
requiring 2–3 years at
Morningside followed by 2–3
years at another institution
studying a particular branch of
engineering (e.g. mechanical,
electrical, aerospace). This
program is designed for
students looking to work in
industry right out of college.
Students receive two degrees,
one from each institution at the
completion of this program.
The amount of time required
at Morningside depends on
three factors: the student’s
chosen area of specialization,
the choice of the institution to
which the student will transfer,
and the level of high school
preparation. This program
and the Engineering Physics
program yield liberally-
educated engineers, who are in
high demand in industry.
Physics
This 4-year program is
intended for students whose
primary interest is in the
theoretical side of the physical
world. This program is ideal for
students interested in pursuing
graduate studies in science,
applied science, engineering,
or professional programs such
as medicine, architecture, and
law
Physics Teaching
The physics teaching major is a 4-
year program recommended for
students who wish to teach physics
in the high school system.
General Sciences Teaching
This interdisciplinary major (with
chemistry and biology) is intended
for students who wish to teach
a combination of physics, earth
science, chemistry, and biology at
the middle school or elementary
school level
Courses
Students majoring in physics
or engineering at Morningside
College can take a wide variety of
classes. Our introductory general
physics course-sequence provides
a broad survey of physics principles
and applications in a setting that
combines classroom experiences
and lab work. Innovative course
structures allow students to
concentrate on developing
concepts, mathematical tools, and
problem-solving strategies one
at a time. This approach makes
the sequence more manageable
than does the traditional structure.
The result is a greatly enhanced
likelihood of successfully moving on
to upper-level courses.
Advanced courses include both
classroom-based courses, such as
statics, dynamics, and quantum
mechanics, and laboratory courses,
such as electronics, and the
advanced physics and engineering
labs, which often involve a significant
component of creative design work.
In our engineering applications
courses, students learn to use the
tools of the trade, such as MATLAB
and engineering graphics software.
Students will also take mathematics
courses which provide them
with the framework for analyzing
physical systems and engineering
problems.
We also have classes for students to
learn about other areas of science,
such as astronomy, meteorology,
geology, and rocketry.
If you are interested in giving back
to the community, our service-
learning courses­—Engineering
in the Community and Physics
in the Community—provide
an opportunity to learn while
engaging in an engineering or
physics education project that
benefits the local community.
Facilities
• Well-equipped labs with
computers for data collection
and analysis.
• Workshop equipped with basic
tools to be used in support of
engineering design projects.
Who will teach me and
advise me?
Dave Slaven, Assistant Professor
Special interests include elementary
particle physics, especially the
physics of the weak nuclear
force. To learn more about
physics, visit his Web site at
http://webs.morningside.edu/
slaven/Physics/.
Education: Ph.D. in theoretical high
energy physics from Iowa State
University
Gary Turner, Assistant Professor
Special interests include
development and integration
of innovations in the delivery
of physics and engineering
coursework, international
education, astronomy
and the space program,
computational fluid dynamics,
entrepreneurship, invention, and
energy conservation.
Education: Ph.D. in astrophysics
from Iowa State University;
M.S. in astronautics and space
engineering from Cranfield
University
What happens inside
the classroom?
• You’ll have plenty of access
to technological resources:
75 percent of first-year labs
use computer-assisted data
collection and analysis.
• You’ll develop the broad-based
writing skills expected of a
practicing physicist/engineer
by maintaining an electronic
portfolio of term papers, lab
reports, and computer programs
that is reviewed and endorsed
by faculty before graduation.
What happens outside
the classroom?
• Internships. Students often
complete internships with a local
engineering firm or the United
States Geological Survey.
• For example, a student
planning to attend graduate
school in architecture recently
completed the engineering
mechanics minor, and designed
a community observatory as
part of a research project.
This design was presented at
the national meeting of the
American Association of Physics
Teachers.
• The recent addition of two
community-based service-
learning experiences give
students the opportunity to
contribute to their community.
Engineering in
the Community
student-teams
contribute
to valuable
engineering
projects. Physics
in the Community
student-teams
lead our regional
physics outreach
programs,
including public
demonstrations
and K-12
classroom
activities.
What else can
I do?
• Join a campus
club such thinking. Some examples include:
as the Society of Physics • Industry—our students have
Students, the Association for the theoretical and practical
Computing Machinery, or the backgrounds to compete in
Mathematical Association of industrial settings. Additional
America, to socialize with like- background in business, a 2nd
minded students and explore language, or communications
developments and career
opportunities in your field.
through a minor or cluster
further enhance employability.
• Get initiated into Kappa Mu • Research—either in industry or
Epsilon, the national math honor
in research labs
society, or Sigma Pi Sigma, the
• Teaching physics—to meet the
national physics honor society.
chronic shortage of high school
• Participate in our outreach physics teachers, nationwide
activities by helping with public
• Publishing—technical books,
shows and competitions,
journals and software
designing new demonstrations
and activity-stations, working • Software design—with abstract
with local K-12 school educators, thinking skills vital to data
or participating in allied processing and computer games
programs, such as WINGS which • Telecommunications—television,
provides science activities for image analysis, radio, and
middle school girls. recording technology
Where can I go from Graduate School. Students are
here? prepared to attend graduate
school in either physics or
Careers. Physics majors are engineering.
highly sought after in all fields
that involve analytical or abstract
 You want an education that fits you.

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