Physics

About the Department

As a physics major at Elmhurst, you’ll do more than learn the nuts and bolts of subatomic particles and the cosmos. You’ll gain the technical tools you need to analyze complex phenomena, to solve problems independently, and to think creatively about new ideas. In short, you’ll graduate with a competitive edge.

Here’s what you’ll find at Elmhurst:

• A personal learning environment. Our student-faculty ratio of 13 to 1 ensures that you’ll develop close relationships with your professors. A professor, not a teaching assistant, teaches every course here.   
  
• Strong academic programs. U.S.News & World Report ranks Elmhurst in the top tier in its category. Our strong academic programs will teach you what you need to know—whether you’ll pursue a career in physics, astronomy, atmospheric science, engineering, materials science, or a related area.  
  
• Great facilities. Elmhurst has all the resources you’d expect to find only at a large university. Up-to-date facilities include a 750,000-volt particle accelerator, a new astronomic observatory, and extensive computing facilities designed especially for students of the sciences. 
  
• A jump-start on your career. Physics majors at Elmhurst get valuable hands-on experience before they graduate through research projects or internships  with local companies such as Abbott Laboratories, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and Motorola.