The Physics major introduces physics with the opportunity for in depth study of selected areas. It aims to provide a balance of knowledge and skills. Central areas of knowledge include: mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, and thermal and statistical physics. Mathematical, computational and experimental skills include: problem solving, data gathering, data analysis, and experiment design.

The major will prepare students for a variety of careers in areas in which the physical sciences are important, including: research, teaching, and industry.

Graduates from ANU have been rated as Australia's most employable graduates and among the most sought after by employers worldwide.

The latest Global Employability University Ranking, published by the Times Higher Education, rated ANU as Australia's top university for getting a job for the fourth year in a row

Learning Outcomes

1. Describe and explain the fundamental principles of physics, including those of: mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, and thermal and statistical physics.
2. Apply the fundamental principles of physics to solve problems, including those likely to be encountered in future careers. Such problems may involve ambiguity and uncertainty and require the application of multiple principles.
3. Integrate the fundamental principles of physics to describe and explain specialised areas of physics.
4. Describe and explain specific examples of how physics is applied to benefit people.
5. Describe critical experiments in the history of physics and explain how they led to revisions of our theoretical descriptions of nature.
6. Use mathematical, computational and experimental skills to solve conceptual and quantitative problems in physics.
7. Demonstrate skills including: equipment familiarity, data gathering, record keeping, data analysis, dealing with uncertainty, experiment design, and comparison with theory.
8. Analyse unfamiliar physical systems and provide order-of-magnitude estimates of quantities. This includes a knowledge of basic physical constants and key equations.
9. Be both creative and rigorous in the design and construction of scientific investigations of physical systems.
10. Effectively communicate physics based analyses to expert and non-expert audiences.
11. Constructively criticise evidence, arguments and conclusions wherever they are encountered.