Physics 4495-6, Senior Seminar 2024-25

Meets: Thursday 12:20 - 1:05 pm - we meet ONCE a week in Session 2 and Session 3 for Senior Seminar
Faculty: Dr. Schenk, and Dr. Sheldon – you know where to find us!

Assignments are in schedule below, and if submitted in Moodle, must be word-processed. Each S2 homework is graded on a four-point scale, and each S3 homework is graded on a ten-point scale. To pass in the fall, all assignments must be completed and receive a grade of a 3 or 4, or it must be redone until you do. Late homework will reduce the score averaged into your grade by 10% per day to a minimum of 50%.  In S2, your grade is based equally on each homework and total attendance counts as an additional homework. In the spring, you must pass the senior exam to pass the class, and once you do pass, the six assignments count with equal weight, and your grade is based 50% on the assignments, and 50% on the senior exam grade. Grade Scale: This class grades on a ten-point scale, where an A is worth 95, B is worh 85, etc. Please see here for detail. Please note that in the case of a completion grade, a complete assignment is an A, which is worh 95 points.

Senior Exam Information

1.     Every Physics Major, BA or BS (not engineering) must take the comprehensive senior exam.

2.     The senior exam has 6 questions, is given for 3 hours, and covers topics from 1115, 1116, 2251, 2252, 3341, 3361. It is closed-book, and an equation sheet is provided. The equation sheet is also on the Senior Seminar website.

3.     The senior exam must be passed to pass the Senior Seminar (4496). Once it is passed, it is worth 50% of the senior seminar grade.

4.     A student can take the physics GRE in place of the senior exam. Actually, we would encourage both for everyone. You can take the highest grade, or you can waive taking the senior exam if you are satisfied with your GRE score. We have a statistical formula to convert the GRE score to a grade, dependent on how our past students have done.

4a. A student may take the Praxis subject area test instead of the senior exam.

5.     If the senior exam is failed the first time, one more chance is given, and only the passing grade is used in the calculation of the course grade.

6.     The senior exam date each year will be the Friday of Session 3 finals at 9 am.

Senior Research is required and can be completed as a summer research or other project before the senior year, or as an independent project during the senior year. In either case, it culminates with a paper and a presentation during the senior year.

All students will sign up for senior research with the same faculty member in the spring, but can do the research in the fall or the spring, with any faculty member. In the first week of the fall semester, a required research session will be held for students to learn about research opportunities. In the semester that you do research, you must attend the weekly senior research group,

Senior Paper information

• Minimum 20 pages
• Style guide in on the Senior Seminar website
• Presentation of senior research is required both at the end of the research and at the College Symposium (spring); it is up to the student to submit a proposal to the Symposium when the call for proposals comes out. Honors presentations will require additional 45-minute talk.
• Senior Paper Due Dates: Last day of classes in the semester you do research. Note that this is later than most majors.
• Each major is expected to be willing to go to a conference, preferably to present research (summer or senior research). This opportunity is not guaranteed (all expenses are paid).