Minor Requirements

The minor in physics consists of seven courses (twenty-eight units) of letter-graded physics coursework from the following list with at least five courses (twenty units) coming from upper-division coursework:

Physics 2C-2D or Physics 4D-4E
Physics 100–178

Lower-division courses (including transfer coursework) can overlap between a major and minor without restriction; however, no more than two upper-division courses (a maximum of eight units) may overlap between a major and a minor. Upper-division courses being applied to the minor must be taken at UC San Diego within the Department of Physics. Students must earn a grade of C– or above in all courses applied to the minor, including transfer coursework. The minimum overall GPA requirement for the minor is a 2.0. A petition is required for any waivers/substitutions to the minor requirements (e.g., applying a non–UC San Diego upper-division physics course).

Within the parameters outlined on this page, students will select the specific courses that will be applied to the minor. Students can declare the physics minor at any point prior to their graduating quarter. Minor proposals with minor course lists must be submitted via the major/minor tool on TritonLink (requests are typically processed within 7-10 business days).

Proposal Requirements

List only 7 courses in your Physics minor proposal - the 7 courses that make up the minor.
- Do not include prerequisite courses (PHYS 4ABC, PHYS 2ABC, MATH 18, or MATH 20ABCDE) in your minor proposal.
- All minor courses must have a PHYS subject code. No exceptions.
If a quarter-by-quarter plan is required, include all current and future enrollments, not just the 7 minor courses.
A maximum of 8.0 upper-division units (two 4-unit physics courses) can be shared between your major and the Physics Minor.
Though you must specify upper-division courses on your minor proposal, enrollment in proposed minor courses is not guaranteed. Any eligible course will be automatically included in the degree audit (you do not need to submit a new minor proposal to change your minor course selections).

Enrollment Requirements

Physics minors do not receive priority when enrolling in physics courses. Core upper-division physics courses are reserved for physics majors via WebReg; others must meet prerequisites and submit preauthorization requests through EASy after completing the listed prerequisites.
Prerequisites are strictly enforced. Review the Enrollment Policies webpage for updates, as they may change yearly.
In rare cases, substitute prereqs may be used when requesting preauthorization to enroll in a core UD physics course:
- ECE 107 (B+ grade or higher) may be used in place of PHYS 100A and/or 100B (e.g., for PHYS 130A/B requests, assuming PHYS 4A-B-C-D-E, MATH 18, and MATH 20A-B-C-D-E have already been completed)
- Combo of ECE 35, 45, 65 (B+ grades or higher) may be used in place of PHYS 120 (e.g., for PHYS 122, 124 requests)
- Combo of MAE 105, 107 (B+ grades or higher) may be used in place of PHYS 105A (e.g., for PHYS 105B requests, assuming PHYS 4A-B-C-D-E, MATH 18, and MATH 20A-B-C-D-E have already been completed)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a physics major and a physics minor?

The key differences between the B.S Physics major and the Physics minor are as follows.

Differences in Major vs Minor	Major	Minor
Units	109	28
All Core Topics	Required	Not required
Includes Required PHYS Grad School Prep	Yes	No
Accepts PHYS 2 Series Lectures	No	Yes

Do you offer minors in subfields in physics (eg. astrophysics minor, biophysics minor, etc.)?

No, but you can select one/more courses from a subfield as part of your minor and apply those to your physics minor.

Can I use one LD PHYS 2 series course and one LD PHYS 4 series course toward a physics minor?

No, this option is not available. If using two lower-division physics courses toward the physics minor you must choose one of the following options:

PHYS 2C and PHYS 2D
PHYS 4D and 4E

If I complete(d) the PHYS 2 series instead of the PHYS 4 series, what upper-division courses can I take to satisfy the physics minor? What can I do to become eligible to apply to take core upper-division physics courses?

If you've taken the PHYS 2 series, you can use PHYS 2C, PHYS 2D and then choose any five courses from below (the areas are listed just to give you a frame of reference, course descriptions can be found here):

PHYS 139 (topics vary and up to two 139s can apply as long as they're not the same topic), 141, 142, 151, 177, 178

To be eligible to apply to take core upper division physics courses, you must complete the PHYS 4 series prereqs (PHYS 2 series courses are not accepted).

How can I complete the PHYS 4 series for my PHYS minor?

There are two pathways through Physics 4:

The standard PHYS 4 pathway is designed for freshman admits:

Fall	Winter	Spring
MATH 18*	PHYS 4A	PHYS 4B
MATH 20A	MATH 20B	MATH 20C


Fall	Winter	Spring
PHYS 4C	PHYS 4D	PHYS 4E
MATH 20E	MATH 20D

*MATH 18 may be moved but must be taken no later than Summer Session 2 (it is a prereq for PHYS 4C).

The accelerated PHYS 4 pathway is designed for anyone transferring from outside of UCSD (i.e. transfer admits) and those interested in core physics topics who have completed most of the PHYS 2 series:

NOTE: Prior completion of "Transfer Major Prep" requirements MATH 18 + 20A-B-C + PHYS 2A-B-C is required to be eligible to follow the accelerated PHYS 4 pathway.

Fall	Winter	Spring
PHYS 4C	PHYS 4D	PHYS 4E
MATH 20E	PHYS 4A	PHYS 4B
	MATH 20D

Am I guaranteed enrollment in the courses I select for the physics minor?

Enrollment in proposed minor courses is not guaranteed. If you are unable to enroll in a proposed minor course you will need to enroll in some other course. Any/all eligible courses will automatically apply in the degree audit. For example, if you hoped to take PHYS 133 for your minor but could not enroll in that course and, instead, you took PHYS 141, PHYS 141 would automatically apply to the physics minor in your degree audit.

Can I extend my time at UCSD to wrap up a physics minor?

This is up to your college and not the Physics Department. Keep in mind that minors are not required to earn a degree at UCSD and so the campus may not approve a request to enroll beyond normative time in order to complete a minor.

Can non-physics courses apply to a physics minor?

Generally speaking, no. However, students who declared the physics minor before SP24 who included PHYS 163 and/or 164 in their minor proposal will be permitted to use ASTR 123 and/or 150, respectively, toward their physics minor. By May 2024, this population of students had their degree audits updated to include the new course numbers. All others will need to take courses with the PHYS subject code for the minor requirements.

Where can I see the physics course titles and descriptions?

Please see the Physics Courses section of the UCSD General Catalog.

What does PHYS 100-178 mean?

PHYS 100-178 means physics courses found in the General Catalog numbers ranging from 100 through 178.

Can multiple PHYS 139s apply to the minor?

A max of two PHYS 139s can apply to the minor, provided they are on two different topics.

Can PHYS 191, 192, 198, and/or 199 apply to the physics minor?

No, they cannot.

Is the Degree Audit the authority on my degree requirements and progress toward graduation?

No, the degree audit is not the authority on your degree requirements and/or progress. Per the posted campus information about the Degree Audit, "The General Catalogue is the official repository of the curricular requirements for degree audits. If there are inconsistencies between the General Catalogue and the Degree Audit, the General Catalogue shall be deemed correct. Any errors on the Degree Audit do not automatically grant students an exception to their degree requirements. If you discover an inconsistency, report it to Advising Staff."

Students are responsible for contacting PHYSICS through VAC to report any suspected errors in the PHYS MINOR section on the Degree audit. Contact PHYSICS through VAC if you would like the Department to review the PHYS MINOR section of your degree audit.