Minor in Biophysics

About the Minor

Biophysics is the study of the complexity of life using tools provided by physics. It attempts to construct mathematical frameworks that explain, among many other topics, how organisms obtain energy from the environment, how complex structures appear in the cell, and how these relate to function. In essence, biophysics looks for principles that describe observed patterns and propose predictions based on these principles. This minor will equip students with the understanding, ability, and skills to deconstruct complex biophysical phenomena into its constituent parts and to make and use simple theoretical, phenomenological, and computational models that explain and predict behavior in biophysical systems. This minor would easily complement any other discipline from biology, chemistry, engineering to other sciences.

Admissions Requirements

Consultation and approval of the program director and completion of one of the prerequisite sequences. Students who have completed the PHYS 1101, PHYS 1102 sequence will also be accepted into the minor provided they have an A- average in those courses and have completed MATH 1201 and MATH 1202.

Students are required to declare a major before declaring a minor. Students admitted directly into a specific major at the time of matriculation may declare a minor beginning in their second semester. All requirements for the minor must be completed either concurrently with or prior to the completion of the primary major requirements. This ensures that students fulfill the expectations of their primary field of study while completing any additional areas of academic specialization.

Minor Requirements

Additional Information

For more information about this program, please contact the College of Arts and Sciences