A Message from the Chair

The members of the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Texas at San Antonio bid you welcome. We are excited by recent discoveries in physics and astronomy and we strongly encourage
students to consider an exciting career in physics. Physics lies at the root of all the natural sciences and it is the cornerstone of modern engineering. New discoveries occur nearly daily across a broad range of research.

We strive to provide the science and engineering students at UTSA with a solid background in physics and problem-solving skills, critical to their future work, regardless of the nature of that work. We also aim
to provide students with as much research experience as possible, to better prepare them for their future careers.

We offer M.Sc. and Ph.D. Programs in Physics at UTSA. We expect the M.Sc. and Ph.D. programs to reach about 30-40 graduate students in a few years with a commensurate increase in the number of faculty. We have a graduate collaboration with the Space Science Division of the Southwest Research Institute through which we offer space physics; students pursuing a graduate degree in space physics gain firsthand experience in instrument and satellite development at a premier institution.

The Department provides a very friendly atmosphere where the students can and do interact very closely with the faculty. The undergraduate program furnishes a solid foundation in theoretical and applied physics and mathematics. By the time our students graduate they have been exposed to the entire spectrum of standard physics topics. They also acquire valuable hands-on experience and education in experimental physics through introductory and advanced physics laboratory courses. Students may also choose to train in areas of semiconductor technology, solid-state physics, computer visualization, as well as lasers and biophotonics, and theoretical physics. We also offer courses in the exciting areas of astrophysics, cosmology, and relativity for those students interested in that frontier.

Some of the central goals of the Physics and Astronomy Department are:

• to become one of the outstanding programs of its kind in the
  country, in which teaching and research are carefully interwoven
  for the benefit of the students and the community;

• to encourage minorities underrepresented in physics to consider
  physics or astronomy as their primary career path;

• to be responsive to the needs, both educational and
  research-related, of San Antonio and South Texas.
  
  The primary educational objectives we strive to instill in our
  undergraduates are:

• the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary for
  their future work in industry or graduate school;

• the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, essential in
  both industrial and academic research;

• the necessary technical communication skills and appreciation
  for teamwork;

• a love for lifelong learning, indispensable in any career but
  particularly important in science;

• a recognition of the role and importance of physics in modern
  society.

We invite you to look us over and consider the study of physics at UTSA.

Department of Physics and Astronomy
The University of Texas at San Antonio
One UTSA Circle
San Antonio, Texas 78249 USA