The theme of Physics is to understand the fundamental principles of nature, from elementary particles to the massive universe, and to predict phenomena that can be derived from fundamental principles. The goal of the Department of Physics here at KAIST is to instill into students deep physical insights and the ability to use such insights in creative ways through thorough and wide-ranging education in both theoretical and experimental subjects. Presently, the department consists of 28 full-time faculties with additional 5 professors emeritus, about 230 graduate students and 150 undergraduate students. Over 700 alumni who have graduated from the Department of Physics with a graduate degree have succeeded in playing leading roles in many educational and research institutes as well as in industry. Currently, the demands for well-trained graduates continue to grow.
The undergraduate program begins with an introductory phase which emphasizes a basic understanding of the fundamentals of classical mechanics, electrodynamics, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics, and mathematical physics. After the completion of introductory courses, the students are introduced to more specialized fields such as solid state physics, optics, atomic and molecular physics, semiconductor physics, plasma physics, particle physics, astrophysics, and computational physics. In parallel with lecture, students are also encouraged to develop new skills and interests through independent research under the supervision of a chosen professor.
Students wishing to major in Physics must first complete all the general physics requirements of KAIST - except that PH152 is mandatory for physics majors rather than optional. They must then pass all the courses marked as "mandatory" in the table below, plus enough additional courses listed in the table to bring the total number of physics credits up to 40. In addition, physics majors are required to take the physics seminar PH496 and to submit an acceptable thesis. The latter involves enrolling in PH490 (B.S. Thesis Research). If one counts these last two courses, the total number of physics credits required is 45.
It is recommended, but not required, that prospective physics majors take CH103, MA111, MA201 and MA202.
| Course Number | Course Title | Lecture: Lab : Credit (Assignment) |
Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| PH121 | Fundamental Physics I | 3:1:3 (6) | |
| PH122 | Fundamental Physics II | 3:1:3 (6) | |
| PH141 | General Physics I | 3:1:3 (6) | |
| PH142 | General Physics II | 3:1:3 (6) | |
| PH151 | General Physics Laboratory I | 0:3:1 (3) | |
| PH152 | General Physics Laboratory II | 0:3:1 (3) | |
| PH161 | Advanced Physics I | 3:1:3 (6) | |
| PH162 | Advanced Physics II | 3:1:3 (6) | |
| Mandatory | |||
| PH221 | Classical Mechanics I | 3:0:3 (6) | spring |
| PH231 | Electromagnetism I | 3:0:3 (6) | spring |
| PH252 | Physics Laboratory II | 1:4:2 (3) | fall |
| PH301 | Quantum Mechanics I | 3:0:3 (6) | spring |
| PH302 | Quantum Mechanics I | 3:0:3 (6) | fall |
| PH311 | Thermal Physics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring |
| PH351 | Physics Laboratory III | 1:3:2 (3) | spring |
| Elective | |||
| PH211 | Mathematical Methods in Physics I | 3:0:3 (6) | fall |
| PH212 | Mathematical Methods in Physics II | 3:0:3 (6) | spring |
| PH222 | Classical Mechanics II | 3:0:3 (6) | fall |
| PH232 | Electromagnetism II | 3:0:3 (6) | fall |
| PH241 | Modern Physics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring |
| PH243 | Introductory Modern Physics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | fall |
| PH251 | Physics Laboratory I | 1:4:2 (3) | spring |
| PH312 | Statistical Physics | 3:0:3 (6) | fall |
| PH352 | Physics Laboratory IV | 1:3:2 (3) | fall |
| PH361 | Solid State Physics I | 3:0:3 (4.5) | fall |
| PH391 | Optics I | 3:0:3 (4.5) | fall |
| PH392 | Optics II | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring |
| PH401 | Atomic and Molecular Physics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH413 | Computational Physics | 2:3:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH421 | Chaos and Nonlinear Dynamics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | fall |
| PH441 | Introduction to Plasma Physics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | fall |
| PH450 | Nuclear and Elementary Particle Physics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | fall |
| PH451 | Speical Topics in Experimental Physics | 2:3:3 (4.5) | fall |
| PH462 | Solid State Physics II | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring |
| PH471 | Theory of Relativity and Cosmology | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring |
| PH481 | Astrophysics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | fall |
| PH489 | Special Topics in Physics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| Research | |||
| PH490 | B.S. Thesis Research | 0:6:3 | spring/fall |
| PH495 | Individual Study | 0:6:1 | spring/fall |
| PH496 | Seminar | 1:0:1 | spring/fall |
Students wishing to double major in physics and another subject must still satisfy all of the requirements for a physics degree, except for the research courses and thesis, which are waived.
Students wishing to minor in physics must pass a total of 19 credits in physics courses, including PH301 and PH351. PH352 may be substituted for the latter.
The graduate program focuses on the fields of condensed matter physics, optics, plasma physics, and particle and theoretical physics in both education and research. After the completion of the required courses in advanced classical mechanics, electrodynamics, quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and laboratory experiments, students are expected to choose a thesis advisor to start their own research and thesis program. In pursuit of excellence, the research program at the Department of Physics at KAIST covers many diverse topics, frequently in close collaboration with other universities, research institutes, and industry as well as other departments here at KAIST. The Department of Physics at KAIST is also expanding into newly emerging fields such as nonlinear dynamics, soft matter physics, complex systems, biophysics, etc.
| Course Number | Course Title | Lecture: Lab : Credit (Assignment) |
Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandatory | |||
| PH503 | Quantum Mechanics I | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring |
| PH504 | Quantum Mechanics II | 3:0:3 (4.5) | fall |
| PH505 | Advanced Mechanics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring |
| PH507 | Advanced Electrodynamics I | 3:0:3 (4.5) | fall |
| PH508 | Advanced Electrodynamics II | 3:0:3 (4.5) | fall |
| PH509 | Statistical Mechanics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring |
| PH601 | Applied Physics Laboratory I | 0:9:3 (4.5) | spring |
| PH602 | Applied Physics Laboratory II | 0:9:3 (4.5) | spring |
| PH611 | Advanced Solid Sate Physics I | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH612 | Advanced Solid State Physics II | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH613 | Semiconductor Physics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH614 | Light Scattering Spectroscopy | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH615 | Introduction to Phase Transitions | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH621 | Advanced Wave Optics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH622 | Geometrical Optics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH624 | Laser and Quantum Optics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH625 | Advanced Spectroscopy | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH627 | Fiber Optics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH641 | Advanced Plasma Physics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH642 | Plasma Waves | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH643 | Applied Plasma Physics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| Elective | |||
| PH653 | Advanced Quantum Mechanics I | 3:0:3 (6) | spring/fall |
| PH654 | Advanced Quantum Mechanics II | 3:0:3 (6) | spring/fall |
| PH692 | Nonlinear Dynamics | 3:0:3 (6) | spring/fall |
| PH711 | Physics of Magnetism | 3:0:3 (6) | spring/fall |
| PH713 | Physics of Superconductivity | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH716 | Topics in Solid State Physics I | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH717 | Topics in Solid State Physics II | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH721 | Nonlinear Optics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH724 | Laser Plasma Interactions | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH726 | Semiconductor Optics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH741 | Topics in Plasma Physics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH742 | Plasma Confinement Theory | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH754 | Advanced Particle Physics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH757 | Topics in Particle Physics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH880 | Topics in Physics | 3:0:3 (4.5) | spring/fall |
| PH960 | M.S. Thesis | spring/fall | |
| PH965 | Independent Study in M.S. | spring/fall | |
| PH966 | M.S. Seminar | 1:0:1 | spring/fall |
| Research | |||
| PH980 | PhD Thesis | spring/fall | |
| PH986 | PhD Seminar | 1:0:1 | spring/fall |
| PH990 | Physics Colloquium | 1:0:0 | spring/fall |
All students must submit an acceptable thesis to graduate.