If you’re not one of my advisees, this page is probably not super useful to you. This is where I host the plans of study for my academic advisees. Only you (and I) can access the info in your folder. Anyone (on the RIC domain) may open the generic documents linked directly below, however.
Generic Documents:
Excel degree progress tracker. This tool has the additional feature (over the one I may have given you when we met) that it tracks your in-major GPA (see below) as well as the total GPA.
Blank advising notebook
Physics BS RhodeMap
If you want to do the honors program, you must maintain an in-major GPA of 3.25 (3.00 overall) in addition to the thesis requirement.
The second language requirement is that you pass a language course numbered 102 or higher with a C or better. For a lot of students, that means you must take the 101 and 102 courses, but if you have some experience with a foreign language, you’re encouraged to try testing out of at least one of these. Take the assessment (info here) to see if you can. If you test out of 101, you can go right into 102. If you test out of 102, you can go right into something higher. The upshot of testing into a more advanced class is that, in addition to just getting the best for your tuition money, you can double-dip the “Literature of the ___ -Speaking World” course to count both as your literature distribution course and (potentially) your second language requirement. Testing out of one or two language courses can save you two or one courses, respectively, in your plan of study. As a physicist, you have one of the larger programs of study, so don’t worry about having enough credits to graduate.
One way to use that freed up space in your program is to take a math course. Have a look at the math minor. Notice that since you must take CalcIII and Ordinary Differential Equations to earn our BS in physics, you probably only need to take one additional course at the 300-level or above to earn the math minor. Because it is such a minimal burden to do so, we recommend all physics majors pick up a math minor.
Also, from time to time it pops up that students would like to take a class we don’t offer or that is offered but conflicts with another class they need. If a course isn’t available to you here in a given semester but it will be at URI or CCRI, and you’re paying full-time tuition here, you can take it at the other institution for our credit (free of charge). Some things must be done to accomplish this. The general process is outlined here and some general steps are below:
- Complete the Interinstitutional Study form (Records Office).
- Complete the Authorization of Credit form (Records Office). It requires you to have the other institution’s course approved for content by the chair of the RIC department that offers the course you intend to be its substitute. Chances are, he/she is going to want to see a syllabus, so you might as well contact the instructor of the other institution’s course and obtain it before talking to one of our chairs.
- Turn in both forms to the Records Office at RIC.
- Remember to have an official transcript sent to RIC after you earn at least a C in the course to receive the RIC credit.
Current Students:
Old Students:
I removed the links on you folks as you’ve moved on to bigger and better things. If you need something from your time here, I probably still have it – just drop a line.
- Nathan Girard
- Sara Pariseau
- Matthew Parente
- Scott Fusco
- Steph Rivard
- Victor Martelle
- Edgardo Ortiz
- Alexander Medeiros