The Department of Physics offers a program leading to a Bachelor of Science with three different emphases: professional physics, secondary school teaching, and applied physics. Illinois state teacher certification is available through the physics education certification program.
The physics department at NIU has many advantages over programs at other universities. We are smaller than most Ph.D. granting departments and so have much more faculty involvement with students in both teaching and research.
All of the faculty in the department teach undergraduate courses, and all courses are taught by faculty, with the average class size for junior and senior courses being less than 15 students.
Our undergraduate students have the opportunity to participate in world class research with faculty active at Argonne National Laboratory and Fermilab, both of which are located within an hour's drive of the NIU campus.
Undergraduate students also serve as teaching aides and as laboratory assistants when appropriate. Details on research and teaching opportunities are described below; we also give a few examples of recent student participation.