BSc Physics

BSc in Physics

From atoms to galaxies — explore, experiment, measure, and analyse the world around you.

Viewed at the broadest level, physics studies natural phenomena, and searches for the general laws which govern them. The two extremes of scale, particle physics and cosmology as well as the more esoteric and speculative theories tend to dominate the public perception and the imagination of students, since they excite a sense of awe and wonder. 

Between the two extremes lies physics at the human and terrestrial scale, which gives us an understanding of our everyday experiences, as well as forms the basis for the technology which increasingly dominates and transforms our lives. 

A physicist’s way of thinking is not only useful in finding physical truths in other scientific fields but also offers an alternative (and now mainstream in many cases) to helping solve problems in economics, climate studies and social sciences.

Who should join us?

Our four-year rigorous programme is unique and opens up multiple academic or career possibilities for students. The study in physics is broad in scope while intense in the experiential aspect and social context. Besides the standard body of physics knowledge, we inculcate a unique way of thinking through our hands-on learning experience both in the classroom and laboratory. If you have an inclination towards this kind of approach, this is the programme for you.

Why study with us?

We offer Interdisciplinary Openness

Our programmes encourage you to explore and follow your interests. We design our courses to ensure that you can specialise in a subject of your choice while learning various subjects across disciplines.

A Common Curriculum for all students

You will meet all your classmates at the beginning of your course to build all the tools you need for your four years of study. This includes foundational courses, an understanding of India, interdisciplinary studies, and courses in creative expressions.

We provide Academic Assistance

Our consistent academic assistance through language support, peer tutoring, faculty mentorship, etc., ensures that you meet the programme’s academic requirements.

We ensure Financial Support

We extend need-based financial assistance to students that cover tuition and accommodation expenses.

Programme Structure

Course Structure

The Common Curriculum will introduce students to the study of the themes and areas that emphasise and build critical and analytical abilities, and sensibilities for dialogue, reflection and cooperative learning. The Common Curriculum has three sub-components organised as below:

Foundations: Build capacity for critical thinking, reasoning and communication.

Understanding India: India’s history, society and possible future.

  • Creative Expressions

    As an essential component of the core curriculum, Creative Expressions courses utilise artistic mediums, sports, and embodied learning to cultivate creativity, foster social cohesion, and build resilience. Encouraging students to take risks in unfamiliar disciplines, these courses nurture curiosity, self-discovery, and overall well-being. Through Creative Expressions, students are empowered to participate with meaningful social connection, fostering a community of active and responsible citizens.

We offer broad introductory courses for you to have a good foundation and clear understanding of mechanics, electricity, heat, light and wave phenomena. These courses have an integrated tutorial and laboratory component.

These courses sometimes require an understanding of other scientific disciplines, and to ensure that you are able to study with ease, we offer you supportive courses in methods, chemistry, mathematics and biology.

Students must be prepared for the world of work at the end of the programme should they choose to enter it. We aim to provide the required skills and competencies for this through a Minor featuring courses in an Occupational or Interdisciplinary theme. These sets of courses are aimed to provide both conceptual understanding and skills and tools that will allow students to contribute through work and further study.

Students can opt for a Minor in any one of the indicative areas listed below:

  • Education
  • Media and Journalism
  • Data and Democracy
  • Sports and Fitness
  • Climate Studies
  • Arts

The selection of these indicative areas is based on the availability of courses and our evaluation of the student’s interests and academic needs. For each cohort, a final list of available courses will be announced at the end of their second semester.

Students can craft their own educational experience by selecting courses in the following ways:

  • Students will have the option to take additional courses in their Disciplinary Major.
  • Interdisciplinary minor that will enable them for their further higher studies or career pathways.

These courses could also be selected to enhance and broaden their

  • Language skills and Quantitative reasoning capacities/​programming skills.
  • Understanding of themes outside their Major subject.

Classroom Practices

Students learn how to take responsibility for their own learning. Many classes are run in studio format, where instruction comprises lectures, lab demonstrations, and doing experiments in groups. Building experiments with one’s own hands and experiencing phenomena up close are as essential as problem solving and doing simulations in our courses. Independent projects give students a flavour for doing research.

Selected Honours Projects

Honours consists of a project and some coursework. The project is usually on a highly individualized and independent research problem proposed by the mentor or even the student.

  • Quantification of Structural coloration in Peacock’s tail feathers, Akshara Yagnik, mentored by Proteep Mallik

  • Triboelectricity in Plants: A Study of the Potential for Energy Harvesting from Plants, Anoosha Chandrashekar, mentored by Anish Mokashi

  • Building A Shack-Hartmann Wavefront Sensor Using Ball Lenses, Gagan Hegde, mentored by Richard Fernandes

  • Theorizing the Existence of Magnetic Monopoles, Mahathi Narayanaswamy, mentored by Sridhar K

  • Analysis of mosquito motion in a confined environment, Manasvi Sahu, mentored by Murthy OVSN

  • Building A Shack-Hartmann Wavefront Sensor Using Ball LensesCP Violation In K‑Meson And B‑Meson Systems: A review of strangeness oscillations and CP violation, Ramkrishna Joshi, mentored by Sridhar K

  • Design and Construction of a Telescopic Eyepiece, Shashanth Sriramanathan, mentored by Proteep Mallik

  • Deformable Liquid Crystal Droplets in Surfactant Media, Siddharth Sane, mentored by Rema Krishnaswamy

  • Rebuilding the Beckman 25 Spectrophotometer, Tushar Achar GS, mentored by Richard Fernandes

To find out more about our honours projects, watch the video here.

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