MIT Department of Physics

Fourteen alumni of the department and nine current or former faculty members (two of whom were also students at MIT) have won the Nobel Prize in Physics.The Department of Physics was born when MIT founder William Barton Rogers proposed in 1865 to bring their Mens et Manus philosophy to life by creating a new laboratory of physics and mechanics in another department’s back room.

The first, "Course 8 Focused Option", is for students intending to continue studying physics in graduate school.

The second, "Course 8 Flexible Option" is designed for those students who would like to develop a strong background in physics but who would like to branch off into other research directions or more unconventional career paths, such as information theory, computer science, finance, and biophysics.

A significant part of the student's third and fourth undergraduate years are left open for relevant electives and graduate classes, which then form a specialization.

Both tracks have a strong emphasis on laboratory instruction, with the third year often reserved for two "Junior Lab" courses.

Building 6C is located at the core of the MIT Physics Department. Laboratories are often distributed throughout campus depending on their research areas.