Georgia College & State University is prepared to increase that number.

“This year at Georgia College & State University we have two students qualified in physics in the Master of Arts in Teaching program,” said Dr. Ken McGill, Chair of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy Department. “In one year the College of Education will have doubled the number of newly qualified high school physics teachers in Georgia.”

In January Georgia College joined Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, University of Georgia, Georgia Southern University and five additional University System of Georgia schools in offering bachelor of science degrees in physics.

Physics is the science of matter and energy and the interactions between the two. Physics is part of the classical seven liberal arts and continues to be one of the foundations of the liberal arts concept.

Georgia College now offers the physics major for the first time in more than 30 years. The major was relegated to a minor in the early 1970s due to budget concerns and a low level of student interest.

Student interest in math and science at Georgia College has grown significantly since the 1970s. Georgia College has been the recipient of Science,Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) initiative funding in order to support the teacher shortage in STEM fields.

This funding, in addition to private donations and resources from the Grassman Foundation, has allowed the physics major to reemerge. Currently, 13 physics majors are enrolled with the anticipation of an additional 15 to 20 freshmen physics majors enrolling next year.

Georgia College offers a number of physics courses including research courses, electricity and magnetism, modern physics and dynamics.

A planned addition to Herty Hall will allow for more space dedicated to the Physics program.

Thanks to the STEM grant a new assistant professor of physics will be added to the faculty in the coming semester.

Students pursuing a physics degree take their core classes together during the first two years.

During this time the students study together and form strong bonds among their classmates.

The physics degree offers multiple tracks.

“Some of our tracks for physics rely heavily on math and come very close to satisfying the requirements for a math minor,” said McGill.

The physics department will award four, three-year scholarships each year.

“We’re looking for students who are determined to get their degree at Georgia College,” McGill said. “If they come here with an interest in physics, we will take care of the rest.”

Generating students’ interest in physics early rather than later will help meet Georgia’s need for future physics teachers.

“If the state does not graduate enough students qualified to teach physics, it becomes a downward spiral when it comes to getting high school students excited about physics,” said McGill.

For more information, please contact Ken McGill at (478) 445-5371.