Explore our Physics academic resources, designed to support your academic aspirations.
Curriculum Guide

Physics Department

CLAS Advising Center

What Can I Do With This Major?

Unlock career potential in Physics! Discover resources to maximize your professional trajectory.

Career Assessment - PathwayU

Jobs via Handshake

Career Communities

Sample Physics Internship Sites

Internships provide a way for you to get hands-on, supervised experience in the world of work. You are able to apply the concepts you are learning in the classroom to a work environment.

• NASA Internships and Scholarships (NIFS) programming
• SPS Internships
• The American Astronomical Society

Physics Department Internship Information

 General Information on Internships

Join A Student Organization

Get involved with a student organization related to your major. Student orgs are a great way to get connected and explore career options!

• Society of Physics Students
• Regional Math and Science Center
• Women in STEM

Student Organizations

Relevant Courses and Certificates for Building Skills

Developing the relevant skills that employers seek is an essential component of a student's education. GVSU students should consider strategic elective courses and certificates to pair with their major in order to gain additional skills.

• Workplace Technology and Communication Undergraduate Badge
• Embedded Systems Graduate Badge
• Data Analytics Graduate Badge

Electives to Consider

Community Service Opportunities

Seek volunteer opportunities related to the field you're exploring as a way of testing out future careers.

The Civic Engagement Center keeps a list of current volunteer opportunities updated on their website. There are ongoing opportunities on a continuous basis, as well as on-campus and off-campus opportunities posted as they become available.
 

Civic Engagement Center

Physics Abroad Options

Through study abroad you’ll also set yourself apart from other job-seekers and graduate-school applicants in an increasingly competitive market.

Imagine yourself waking up in the morning to explore the same halls walked by the greatest physicists of the past, tracing their work through historical and scientific perspectives.  Or maybe you would rather shoot for an internship at CERN, the world’s largest particle accelerator where the earth-shattering discovery of the Higgs Boson just transpired.

Physics Study Abroad

Explore Internships Abroad

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Pursuing academic, creative, and research experiences and projects outside the classroom is an excellent way to learn new skills and build a body of work in your field.

Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship

Getting Started

Fellowship Opportunities

Fellowships are high-impact, potentially life-changing opportunities for students and alumni, opening doors to careers in public service, advanced academic study, foreign service, international teaching, and other career and service pathways into meaningful and fulfilling lives.

Frederik Meijer Office of Fellowships

Finding a Fellowship

Where Alumni Have Landed

• Senior Associate Medical Physicist – Henry Ford Health System
• Site Lead for the DoD High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP) - Dynamics Research Corporation
• Development Engineer - Aculight Corporation
• Senior Project Manager – Amway
• Engineer – Intertek Test Labs
• Project Engineer – Consumers Energy
• Orthoptist – Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital
• Applications Engineer – Steelcase
• Software Developer – Metal Components LLC
• Physics Teacher - Bloomfield Hills International Academy 

You have built a solid foundation in theoretical and experimental physics during your undergraduate studies. Graduate school offers the opportunity to deepen your expertise and contribute to cutting-edge scientific research:

• Master of Science (MS) in Physics: This degree strengthens your knowledge in classical mechanics, quantum theory, and advanced mathematics. It’s ideal for careers in research, industry, education, or as preparation for doctoral study.
• PhD in Physics: This research-intensive degree prepares you for roles in academia, national laboratories, or advanced industry. Programs focus on original research in areas like astrophysics, condensed matter, or particle physics, often alongside teaching experience.
• Interdisciplinary Programs: Many graduate programs combine physics with fields such as engineering, computational science, materials science, or biophysics—ideal for students interested in applying physics across innovative, cross-disciplinary fields.