Physics

Students considering physics as a major should aim to complete the physics sequence (PH 1110/1111-1140) by the end of their first year. Completion of these courses can be through a combination of AP or transfer credit, as well as WPI courses.  So, if you received AP credit for courses early in the sequence, you can start at the next course in the sequence.  

Typically you should take PH 1110 or PH 1111 as your first course. You must be starting with MA 1022 or higher to begin with Physics. If you are starting with MA 1021 or 1020, you should start with CH 1010. 

PH 1110 and PH 1111 are two different versions of mechanics:

• PH 1110 has a recommended background of differential calculus (MA 1021) and concurrent study of integral calculus (MA 1022). 
• PH 1111 has a recommended background of both differential and integral calculus (MA 1021 and 1022). If you are starting your math sequence at MA 1022 (Calculus II), you should instead take PH 1110. 

If you are starting your math sequence at MA 1021 or MA 1020 (Calculus I), you should not take Physics.

The traditional PH 1110 is taught in three one-hour lectures, two one-hour conferences, and two hours of labs per week. If you prefer more “seeing and doing,” and learning in groups with other students in class,  you may want to opt into the “studio style” version of the course in which class time will include a brief summary lecture, hands-on activities, and group problem solving. Studio-style courses often require more work outside of class before a topic is covered to be ready for the activities in the classroom, whereas traditional-style courses often require more work outside of class after a topic is covered to review and practice on your own (or with other students). The total amount of work outside of class turns out to be about the same between the two styles. Studio-style physics consists of two two-hour active learning sessions, a one-hour session for review problems or exams, and the same two-hour session of labs per week. The section numbers for studio-style physics are AS01 or AS02.

Certain sections of PH 1111 are also taught in a studio style, depending on the instructor and available classroom space.

Chemistry

Students who are starting their math sequence at MA 1021 or MA 1020 (Calculus I) should take CH 1010 Chemical Properties, Bonding, and Forces in A term. 

Students considering Physics as a major should work through the calculus sequence (MA 1021-1024) in their first year.

In choosing which Math course you will begin with, please consider the following.  

1. Complete the Math Placement Exam. The Math Placement Exam will tell you which Calculus course you should start in based on your current knowledge. If you are recommended to start in MA 1020, this will be your math course for both terms.
2. Consider if you have AP Credit (new policy as of 10/20/25):
   Students who obtain a score of “4” on the AB-level Exam will receive credit for MA 1021 and should begin with MA 1022 in A term followed by MA 1023 in B term. Those that obtain a score of "5" on the AB-level Exam will receive credit for MA 1021 and MA 1022 and should begin with MA 1023/1033 in A term followed by MA 1024/1034 in B term.
   Students who obtain a grade of “4” or “5” on the BC-level Exam will receive credit for MA 1021, MA 1022 and MA 1023 and could begin with MA 1024 in A-term then MA 2051 in B-term, OR MA 1033 in A-term followed by MA 1034 in B-term. 
3. Students who received a 6 or 7 on the IB will receive 2/3 credit of MA 1000, and should use the math placement exam results to decide which math class to take.
4. Consider the possibility of retroactive credit. If the Math Placement Exam recommends that you start in MA 1022, MA 1023/1033, or MA 1024 but you do not have AP credit, this could be a great option for you. If, in your first year, you complete MA 1022 and MA 1023/1033 on your first attempt, you will receive retroactive credit for MA 1021. If, in your first year, you complete MA 1023/1033 and MA 1024/1034 on your first attempt you will receive retroactive credit for MA 1021 and MA 1022.  If, in your first year, you complete MA 1024 and MA 2051, you will receive retroactive credit for MA 1021 and MA 1022. Please note that there is no retroactive credit for MA 1023. In determining if this is the right path for you, we strongly recommend completing the Math Placement exam and following the suggestion given to you. 

The sequence MA 1033 Theoretical Calculus III and MA 1034 Theoretical Calculus IV is an alternative to the MA 1023, MA 1024 sequence in A and B terms. The sequence is designed to give a deeper and more mathematically rigorous presentation of the relevant calculus topics. If you really enjoy math and have credit for Calculus I and II already, you should consider this sequence instead of the MA 1023-MA 1024 sequence.

Your third course should be a GPS, Humanities and Arts, or Social Science course. More information is available about these courses below. 

Great Problems Seminar

GPS stands for Great Problems Seminar, which are courses exclusively for first year students that allow students to learn about a problem in the world and work with a group on how to fix it. These courses are helpful with the transition to college as well as useful for students when preparing for projects such as IQP and MQP in junior and senior year. GPS courses run for both A and B term, so you will only need to choose one. More information can be found here.

Humanities and Arts

Every student at WPI must complete the Humanities and Arts (HUA) Requirement. This consists of 6 courses in HUA subjects. The subjects available for HUA are:

• Art/Art History (AR)
• Music (MU)
• Theatre (TH)
• Modern Languages - Spanish (SP), German (GN), Arabic (AB), Chinese (CN), Integrated Skills in English (ISE)
  • For Spanish Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Angel Rivera (arivera@wpi.edu) 
  • For German Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Daniel DiMassa (ddimassa@wpi.edu)
  • For Arabic Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Mohammed El Hamzaoui (melhamzaoui@wpi.edu)
  • For Chinese Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Wen-Hua Du (wdu2@wpi.edu)
  • For Integrated Skills in English Information: The placement exam is not currently required and students are welcome to register for all ISE courses. Please contact Prof. Esther Boucher-Yip (efboucher@wpi.edu) or Prof. Althea Danielski (amdanielski@wpi.edu) if you have any questions.
• Literature (EN)
• Writing/Rhetoric (WR)
• History (HI)
• Humanities (HU)
• International and Global Studies (INTL)
• Philosophy (PY)
• Religion (RE)

You should pick courses in subjects you are interested in. When you come to campus you will learn more about the HUA requirement and how you will complete it. 

Social Science

You are required to take two Social Science Courses in your time at WPI. The subjects that are considered Social Science are:

• Development (DEV)
• Economics (ECON)
• Environmental Studies (ENV)
• Government, Political Science, and Law (GOV)
• Psychology (PSY)
• System Dynamics (SD)
• Sociology (SOC)
• Social Science (SS)
• Society/Technology Studies (STS)

Note: ID 2050 is a course that is required before you go away for IQP and counts as one of your Social Science Courses. If you are planning on going away for IQP in your junior year, you may only want to take one social science course in your first year. 

Students considering physics as a major should aim to complete the physics sequence (PH 1110/1111-1140) by the end of their first year. Completion of these courses can be through a combination of AP or transfer credit, as well as WPI courses.  So, if you received AP credit for courses early in the sequence, you can start at the next course in the sequence.  

Students typically move on to PH 1120/1121 in B term.

PH 1120 and PH 1121 are two different versions of Electricity and Magnetism, and students should only take PH 1120/1121 if they will meet the recommended background after A term:

• PH 1120 has a recommended background of Mechanics (PH 1110 or PH 1111) and differential and integral calculus (MA 1021 and MA 1022). 
• PH 1121 has a recommended background of  Mechanics (PH 1110 or PH 1111), differential and integral calculus (MA 1021 and MA 1022), and vector algebra (MA 1023). For students who will be taking MA 1023 Calc III concurrently, it is recommended that you select PH 1120 instead.

The traditional PH 1120 is taught in three one-hour lectures, two one-hour conferences, and two hours of computerized labs per week. If you prefer more “seeing and doing,”  you,” you may want to opt into the “studio style” version of the course in which class time will include a brief summary lecture, hands-on activities, and group problems. It will require more work outside of class to be ready for the activities in the classroom.  This version consists of two two-hour active learning sessions, a one-hour session for review problems or exams, and a two-hour session of computerized labs per week. The section numbers for this option are BS01 or BS02.

If you took MA 1021 Calculus I in A term and will be taking MA 1022 Calculus II in B term, you should take PH 1110 in B term.

If you are continuing with MA 1020 Calculus I with Preliminary Topics (semester-long Calculus I), you should not take PH 1110 or 1120/1121 and should instead take another science or computer science course. Some options include CS 1004 Introduction to Programming for Non-majors; CH 1020 Chemical Reactions (for those who took CH 1010 in A term), BB 1001 Introduction to Biology; or BB 1004 Human Biology.

Students considering Physics as a major should work through the calculus sequence (MA 1021-1024) in their first year.

In B Term, you should take the next course in the Calculus series beyond your A term course. The following is the typical MA sequence for WPI Students.

MA 1021/1020

MA 1022/1120

MA 1023/1033

MA 1024/1034

MA 2051

In choosing which Math course you will begin with, please consider the following.  

1. Complete the Math Placement Exam. The Math Placement Exam will tell you which Calculus course you should start in based on your current knowledge. If you are recommended to start in MA 1020, this will be your math course for both terms.
2. Consider if you have AP Credit (new policy as of 10/20/25):
   Students who obtain a score of “4” on the AB-level Exam will receive credit for MA 1021 and should begin with MA 1022 in A term followed by MA 1023 in B term. Those that obtain a score of "5" on the AB-level Exam will receive credit for MA 1021 and MA 1022 and should begin with MA 1023/1033 in A term followed by MA 1024/1034 in B term.
   Students who obtain a grade of “4” or “5” on the BC-level Exam will receive credit for MA 1021, MA 1022 and MA 1023 and could begin with MA 1024 in A-term then MA 2051 in B-term, OR MA 1033 in A-term followed by MA 1034 in B-term. 
3. Students who received a 6 or 7 on the IB will receive 2/3 credit of MA 1000, and should use the math placement exam results to decide which math class to take.
4. Consider the possibility of retroactive credit. If the Math Placement Exam recommends that you start in MA 1022, MA 1023/1033, or MA 1024 but you do not have AP credit, this could be a great option for you. If, in your first year, you complete MA 1022 and MA 1023/1033 on your first attempt, you will receive retroactive credit for MA 1021. If, in your first year, you complete MA 1023/1033 and MA 1024/1034 on your first attempt you will receive retroactive credit for MA 1021 and MA 1022.  If, in your first year, you complete MA 1024 and MA 2051, you will receive retroactive credit for MA 1021 and MA 1022. Please note that there is no retroactive credit for MA 1023. In determining if this is the right path for you, we strongly recommend completing the Math Placement exam and following the suggestion given to you. 

The sequence MA 1033 Theoretical Calculus III and MA 1034 Theoretical Calculus IV is an alternative to the MA 1023, MA 1024 sequence in A and B terms. The sequence is designed to give a deeper and more mathematically rigorous presentation of the relevant calculus topics. If you really enjoy math and have credit for Calculus I and II already, you should consider this sequence instead of the MA 1023-MA 1024 sequence.

Your third course should be a GPS, Humanities and Arts, or Social Science course. More information is available about these courses below. 

Great Problems Seminar

GPS stands for Great Problems Seminar, which are courses exclusively for first year students that allow students to learn about a problem in the world and work with a group on how to fix it. These courses are helpful with the transition to college as well as useful for students when preparing for projects such as IQP and MQP in junior and senior year. GPS courses run for both A and B term, so you will only need to choose one. More information can be found here.

Humanities and Arts

Every student at WPI must complete the Humanities and Arts (HUA) Requirement. This consists of 6 courses in HUA subjects. The subjects available for HUA are:

• Art/Art History (AR)
• Music (MU)
• Theatre (TH)
• Modern Languages - Spanish (SP), German (GN), Arabic (AB), Chinese (CN), Integrated Skills in English (ISE)
  • For Spanish Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Angel Rivera (arivera@wpi.edu) 
  • For German Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Daniel DiMassa (ddimassa@wpi.edu)
  • For Arabic Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Mohammed El Hamzaoui (melhamzaoui@wpi.edu)
  • For Chinese Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Wen-Hua Du (wdu2@wpi.edu)
  • For Integrated Skills in English Information: The placement exam is not currently required and students are welcome to register for all ISE courses. Please contact Prof. Esther Boucher-Yip (efboucher@wpi.edu) or Prof. Althea Danielski (amdanielski@wpi.edu) if you have any questions.
• Literature (EN)
• Writing/Rhetoric (WR)
• History (HI)
• Humanities (HU)
• International and Global Studies (INTL)
• Philosophy (PY)
• Religion (RE)

You should pick courses in subjects you are interested in. When you come to campus you will learn more about the HUA requirement and how you will complete it. 

Social Science

You are required to take two Social Science Courses in your time at WPI. The subjects that are considered Social Science are:

• Development (DEV)
• Economics (ECON)
• Environmental Studies (ENV)
• Government, Political Science, and Law (GOV)
• Psychology (PSY)
• System Dynamics (SD)
• Sociology (SOC)
• Social Science (SS)
• Society/Technology Studies (STS)

Note: ID 2050 is a course that is required before you go away for IQP and counts as one of your Social Science Courses. If you are planning on going away for IQP in your junior year, you may only want to take one social science course in your first year. 

Students considering Physics as a major should aim to complete the physics sequence (PH 1110/1111-1140) by the end of their first year. Completion of these courses can be through a combination of AP or transfer credit, as well as WPI courses.  

PH 1140 Oscillations, and Waves is recommended for Physics majors in C term of their first year. This course has a recommended background of PH 1110/1111, PH 1120/1121, and MA 1021, 1022, and 1023.

Alternatively, students considering Physics as a major who have not yet taken Mechanics should take PH 1110. Students who have not yet taken Electricity and Magnetism should take PH 1120.

Students who have completed PH 1110/1111 and 1120/1121, but do not meet the recommended math background for PH 1140, should consult with their Academic Advisor to discuss an alternative science course to count towards the "Other Courses" requirement for the major.

Students considering Physics as a major should work through the calculus sequence (MA 1021-1024) in their first year.

In C Term you should take the next course in the Calculus series beyond your B term course. The following is the typical MA sequence for WPI Students.

MA 1021/1020

MA 1022/1120

MA 1023/1033

MA 1024/1024

MA 2051

Students who have completed the Calculus sequence are encouraged to explore advanced math classes. Physics majors are required to complete two math classes at the 3000-level or higher.

Your third course should be a Humanities and Arts or Social Science course. More information is available about these courses below. 

Humanities and Arts

Every student at WPI must complete the Humanities and Arts (HUA) Requirement. This consists of 6 courses in HUA subjects. The subjects available for HUA are:

• Art/Art History (AR)
• Music (MU)
• Theatre (TH)
• Modern Languages - Spanish (SP), German (GN), Arabic (AB), Chinese (CN), Integrated Skills in English (ISE)
  • For Spanish Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Angel Rivera (arivera@wpi.edu) 
  • For German Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Daniel DiMassa (ddimassa@wpi.edu)
  • For Arabic Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Mohammed El Hamzaoui (melhamzaoui@wpi.edu)
  • For Chinese Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Wen-Hua Du (wdu2@wpi.edu)
  • For Integrated Skills in English Information: The placement exam is not currently required and students are welcome to register for all ISE courses. Please contact Prof. Esther Boucher-Yip (efboucher@wpi.edu) or Prof. Althea Danielski (amdanielski@wpi.edu) if you have any questions.
• Literature (EN)
• Writing/Rhetoric (WR)
• History (HI)
• Humanities (HU)
• International and Global Studies (INTL)
• Philosophy (PY)
• Religion (RE)

Social Science

You are required to take two Social Science Courses in your time at WPI. The subjects that are considered Social Science are:

• Development (DEV)
• Economics (ECON)
• Environmental Studies (ENV)
• Government, Political Science, and Law (GOV)
• Psychology (PSY)
• System Dynamics (SD)
• Sociology (SOC)
• Social Science (SS)
• Society/Technology Studies (STS)

Note: ID 2050 is a course that is required before you go away for IQP and counts as one of your Social Science Courses. If you are planning on going away for IQP in your junior year, you may only want to take one social science course in your first year. 

Students considering Physics as a major should aim to complete the physics sequence (PH 1110/1111-1140) by the end of their first year. Completion of these courses can be through a combination of AP or transfer credit, as well as WPI courses. 

PH 1130 Modern Physics is recommended for Physics majors in D term of their first year. This course has a recommended background of PH 1110/1111, PH 1120/1121, and MA 1021 and 1022.

Alternatively, students considering Physics as a major who have not yet taken Electricity and Magnetism should take PH 1120.

Students considering Physics as a major should work through the calculus sequence (MA 1021-1024) in their first year.

In D Term you should take the next course in the Calculus series beyond your C term course. The following is the typical MA sequence for WPI Students.

MA 1021/1020

MA 1022/1120

MA 1023/1033

MA 1024/1024

MA 2051

Students who have completed the Calculus sequence are encouraged to explore advanced math classes. Physics majors are required to complete two math classes at the 3000-level or higher.

Your third course should be a Humanities and Arts or Social Science course. More information is available about these courses below. 

Humanities and Arts

Every student at WPI must complete the Humanities and Arts (HUA) Requirement. This consists of 6 courses in HUA subjects. The subjects available for HUA are:

• Art/Art History (AR)
• Music (MU)
• Theatre (TH)
• Modern Languages - Spanish (SP), German (GN), Arabic (AB), Chinese (CN), Integrated Skills in English (ISE)
  • For Spanish Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Angel Rivera (arivera@wpi.edu) 
  • For German Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Daniel DiMassa (ddimassa@wpi.edu)
  • For Arabic Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Mohammed El Hamzaoui (melhamzaoui@wpi.edu)
  • For Chinese Placement Information, Please Email: Professor Wen-Hua Du (wdu2@wpi.edu)
  • For Integrated Skills in English Information: The placement exam is not currently required and students are welcome to register for all ISE courses. Please contact Prof. Esther Boucher-Yip (efboucher@wpi.edu) or Prof. Althea Danielski (amdanielski@wpi.edu) if you have any questions.
• Literature (EN)
• Writing/Rhetoric (WR)
• History (HI)
• Humanities (HU)
• International and Global Studies (INTL)
• Philosophy (PY)
• Religion (RE)

Social Science

You are required to take two Social Science Courses in your time at WPI. The subjects that are considered Social Science are:

• Development (DEV)
• Economics (ECON)
• Environmental Studies (ENV)
• Government, Political Science, and Law (GOV)
• Psychology (PSY)
• System Dynamics (SD)
• Sociology (SOC)
• Social Science (SS)
• Society/Technology Studies (STS)

Note: ID 2050 is a course that is required before you go away for IQP and counts as one of your Social Science Courses. If you are planning on going away for IQP in your junior year, you may only want to take one social science course in your first year.