The Physics Department is very closely linked with the Departments of Mathematics and Computer Science, which allows both the faculty and students opportunities for cross-disciplinary work. These are some of the innovative teaching methods that members of our three departments are currently developing or using, and sharing with their colleagues at Hartford and other colleges and universities.

Online Homework
Online homework has been used in both Mathematics (Webworks) and Physics (UTexas Homework System) for a number of years.

Student Response Systems
Student response systems (or handheld "clickers") allow an instructor to quickly poll the class and incorporate the responses into the class material in real time. Members of our Department of Mathematics are engaged in extensive development of courses involving SRS.

Podcasting
The algebra-based introductory physics lectures have been podcasted for several semesters. These audio MP3 files are available to students, as are special podcasts discussing special topics in physics.

Open-source Textbooks
Certain introductory physics courses have begun using "open source" texts that are available free in PDF format or at near-cost for printed and bound copies. In addition, Creative Commons licensing allows instructors to modify the texts to suit their specific needs.

Department offers both a B.A. and a B.S. in Physics, which prepares students for either graduate study or employment in a technical field. In recent American Institute of Physics surveys, 96% of the nation’s recipients of bachelor’s degrees were pursuing graduate work or employed one year after graduation. People with degrees in physics are working in such varied fields as health sciences, telecommunications, fiberoptics technology, laser applications, computer modeling, science education, and patent law. In addition, the requirements of the program are flexible enough to accommodate a variety of minors.