Who are our students?  A substantial fraction of those who pursue the Physics major are very capable, highly motivated students.  While here, they are the recipients of a disproportionate number of academic awards and honors, indicating thier significant contributions to the life of the College.  The great majority of our majors come to the College knowing at least that they want to consider Physics as one of their options (though it appears they may fail to tell the College this at entry).  Many of those very able students would not come to a college at which this option is unavailable.

The intended academic paths of Physics majors fall into five broad categories.

1. Some plan to continue their educations as graduate students in Physics.
2. Some plan to go to graduate school in a related (or "unrelated") area for which a Physics degree provides a strong foundation.
3. Some plan to enter the engineering profession through a dual-degree program.
4. Some plan to go directly into a technical job after graduation from Elmhurst.
5. Some plan to enter secondary teaching.

The following are among the strategies we use to deal with the variety of student goals and aspirations (or uncertainties in that area) on an individual basis.

1. We limit major requirements to the core areas of Physics.
2. Student paper topics and laboratory projects within upper-level courses are chosen in a targeted fashion.
3. The student's independent project is focused on his/her individual abilities and plans.
4. When appropriate, the department chairperson authorizes substitution of work specifically related to a student's career interests for one or two of the more theoretical upper-level classes.
5. When appropriate, the faculty work with a student to design a physics-based individualized interdepartmental major (i.e., "Technical Physcis") to match the student's particular career interests and abilities.
6. The department participates in dual-degree ("3-2") engineering programs.
7. The department encourages students to consider minors in other departments (or double majors) as appropriate.
8. The department encourages students to become involved in a variety of research participation or "internship" programs (i.e., the Argonne National Laboratory co-op program, Summer or January Term research participation programs throughout the country, research activities with College faculty at Fermilab or here on campus.