Welcome to Physics & Astronomy!
As a Physics & Astronomy student, you're part of a community that studies our world and beyond! You'll be learning the same solid foundation in physics as all of our students, while also diving deeper into astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology.
Some students are drawn to this program because they want to understand how stars are born and evolve, or how galaxies form and interact. Others are fascinated by questions about the origin and fate of the universe itself. Whatever brought you here, your curiosity and drive to explore our cosmos will serve you well in your future!
This page is your hub for resources, contacts and guidance as you move through the Physics & Astronomy program.
Useful Links
General Advising Questions?
Looking for help with the following? Our full-time academic advisors can help! Please reach out to Heather and Maya on our General Advising page.
- Courses: Offerings, Selection, Enrolment, Overrides
- Academic Progression: Standings, Degree Checks
- Program: Plan Modifications, Work-Study Sequence Changes
- Administration: Important Dates, Administrative Procedures
- University Resource Awareness: Student Success, Counselling Referrals, Finances, etc.
Your Program-Specific Academic Advisor
Your Faculty Advisor can help with program-specific guidance, course and research advice, and academic/career pathways in your journey at UWaterloo.
Contact Dr. Afshordi and Dr. Balogh if you would like academic support in the following plans:
- Honours Physics & Astronomy
- Astrophysics Minor
Dr. Niayesh Afshordi
Available for in-person and virtual appointments upon request
Office: PHY 251
Email Dr. Afshordi at:
nafshordi@uwaterloo.ca
Dr. Michael Balogh
Available for in-person and virtual appointments upon request
Office: PHY 254
Email Dr. Balogh at:
mbalogh@uwaterloo.ca
Specialized Courses in PhysAstro
In addition to core science requirements, our PhysAstro program offers specialized courses that explore how physics is applied to stars, galaxies, and the universe itself.
Career Pathways
Depending on where your interests lie, here are some suggested courses that can help you prepare for different career directions, selected by your program advisor.
Biophysics: Highly recommend taking PHYS 249 and PHYS 267 to build your Python programming skills alongside linear algebra, statistics and data analysis.
Medical Physics: Take PHYS 383 and PHYS 483 for medical physics background as well as PHYS 249 and PHYS 267 to build your Python programming skills. Complete your physics degree and if you are interested in becoming a licensed medical physicist, you will need to complete a CAMPEP accredited graduate program. Talk to your advisor for more information.
Astrophysics: Many students are interested in pursuing astrophysics courses during their BioMedPhys journey. Take enough electives like PHYS 175, PHYS 275, PHYS 375, and PHYS 474 - and it can lead you to an Astrophysics Minor!
Computational Biology: Complement your computational physics courses with electives such as BIOL 266 (Computational Biology), BIOL 365 (Bioinformatics). This could lead to a Bioinformatics Option if planned carefully with CS courses.
Neuroscience: If interested in this topic, courses like BIOL 376 and BIOL 476 are achievable with careful planning of prerequisite courses.
Get Involved: Join the PhysAstro Community
Being part of PhysAstro at UWaterloo means more than just coursework. It's also about engaging with peers, researchers and professional networks that will shape your academic journey and career path. Here are some ways to boost your connections:
- Departmental Student Representative: Share your voice and represent your peers in our official student rep role. Open to all years, this role involves surveys, town halls and being an official liaison between students and the department on all matters such as co-op opportunities, courses, and support systems. To learn more, watch for announcements or email phyugrad@uwaterloo.ca.
- Campus Clubs: Although our department is affiliated with FemPhys (promotion of inclusiviety, equity and community in physics), PhysClub (social hub for physics students) and MNS Society (for Materials and Nanosciences students), there are many clubs one can join from WUSA.
- Biophysical Society of Canada (BSC): With free membership for undergraduates, the BSC offers access to trainee resources, job boards and networking opportunities with biophysics researchers across Canada. Students can also join the Trainee Executive for leadership experience.
- Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP): This paid student membership allows you to connect with practicing medical physicists, participate in COMP committees and engage through their Student Council and Annual Scientific Meeting. Students can build their network if interested in going into the medical physics field.