Physics encompasses a diverse range of disciplines including electronics, astrophysics, particle physics, and solid state physics. The Honours degree is an intensive program of advanced study that prepares students for direct entry into graduate school in physics at the Master’s or Doctoral degree level. Almost all honours graduates (and some majors) enrol in graduate school and a list of recent honours graduates can be found on the Students page. The Major program entails a rigorous and comprehensive approach to the study of physics and prepares students for industry, education and, on completion of a qualifying year, graduate work in physics. The Major program has sufficient electives to allow a substantial number of courses to be taken in another discipline (minor program), or even a second Major program in a related discipline. A Science Teaching major program with a specialization in physics and any one other science discipline (e.g., chemistry or mathematics) is also offered.
The honours program is designed so that students can gain a much deeper appreciation of physics. Students completing an honours degree must complete a research dissertation (thesis) that is generally regarded as a “mini-Masters” thesis. The results of these theses should be publishable (either in pedagogical or research journals) and in fact many undergraduate students have already been co-authors on refereed research and/or conference papers. A variety of different projects have been undertaken by students ranging from astrophysics to quantum mechanics to holography. A list of recent theses can be found in the Projects section of this website. |
| Grade for Entrance Previous Year (%)* | 70 |
These courses are intended as guidelines. Speak to your guidance counsellor to see what courses are offered at your school.
- Grade12 English
- 2 of Grade12 Biology or Grade12 Chemistry or Grade12 Physics
- Grade12 Mathematics
Students applying to Bishop’s are expected to have graduated from CEGEP (or equivalent), obtained their DEC and maintained a minimum CRC-score of 23. A student will normally be admitted to the Honours program after obtaining at least a 70% average on all required second-year (200-level) physics and mathematics courses. In order to complete an Honours degree, a student must normally obtain an average of at least 65% in required physics courses in each academic year. |
* The entrance grade may change from year to year. Please contact the school for further information.
* We make every attempt to provide accurate information on prerequisites, programs, and tuition. However, this information is subject to change without notice and we highly recommend that you contact the school to confirm important information before applying.