Physics
It’s a common question from parents: What would my son or daughter do with a physics degree? If it’s a physics degree from Rollins, the answer is easy: You can do anything.
Graduates from the program are now lawyers, professors, bankers, programmers, and business owners. In fact, a lot of students enter the physics major through the back door, with interests in photography or cosmetics or earthquakes or music. Then they discover through exciting lab work that physics can be applied to any interest.
Students work together with instructors to think analytically, solve problems, and to write and present—skills that will set you apart in any field.
Why Study Physics at Rollins
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A Relational Approach
From day one, the faculty takes a personal interest in you. It’s a tight-knit group, so every student feels comfortable asking questions and then working with a professor to find answers.
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Research-Grade Equipment
An acoustical lab. An optics lab. An atomic-force microscope. Lasers and high-speed cameras. Undergrads learn to set up professional gear from scratch and use it instead of merely observing.
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Empowerment for Success
Most colleges offer research experience, but at Rollins you can start lab work after your first year. The goal is not for professors to publish findings and present them—it’s for you to do it.
Interested in Studying Physics at Rollins?
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“People might wonder how my physics degree at Rollins helped with my career in economic and financial consulting. The training in creative problem solving gave me the clarity and the confidence to tackle complicated topics of any kind. They’re the kinds of skills that will always be valuable, no matter how the marketplace changes.”
Rollins Physics Careers
Rollins physics grads are making tomorrow happen at some of the world’s most innovative companies and organizations.
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Nicholas Bowers ’14
Principal Product Manager, Amazon
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Sarah Evans ’06
Undergraduate Coordinator, Initiatives in STEM, University of Central Florida
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Mitch Verboncoeur ’14
Principal, McKool Smith
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Daniel Zietlow ’10
Educational Designer, The National Center for Atmospheric Research
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Aditya Mahara ’12
Product Lead, Medable, Inc
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Ashley Cannaday '11
Assistant Professor of Physics
Real World Experience
From internships and research opportunities, physics students hone their skills in the real world.
Apply By February 1
No app fee. No formal essay or test scores required. Automatic consideration for scholarships that range from $15,000 to $32,000. It’s never been easier or more rewarding to apply to Rollins. Don't wait: apply by February 1.
Start Your ApplicationPopular Courses
When a professor is honest enough to say “I don’t know,” it becomes the impetus to study anything from pianos to planets. It might even become a new stand-alone class.
PHY 115 The Physics of Music
Explore the physical principles of music and musical instruments by delving into the scientific basis for music and the physics of brass, woodwind, and string instruments.
RCC 100 Science in the Art of da Vinci
Some of Leonardo da Vinci’s art, previously thought to be random, actually represents thoughtful science. This class shows us how he merged art and science to express a pursuit of truth.
PHY 325 Computational Physics
You’re given a real-world, modern-day problem, one that can be solved only through an understanding of physics and computation. An abundance of trial and error is not only accepted, it’s encouraged.
MM 200 The Science of Superheroes
We can learn a lot about physics by investigating the superheroes of comic books and movies. The big question: What’s the difference between the impossible and the merely improbable?
PHY 412 Experimental Optics
Construct your own experiment and then use research-grade lasers and optical tables to find answers. Along the way, you learn to collaborate and write professional articles as a graduate student would do.
PHY 451 Quantum Physics
Study early atomic models and wave aspects of particles before examining the quantum mechanical solution of one-dimensional barriers and wells, periodic potentials, and three-dimensional systems.
A Day in the Life of a Rollins Physics Major
“From my first year, Rollins allowed me to work closely with professors and has opened up numerous research, internship, and potential career opportunities.”
Beyond the Classroom
Student-Faculty Collaborative Research Program Work with a professor on your research for a summer, continue it through the school year, and then present to an audience of PhDs at a major national or international conference—a rare opportunity for undergraduates. Many of these projects result in students publishing articles in scientific journals before they graduate.
Engineering Program Rollins provides students with the opportunity to combine a three-year program in the liberal arts with two years of professional academic work in engineering at one of three prestigious institutions: Washington University, Case Western Reserve, or Auburn.
NSF Undergraduate Research Experience A competitive program supported by the National Science Foundation allows students to prepare research findings to be published and presented at national conferences.
Keep Exploring
Take a deeper dive into physics at Rollins by meeting your future professors, seeing our grads in action, and sitting in on a class.
May 09, 2025
Academic All-Stars
Rollins’ 2025 valedictorians share highlights from their time on campus, what they’ll miss most, and how the past four years have prepared them to step boldly into the future.
April 17, 2024
Makayle Kellison ’25 Earns Goldwater Scholarship
Makayle Kellison ’25 has earned a Goldwater Scholarship, the country’s most prestigious undergraduate scholarship for the STEM fields.
December 21, 2023
Solving the World’s Greatest Challenges
Rollins graduates earn more than a degree. They gain the knowledge and skills to address large-scale issues like climate change and human rights.
December 14, 2023
Kellison ’25 Publishes Journal Article on Rocket Acoustics
Makayle Kellison ’25 has published a scholarly article in a noted acoustics journal examining the sound levels of rocket launches.
July 27, 2023
The Los Alamos Secret
Two months before Hiroshima, John Bistline ’44 was working on the bomb that would introduce nuclear warfare to the world when things almost went terribly wrong.
July 06, 2023
Rollins Receives Scientific Equipment Grant
The Sherman Fairchild Foundation has awarded Rollins a grant that will enhance learning in the sciences and make biology and chemistry majors even more competitive for careers in STEM.
Expert Faculty
Physics professors at Rollins are at the top of the field and have chosen to teach here because of the satisfaction gained from creating a collaborative learning environment for every student, regardless of gender or background.
Department of Physics
Telephone:407.646.2223
Fax:407.646.2479
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Ashley Cannaday, PhD
Assistant Professor of Physics
Research interests: Lasers and optics; coherent light scattering
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Whitney Coyle, PhD
Department Chair, Associate Professor of Physics
Research interests: Musical acoustics with an emphasis on woodwind instruments; understanding the complicated mechanisms that contribute to the playability of particular instruments
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Samantha Fonseca, PhD
Assistant Professor of Physics
Research interests: Computational molecular dynamics
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Christopher Fuse, PhD
Associate Professor of Physics
Research interests: Astrophysics and galaxy morphology
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Anne Murdaugh, PhD
Associate Professor of Physics
Research interests: Biophysics using atomic force microscopy
