Physics Bachelor of Arts

Drake University places students in Des Moines, a city with connections to the arts, business, politics, and food. The campus offers an open environment for students who want to begin with a clear academic interest or take time to discover a direction. Hands-on experiences, leadership opportunities, and support designed to help students gain their footing are part of the Drake experience.

Academic options span more than 150 programs across seven colleges and schools. Faculty help students connect classroom learning with research, internships, and other practical experiences. Personalized mentorship is central to the student experience, with faculty available to support students as they work toward their goals. Global perspectives are integrated into campus life through learning alongside students from around the world and opportunities on campus and across the globe.

Community service is also part of learning at Drake. Students, faculty, and staff contribute more than 230,000 hours each year through volunteer work, outreach, and pro-bono service in the Des Moines community. International students can expect a setting that links academic study with local engagement and global perspectives, while the city provides access to cultural, civic, business, and culinary experiences beyond campus.

This Bachelor of Arts program offers a rigorous physics education with a strong mathematical foundation. It is designed to prepare students for advanced study or for careers in applied science fields. The program can be enhanced with a Biophysics concentration for those interested in biological systems.

Focus areas include Biophysics, Medical Biophysics, Astronomy, Computational Physics, Quantum Theory, Statistical Physics.

The program requires 55-57 total credit hours, distributed across core physics courses, advanced labs, seminars, research participation, electives, and foundational mathematics, chemistry, and computer science courses.

Graduates pursue careers in industry, government laboratories, applied science, engineering, actuarial science, medicine, law, computer programming, and finance, or continue to graduate studies.

For international students, tuition is well above the median for US programmes. The institution admits about 64% of applicants.