The curriculum in the Department of Physics serves three groups of students: those preparing for careers in physics, those pursuing professional fields such as medicine and engineering, and those electing physics and astronomy as part of the natural science requirement for Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science Degrees. The degree program in physics allows for flexibility to the extent that the serious student can select related courses in biology, chemistry, geology, computer science, and engineering to prepare for a career in such interdisciplinary areas as biophysics, geophysics, oceanography, and environmental science. Three options for a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics are offered. One option (the Premedical Option) is for those students pursuing medicine as a career. Links to sample programs and requirements for each option are given in the degree General Comments sections of each Area of Study. Students pursuing a degree in Physics also must have a minor in another discipline. In addition, the Department of Physics offers a double major with the Meteorology program within the Department of Earth Sciences.

All first-time freshmen must successfully complete CAS 100: First Year Experience, as a degree requirement. Students must enroll during their first term at USA, except for summer-entry students who must enroll in the fall semester following entry. The Physics Pre-Medical Option requires a minimum of 129 hours, while the other Physics options require a minimum of 120 hours.