How to Apply to Physics at Santa Clara University: A B.S. in Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, Choosing the College When You Apply and Declaring Physics or Staying Undeclared, With a Separate Engineering Physics Major, and Admission and Prerequisites for U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Santa Clara University (SCU) is a Jesuit university in California’s Silicon Valley. Physics is taught by the Department of Physics and Engineering Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the degree is the Bachelor of Science in Physics. The same department also offers a B.S. in Engineering Physics (EP), and the transfer page lists both physics and engineering physics among the College of Arts and Sciences B.S. majors. Mathematics, chemistry, computer science and the engineering majors are not covered here beyond a note where they appear in physics electives. This guide follows SCU’s own pages for fall 2027 entry, with sections for U.S. students, international students, students from China and transfer students.

1. Programs and how admission works

• Degrees and tracks: the department’s home page says its majors lead to a B.S. in Physics, a B.S. in Physics with a biophysics emphasis, and a B.S. in Engineering Physics, plus a physics minor. The bulletin lists only the physics and engineering physics majors and does not list the biophysics emphasis; its course requirements were not read, so they are not published on the pages we read; ask the department. The program page says the physics major suits students heading to graduate study in physics or related fields (some also use it as a stepping stone to medical or law school), while Engineering Physics is run by the department in close cooperation with the Electrical, Computer and Mechanical Engineering departments, suits students aiming at applied science or engineering careers, and says SCU is one of only 60 U.S. colleges and universities with an Engineering Physics program.
• College: first-year applicants first choose a school or college (Arts and Sciences, Leavey School of Business or School of Engineering) and then may declare a major or remain undeclared. Physics is in Arts and Sciences. SCU adds that for natural science, business and engineering applicants “readiness at the level of calculus is expected”, and that selectivity between schools and programs “does not vary greatly”. The pages we read do not describe a separate admission cutoff for physics within the college.
• You can apply as a physics major or undeclared: the first-year page says you can declare a major or stay undeclared. After entry, declaring or changing a major or minor uses the online Program Petition form; the bulletin says a change of major within a school needs the approval of the relevant department chair or program director.
• Conditions to declare: the bulletin states that a student whose GPA is below 2.5 must obtain the department chair’s approval to declare a Physics or Engineering Physics major. It does not state the timing of declaration, required prerequisite courses or any cap; this is not published on the pages we read, so ask the department (chair Chris Weber; academic department manager Diane Idemoto, 408-554-4314).
• Changing school: the bulletin says first-year students are admitted to the school they indicated; a request to change schools cannot be made until the end of the first year and may be limited by space in the school and major.
• Labs and research: the physics major includes lab-based general physics courses and the PHYS 151 Advanced Laboratory (experiments in quantum, atomic, nuclear and condensed matter physics and more, plus an independent table-top electronics project, with written and oral presentations). The bulletin says physics and engineering physics majors often join faculty research through PHYS 198 (Undergraduate Physics Research) or external grants, internships or fellowships, including the Geoff and Josie Fox Summer Research Fellowships, and that students can find part-time work assisting faculty in labs and teaching.
• Outcomes (department “Life after SCU” page, as printed): among about 140 SCU Physics and Engineering Physics graduates of the last 15 years, 30 entered PhD programs in physics, engineering, computer science, math or related fields; 20 earned terminal master’s degrees, mainly in engineering or materials science; 10 began research careers at national labs, major universities or in industry; 10 teach at the elementary or high school level; 5 entered medical school; 5 entered law school; 5 are professional musicians or artists; and 1 is a professional basketball player; many others started companies or work in business, analytics, agriculture and other fields. The bulletin separately says approximately half of its majors pursue graduate study.

2. Prerequisites and course sequence

• High school courses (first-year page): mathematics 3 years required, 4 recommended; English 4 years; history and social science 3 years; laboratory science 2 years required, 3 recommended; language other than English 2 years required, 3 recommended, 4 preferred. SCU does not say that physics majors must have taken high school physics or calculus, only that natural science applicants are expected to be ready at the calculus level.
• Physics major requirements (bulletin; quarter system, most physics courses are 5 units):
  • CHEM 11 or CHEM 14; MATH 11, 12, 13, 14 (the calculus sequence); AMTH 106 (preferred) or MATH 23;
  • PHYS 31, 32 (preferred) or PHYS 11, 12. PHYS 31/32/33/34 is the physics for scientists and engineers sequence and PHYS 11/12/13 is the general physics sequence; the two sequences cannot both be taken for credit;
  • PHYS 20 (Discovering Physics, 1 unit), 33, 34, 70 (circuits), 103 (numerical methods), 111 and 112 (electromagnetic theory I and II), 120 (thermal physics), 121 and 122 (quantum mechanics I and II), 151 (advanced laboratory) and 192 (physics and society);
  • one elective from CSCI 10, CSEN 10, CSEN 11, MECH 45 or CHEM 12;
  • three upper-division electives and one supplemental laboratory chosen from PHYS 104, 113, 113L, 116, 123, 123L, 141, 161, 162 and so on (the bulletin’s list is cut off after “162,”).
• Engineering Physics requirements: the same CHEM, MATH 11 to 14 and AMTH 106 or MATH 23; one programming course; PHYS 20, 31, 32, 33, 34, 70, 103, 111, 112, 120 (MECH 121 with permission of an EP advisor), 121, 192; one upper-division physics elective; at least four courses from the bulletin’s list of chemistry, mechanical engineering, electrical and computer engineering and other (including CENG) courses, with similar courses allowed as substitutions if an EP advisor authorizes them in advance; and a cluster of five additional technical courses in an area chosen by the student with advisor consent (popular areas include computational, electronics, materials science, solid state and mechanical).
• Physics minor: PHYS 31, 32, 33, 34, 192 and four additional approved physics courses numbered 70 to 162.
• Calculus and physics starting points (bulletin course descriptions): the prerequisite for PHYS 31 is MATH 11; for PHYS 32, PHYS 31 and MATH 12 (or instructor permission), with CHEM 11 or 14 recommended; for PHYS 33, PHYS 32 and MATH 13 (or instructor permission); for PHYS 11, MATH 11, MATH 35 or instructor permission. How students are placed into MATH 11 (for example by a calculus readiness exam) was not read for this guide; ask the mathematics department or the Registrar. The pages we read describe no separate physics placement exam.
• AP and IB credit (bulletin “Academic Credit Evaluation”, in quarter units; decisions on some scores are made individually by the department with the Registrar, and courses waived always satisfy the relevant requirements of the major of the department offering the course): AP Physics 1 with 4 or 5 earns 5 units (PHYS 11 or elective credit); AP Physics 2 with 4 or 5 earns 5 units of elective credit; AP Physics 1 and 2 together with 4 or 5 earn 15 units (PHYS 11, 12 and 13 or elective credit); AP Physics C: Mechanics 4 is elective credit and 5 maps to PHYS 31; AP Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism 4 is elective credit and 5 maps to PHYS 33 (5 units each). AP Calculus AB 4 or 5 earns 8 units (MATH 11 plus elective credit); AP Calculus BC 3 earns 4 units (MATH 11) and 4 or 5 earns 12 units (MATH 11 and 12 plus elective credit). IB Higher Level Physics 6 or 7 earns 15 units (PHYS 11, 12 and 13); IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL 6 or 7 earns 8 units (MATH 11 and 12). No credit is awarded for IB Standard Level or CLEP, and you cannot take a course you already hold test credit for. The pages do not say how AP credit relates to courses after PHYS 31/33, or give exam equivalents for PHYS 32 or 34.
• Honors: the course list includes PHYS 31H and 32H honors supplements (weekly seminars for 15 to 20 students extending PHYS 31 and 32 to more challenging problems, so that those courses can count for Honors credit; students outside the Honors Program with a strong math background and some physics experience may also enroll). A physics-specific honors sequence is not published on the pages we read, and the university-wide honors program was not read.
• Physics competitions: the application pages do not say how competitions such as USAPhO are viewed; this is not published there.

3. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• First-year deadlines page (no entry year is printed; the test-optional page refers to the 2027 term, so confirm): Early Decision I (binding) 1 November, decisions late December, deposit 7 January; Early Action (non-binding) 1 November, decisions late December, deposit 1 May; Early Decision II 7 January, decisions mid-February, deposit 1 March; Regular Decision 7 January, decisions late March, deposit 1 May. There is also a Winter first-year application (1 October), not covered here. The optional supplemental essay is due 6 November for the early rounds and 12 January for the later rounds.
• Common App. The application fee is $75, non-refundable, with Common App, NACAC or College Board fee waivers accepted.
• Materials: high school transcript (grade nine to the latest term), one academic teacher evaluation or counselor recommendation (SCU does not say it must come from a science or physics teacher), the Secondary School Report, and for Regular Decision (or deferred Early Action) a mid-year report by the end of January; an optional supplemental essay of 150 to 300 words about an issue you care about and how an SCU education could help you address it.
• Test optional: SAT/ACT are not required and not submitting is “no disadvantage”; scores can be self-reported in the application status portal, and the Common App supplement asks whether you want them considered; SCU superscores. SCU lists transcript, course rigor, unweighted GPA, activities, the Common App essay, supplemental questions and demonstrated interest as important pieces, and does not require AP, IB or similar scores. The policy for fall 2028 and later is still under review. The pages disagree: the test-optional page says the policy is extended until 2027, the international students page says test optional for the fall 2025 terms with no official word beyond, and the international requirements page refers to a two-year policy beginning with fall 2021 applicants. Confirm with admission.
• Interviews: SCU offers no in-person interviews on or off campus; international applicants may add an optional InitialView or Vericant video interview (see the international section).

4. U.S. students

• Costs (2026-27, financial aid page): tuition $64,956; Student Engagement & Well-Being Fee $780; on-campus housing and food $20,094; on-campus direct costs total $85,830. With books, transportation, personal expenses and loan fees, the page estimates a total on-campus cost of attendance of $92,556. The cost page lists a single tuition with no in-state or out-of-state difference, and we did not read a 2027-28 cost page.
• Scholarships: the test-optional page says all students are reviewed for merit scholarships whether or not they submit scores, and that about the top 15% of applicants receive merit scholarships through a holistic review. A physics-department scholarship for new students is not published on the pages we read.
• Applying for aid: FAFSA (school code 001326) and CSS Profile (code 4851). Deadlines: Early Action and Early Decision I 15 November; Early Decision II 15 January; Regular Decision 1 February; California residents also have a Cal Grant GPA verification form due 2 March.
• Any in-state admission preference or guarantee is not published on the pages we read.

5. International students

• Application materials (international requirements page, non-U.S. citizens in high school): Common App, high school transcripts (grade nine to the latest term; non-English documents with English translations), one academic teacher evaluation, the Secondary School Report, a mid-year report (Regular Decision or deferred Early Action only), the $75 fee, proof of English proficiency and the SCU Financial Resource Statement; SAT/ACT are optional. Transcripts should be uploaded electronically by the school counselor or administrator through a secure system (the page lists Naviance, SCOIR, Parchment, BridgeU, Cialfo and others); schools unable to do so mail them sealed in the school’s original envelope with an official seal. Do not email transcripts or test results.
• English proficiency: required of all international applicants and completed through the English Proficiency form in the applicant portal after applying. Demonstrate it by four years at a school where English was the sole language of instruction (the page words this separately for primarily English-speaking and non-English-speaking countries), or by one current score: IELTS 6.5; TOEFL iBT 90 (before 21 January 2026) or 4.5 on the new scale (after that date); Duolingo 120; SAT EBRW 630; or ACT Reading 27 and English 27. Scores are valid two years; MyBest is not used; TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition and TOEFL Essentials are not accepted.
• Proof of funds: after you submit the Common App you complete the International Student Financial Resource Form showing that you or your family can cover the total cost of the first year, and upload supporting documents.
• Aid: SCU says funding for international students is limited; federal and state aid is for U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens, and undergraduate international students “may qualify for a scholarship”. Private loans are possible with a creditworthy U.S. co-borrower, or from a lender that does not require one. Whether any physics-specific scholarship is open to international students is not published.
• Video interviews: optional InitialView or Vericant; deadlines are 23 November (Early Action and Early Decision I), 15 January (Early Decision II) and 16 February (Regular Decision).
• International admission contact: ugradintl@scu.edu; SCU also has an official WeChat account.

6. Applicants from China

• The international pages we read have no China-specific section and do not say whether the Gaokao is considered; this is not published there, so ask international admission (ugradintl@scu.edu). The international page points applicants to SCU’s official WeChat account for admission policies, news and events.
• The pages say: official high school transcripts from grade nine to the latest term, with English translations if not in English; English requirements as above; an optional InitialView or Vericant interview.
• How huikao or other school-level exams are handled is not published, and no credential-evaluation agency is named for first-year applicants (international transfer students need an evaluation; see section 8).

7. Costs and department resources

• Costs are in section 4; the detailed tuition and fee schedule is on the University Finance Office page, which we did not read.
• Physics department: the bulletin mentions the Geoff and Josie Fox Summer Research Fellowships (amount and application process are not published on the pages we read), PHYS 198 undergraduate research and participation in faculty research, which it says is frequently funded by the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, NASA and private industry. The department site also lists physics clubs and a colloquium series; we did not read their details.

8. Transfer students

• School and reference GPA (transfer page; recommended courses are recommended, not required): College of Arts and Sciences B.S. majors (including Physics and Engineering Physics): two English composition courses; two college-level mathematics courses for B.S. majors (one for B.A. majors); one natural science course with a lab; GPA 3.3. SCU says decisions depend on space and the competitiveness of the pool, and you indicate school and major on the application. The department pages set no separate threshold for transferring into physics (such as a calculus or physics sequence); this is not published there.
• Deadlines: fall transfer rolling admission 7 January to 15 April, decisions February to mid-May, deposit 15 June, FAFSA 2 March; winter transfer 1 October, decisions mid-November. 1 February is the deadline for Hurtado Scholarship consideration and for DACA, undocumented, Deferred Enforced Departure or Temporary Protected Status applicants. The fee is $75 (applicants currently or most recently at a community college receive a waiver within the Common App).
• Materials: official transcripts from all colleges, the final high school transcript showing graduation date, optional SAT/ACT for applicants with fewer than 30 semester (45 quarter) units; SCU does not require the Secondary School Report or College Report; a mid-term report is not required but highly recommended; international applicants add the Financial Resource Form and must meet the English minimum (the page says applicants who do not will be denied).
• International transfers: coursework from foreign universities needs a course-by-course evaluation. The pages disagree: the international requirements page says “choose either WES or TEC” and in the next sentence that SCU accepts only WES evaluations, with no credit considered without one; the transfer page says WES or TEC (formerly SpanTran). Confirm with admission.
• Credit (bulletin): at most half of the quarter units required for the degree can be transferred in. We did not check the other credit rules item by item; see the bulletin’s credit evaluation page. Whether transfer credit satisfies physics requirements is not published there, so ask the department. SCU has transfer agreements with 70 California community colleges.
• Aid: transfer students must file the FAFSA and CSS Profile at the time of application.

Checklist

U.S. students:

• Apply by 1 November (Early Action or Early Decision I) or 7 January (Regular Decision or Early Decision II); $75 fee; transcript and one teacher or counselor recommendation
• Choose the College of Arts and Sciences and declare physics or stay undeclared; after entry, use the Program Petition (GPA below 2.5 needs the chair’s approval); AP Physics C score of 5 maps to PHYS 31 or 33

International students (including China):

• Same deadlines; high school transcripts with English translations, uploaded by the school; meet the English requirement; file the Financial Resource Form
• InitialView or Vericant interview optional; ask international admission whether the Gaokao is used

Transfer students:

• Fall rolling 7 January to 15 April, winter 1 October; Arts and Sciences reference GPA 3.3 and two college math courses
• At most half the degree units transfer; foreign university work needs an evaluation (WES, TEC wording differs); no published physics-specific entry threshold

Sources: Santa Clara University, Department of Physics and Engineering Physics; Department academic program; Bulletin: Physics and Engineering Physics; Bulletin: change of major and school; Bulletin: academic credit evaluation (AP/IB/transfer); First-year admission; First-year deadlines; Test-optional policy; International students; International application requirements; English proficiency; Transfer admission; Transfer deadlines; Cost of attendance; Aid for international students; Aid for first-year and transfer students. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures); check Santa Clara University for the latest details.