How to Apply to Physics at William & Mary: Standard, Pre-Med and Engineering Physics Concentrations in the School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics, Most Students Declare in Spring of Year Two, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At William & Mary (W&M), undergraduate physics is offered by the Department of Physics, part of the School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics (CDSP). Students apply to the university through the Office of Undergraduate Admission. Here is what you need to know, based on the physics department’s, the CDSP school’s and the admission office’s websites, organised for US domestic applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Mathematics, chemistry, astronomy, computer science, engineering and other majors are not covered here, except for a one-line mention of the dual engineering degree.

1. Degrees and concentrations

• School: the CDSP page says the school’s departments are Applied Science, Computer Science, Data Science and Physics; Physics and Applied Science provide basic training in the physical sciences and closely related fields with a view to direct application. All CDSP undergraduate programmes end in a capstone experience in which students apply four years of learning to an individual or team project.
• Degree: the department offers a B.S. in Physics; the school’s degree list shows Physics B.S., Physics Engineering Physics B.S., Physics Pre-Med B.S., a dual engineering degree and a physics minor. The pages read do not list a B.A. in physics.
• Three concentrations: Standard Physics, Pre-Med Physics and Engineering Physics. All allow some customisation through electives and require students to be active in original research; every major conducts a senior or honors research project under a faculty mentor. The department says major requirements are relatively flexible, designed to prepare people for graduate work in physics or for later specialisation in other areas; a pre-med track is recommended for students planning medical school; the Engineering Physics track offers more practical problem solving and engineering design, and is described as most suitable for students who do not plan a physics Ph.D.
• Engineering Physics courses: the typical plan combines physics with applied science courses such as APSC 251 (Intro to Engineering and Design), APSC 201 (Intro to Materials Science), APSC 301 (Mechanics of Materials) and APSC 304 (Energy and Thermodynamics), one Engineering Physics elective (PHYS 302 Fluid Mechanics, APSC 327 Introduction to Laser Biomedicine, APSC 428 Scanning Probe Nanoengineering or APSC 429 Optical Microscopy) and a senior capstone (PHYS/APSC 471 and 472).
• Pre-Med: the department pages say only that it is recommended for students planning medical school; its course requirements are in the course catalog, which was not read.
• Minor and dual degree: the physics minor is flexible – three courses to cover the basics plus three electives to focus or broaden. The department coordinates the dual engineering degree with Columbia University’s engineering school under 3:2 and 4:2 plans (three or four years at W&M, two at the engineering school, earning a W&M bachelor’s in the primary major and an engineering bachelor’s). Guaranteed admission is not available to students who began college in fall 2019 or later; students majoring in math or the sciences are encouraged to apply directly to master’s programmes in engineering.
• Not listed: the pages read do not list separate astrophysics, biophysics, chemical physics or physics education concentrations.

2. How admission to the major works: apply to the university, declare later

• At application: whether the application asks for a physics major, whether physics is reviewed separately or has limited places, and whether CDSP has its own admission bar are not stated in the pages read. The CDSP site’s undergraduate admissions link goes to the university’s admission pages. The admission office says every application is read in its entirety by the admissions committee, which includes your regional counselor, in a holistic review.
• When to declare: the department’s first-year page says most students at W&M do not declare a major until the spring of their second year; if physics is a possible major, it recommends General Physics (PHYS 101/102 or 101H/102H) and Calculus (MATH 111 and 112) in the first year. Any grade requirement or cap on places for declaring is not stated in the pages read.
• Starting in year two: the department says some students discover physics late and can still complete the Standard concentration; it publishes a plan starting in the second year, and a similar one for Engineering Physics.
• Moving into the major from another W&M major: not stated in the pages read.

3. Prerequisites and course guidance

• High school physics and math: specific high school course requirements are not stated in the pages read. The course page says PHYS 101 (or 101H) has a pre- or co-requisite of MATH 111 (Calculus I) and PHYS 102 (or 102H) of MATH 112 (Calculus II); PHYS 201 (Modern Physics) expects students to be well versed in PHYS 101/102 and MATH 111/112, and the department notes that some first-years arrive with the prerequisites met but are often less prepared than second-years who took physics at W&M and can fall behind.
• Two introductory sequences: PHYS 101/102 is meant for physics or chemistry majors; PHYS 101H/102H is aimed mainly at physics majors who previously took an honors, IB or AP physics course. The department strongly advises prospective majors to take the honors sections, which go deeper and prepare better for upper-level courses. PHYS 107/108 (algebra-based) are not intended for physics majors.
• AP and IB physics credit (department page): an AP score of 5 or IB Higher Level score of 6 or 7 in both Physics 1 and Physics 2 earns credit for PHYS 107/107L and 108/108L (algebra-based intro courses and labs); the same in Physics C: Mechanics (written “Physics CM”) earns credit for PHYS 101/101L; in Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism (“Physics CEM”) it earns credit for PHYS 102/102L. A student who wants honors section PHYS 101H must first drop AP/IB credit for PHYS 107 or 101, and likewise for 102H, though the lab credit may be kept. Calculus credit equivalents are not stated on the department page; the admission office says an AP score of 4 or 5 or a Higher Level IB score of 5, 6 or 7 typically earns credit and/or exemption, and refers questions to the Office of the University Registrar.
• Early courses: the introductory courses have three lectures a week plus a problem session; PHYS 101L and 102L are one-credit labs taken alongside the lecture courses and carry a lab fee. The department says students buy access to an online homework service, and the texts are free OpenStax books. PHYS 201 Modern Physics is in the fall of year two, and PHYS 251 Atomic Physics Lab has a lab or course fee. The department stresses completing reading and homework on time.
• Typical standard-concentration plan: year 1 – PHYS 101/101H, 102/102H, MATH 111, 112, CSCI 141; year 2 – PHYS 201, 251, 256 (Practical Computing), 208 (Classical Mechanics I), 252 (Electronics I), 254 (Intro to Mathematical Physics), MATH 213 (Multivariable Calculus) and 211 (Linear Algebra); year 3 – PHYS 313 (Quantum Physics I), 401 (Electricity and Magnetism I), 351 (Scientific Instrumentation Lab), MATH 302 (Ordinary Differential Equations), with PHYS 303, 314 and 352 among others; year 4 – research (PHYS 451/452 or honors 495/496), with PHYS 402 and 403 among others. The department says degree requirements include the bolded courses and any two of the four starred courses; consult the catalog for the full list.
• Competitions: how physics competitions such as USAPhO are viewed in admission is not stated in the pages read.
• Lab and research requirements: see section 8; every physics major completes a year of senior research or a capstone project, writes it up and presents it.

4. Deadlines and application materials

• Rounds and deadlines: the Common App opens 1 August. Early Decision I is due 1 November, with decisions in early December and the deposit due 5 January; Early Decision II is due 5 January, with decisions in early February and the deposit due 15 February; Regular Decision is due 5 January, with decisions by 1 April and the deposit due 1 May. Transcripts, test scores and recommendations may still be submitted after 5 January. The dates page shows no year, so check that it applies to fall 2027 entry.
• Aid dates: for FAFSA and CSS Profile, ED I priority is 15 November and deadline 12 December; ED II priority 15 January and deadline 1 March; Regular Decision priority 1 February and deadline 1 March.
• How to apply and fee: the Common App; the fee is $75 (non-refundable), with fee waivers available.
• Materials: the Common App, high school transcript, essay, recommendation letters and optional materials. The admission office strongly encourages up to two of the Common App “optional essays”.
• Recommendations: the only required letter is from your high school counselor; you may add one to three optional letters, which the university strongly prefers to come from core subject teachers, though letters from elective teachers, community members, coaches or supervisors are also welcome. A science or physics teacher is not required.
• Testing: the university is test optional. Scores may be sent by the testing agency or self-reported; W&M superscores, and if both SAT and ACT are submitted it uses the result most advantageous to the applicant (school codes SAT 5115, ACT 4344). The first-year testing page says 39% of the Class of 2030 applied test-optional, while the international testing page says 40% of the Class of 2029; the two pages differ. All applicants are considered for merit programmes whether or not they submit scores.

5. US domestic applicants

• Estimated costs, 2026-27: the tuition page lists, in-state: tuition $19,734, fees $7,501, housing $10,512, food $7,134, direct costs $44,881; indirect costs $3,757 (books $900, transportation $785, personal $2,000, loan fees $72); total estimated $48,638. Out-of-state: tuition $46,177, fees $8,072, direct costs $71,895, total estimated $75,652. The Board of Visitors approves tuition and fees each April, and costs vary by status, housing and food choices and course of study. The rates for fall 2027 entry are not stated in the pages read.
• Aid: the tuition page says that in 2024-25, 77% of first-year in-state students and 60% of out-of-state students received some type of aid, all in-state Pell-eligible students automatically receive scholarship assistance covering at least tuition and fees, and $76 million in grants and scholarships is distributed annually. Aid applicants submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile (dates in section 4).
• In-state priority or guaranteed admission: not stated in the pages read for first-year applicants; for transfer students, the pages mention a guaranteed admission agreement for Virginia Community College System students (section 9).
• Testing: optional; see section 4.

6. International applicants

• English requirements: the admission office strongly recommends the TOEFL or IELTS Academic for applicants whose first language is not English and who have studied in another language. Scores: TOEFL taken on or before 20 January 2026, generally a minimum of 100; TOEFL taken on or after 21 January 2026, generally 5, from a single date or ETS MyBest scores; IELTS Academic overall band 7 or above; Duolingo is accepted when the TOEFL iBT and IELTS are not available (the required Duolingo score is not stated in the pages read). No score guarantees admission. TOEFL school code 5115. The site gives two versions of how long the applicant should have studied in another language: the international testing page says “the past four years or more”, the first-year testing page “the past five years or more”.
• Testing and grades: international students may also choose whether to submit the SAT or ACT; if IB/AP/A-Level results (or predicted results) are not available, the admission office strongly encourages submitting one.
• Credential evaluation and credit: students who completed a 13-year secondary programme or attended a university outside the US and want transfer credit must submit translated syllabi for each thirteenth-year or university course with the application; after admission and a declared intention to enrol, they may be required to send credentials to World Education Services (WES) by 1 June for fall or 15 January for spring. External evaluations are accepted but do not ensure credit.
• Funding and aid: the international financial aid page says W&M generally has no scholarships or loan funds for undergraduate international students who are citizens of other countries, so you must be prepared to fully finance your education; the estimated total cost is on the tuition page. The specific proof-of-funds form is not stated in the pages read.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: whether it is considered, and how, is not published in the pages read; please contact the admission office (admission@wm.edu).
• Transcripts and school-leaving materials: no China-specific requirements are published in the pages read; the general international requirements are in section 6.
• International curricula: students taking AP, IB or A-Level can use the physics credit rules in section 3.

8. Costs, scholarships, research and outcomes

• Costs: see sections 5 and 6.
• Senior research requirement: the department says all physics majors complete a year-long research or capstone project with a faculty member, write the results in article form and give a presentation; completing it satisfies the Concentration Writing Requirement and may in some cases satisfy the department’s computer proficiency requirement. Four options: a Senior Project (PHYS 451 and 452, 1–3 credits each); an Engineering Physics Capstone Project (PHYS or APSC 471 and 472, 3 credits each); an Honors Thesis (PHYS 495 and 496, 3 credits each); or an Engineering Physics Honors capstone (EPAD 495 and 496, 3 credits each). Students are expected to spend at least 3 hours a week on research per registered credit. Research done before senior year, including paid summer research, can be part of the thesis, but the grade and honors are based on work during the senior year.
• Honors entry: the department says a physics GPA greater than 3.0 is required; beyond the major courses (PHYS 201, 208, 251, 252, 313, 401), honors students also take PHYS 314 and 403, either PHYS 303 or 402, and either PHYS 351 or 352, plus the Honors Thesis (PHYS 495 and 496). Students who want graduate study in physics are advised to consider honors. The honors application begins in the spring before the senior year, with final proposals and the application form due to the chair of the Undergraduate Committee two weeks before the last day of classes; the Charles Center registers honors students for the course.
• Undergraduate research: the department encourages research at any stage, with PHYS 155 Freshman Research, PHYS 255 Sophomore Research and PHYS 355 Junior Research; students must find a faculty member willing to supervise, who requests an individual research section. The page also points to a database of summer undergraduate research programmes (REU and others). Physics-specific entrance scholarships are not stated in the pages read.
• Outcomes: the department says physics graduates have skills in demand in education, engineering, defense, the public sector, healthcare, computing and finance, and lists doctoral programmes that graduates attend (over twenty universities, including MIT, Stanford, Harvard and Yale) and examples of other destinations (such as the Naval Research Lab, Capital One, high school physics teaching and the Peace Corps). It prints no employment data or percentages.

9. Transfer students

• Who counts as a transfer: anyone who attended another college or university after high school and did not earn a bachelor’s degree; AP or college credit earned during high school does not make you a transfer student. Transfer applicants must be in good standing and eligible to return to their last full-time institution. The admission office says it usually receives about 900 fall and 250 spring transfer applications and enrols about 200 transfers in fall and 70 in spring.
• Deadlines: fall entry, Common App for transfer by 1 March 2027; spring entry, 1 October 2026; high school and college transcripts and the mid-term report by 15 March (15 October for spring); fall decisions on 1 May and the deposit due 15 May. The fee is $75, with waivers available.
• GPA and courses: the checklist page says a GPA of 3.5 or higher is generally preferred, while the strength of the curriculum and the number of credit hours are also considered. The recommended courses page lists mathematics (quantitative reasoning, statistics or calculus) and natural sciences with labs (biology, chemistry, geology or physics) among the courses competitive applicants typically complete. Physics-major-specific transfer requirements (calculus or physics sequence) are not stated in the pages read.
• High school transcript: required for applicants with fewer than 24 post-high-school college credits; optional above that.
• Virginia community college pathway: the pages mention a guaranteed admission agreement (GAA) for Virginia Community College System students, with a letter of intent due 1 February for fall; see the admission office’s VCCS page (not read).
• Credit transfer: the physics department’s own transfer credit rules are not stated in the pages read; contact the department and the Office of the University Registrar. International transfer students complete additional international forms, and credential evaluation is as in section 6.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• ED I 1 November; ED II and Regular 5 January; $75 fee; Common App, transcript, essay, counselor recommendation (plus 1–3 optional letters); testing optional
• FAFSA and CSS Profile (dates in section 4)

International applicants (including China):

• TOEFL 100 (5 on the new scale from 21 January 2026) or IELTS 7, or Duolingo; W&M generally has no scholarships for international undergraduates, so plan to fund all costs
• Gaokao and Chinese school materials: not published in the pages read, contact the admission office; AP/IB physics credit in section 3

After entry:

• If physics is a possible major, take PHYS 101/102 (or 101H/102H) and MATH 111 and 112 in year one; most students declare in the spring of year two; choose Standard, Pre-Med or Engineering Physics; complete a year of senior research or a capstone

Transfer students:

• Fall 1 March, spring 1 October; GPA of 3.5+ generally preferred; Common App for transfer; $75 fee

Sources: William & Mary, CDSP: undergraduate academics; Physics: undergraduate; Physics major; AP/IB physics credit; Early-year course expectations; Typical plan, standard concentration; Typical plan starting in year two; Typical plan, engineering physics; Undergraduate research; Senior and honors research; Physics minor; Dual engineering degree; Admission: dates and deadlines; First-year applicants; Application checklist; Letters of recommendation; Standardized testing; International applicants; International standardized testing and English proficiency; International financial aid; International transfer credit; Transfer applicants; Transfer checklist; Recommended transfer courses; Tuition and fees. The first-year dates page shows no year, so check that it applies to fall 2027 entry. The course catalog for the three concentrations (catalog.wm.edu) was not read, so see it for exact required courses and credits. See the William & Mary website for the latest.