How to Apply to Physics at the University of New Mexico: BS Physics (General and Applied Concentrations), BS Astrophysics and BA Physics and Astrophysics, a Four-Year Dual Degree with Electrical Engineering, and Admission and Prerequisites for US, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

At the University of New Mexico (UNM) in Albuquerque, undergraduate physics is offered by the Department of Physics and Astronomy. The department’s pages place the physics degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences. Here is what UNM’s website says for US students, international students, applicants from China and transfer students. Mathematics, chemistry, engineering and computer science are not covered here; computer science has its own article.

1. Degrees and tracks

• BS in Physics: for students who seek a research career in physics; the page says it requires 83 credit hours (a 62-credit base plus a 21-credit concentration), with roadmaps for academic year 2025/2026. Two concentrations: General Physics (preparation for graduate school in physics or related fields and physics-focused research and technology roles) and Applied Physics (very flexible electives for students entering the scientific/engineering workforce or going on to graduate study).
• BS in Astrophysics: preparation for graduate school in astrophysics, physics or a related field; 81 credit hours, plus 9 credits of upper-level astronomy/physics electives (6 upper-level physics or astronomy credits and 3 upper-level lab credits).
• BA in Physics and Astrophysics: for people interested in physics, astrophysics and science in general who are not seeking a research career; 59 credit hours, with flexibility to add minors or an additional major (management, law, education, communications, journalism, economics, history, political science and others). The page describes it as pre-professional education for teaching, medicine, patent law and science journalism.
• Dual degree: BS in Electrical Engineering with BS Physics or BA Physics and Astrophysics, completed in four years; the two degrees appear separately on a resume, unlike a double major. The BS in Physics needs only two supplementary physics courses beyond the regular BSEE curriculum (one for the BA), because three BSEE electives (the basic science elective PHYS 330 and two 3xx/4xx ECE electives) count toward the physics degree. Interested students should contact Prof. Schwoebel, who also handles prerequisite and corequisite overrides.
• Minors: the department has a minor requirements page (including astrophysics-related courses); see the website.
• Whether applied physics, biophysics, chemical physics or physics education exist as separate undergraduate degrees is not stated on the pages we read (applied physics appears only as a BS concentration).

2. How admission works: admitted to UNM, then study in the major

• You apply to the university, not separately to the physics department. The freshman and transfer application pages describe one UNM application and do not mention a separate application or quota for physics. Any minimum GPA or course requirement for the physics major is not stated on the physics or admissions pages we read.
• Advising: the advisement FAQ says declared physics or astrophysics majors have advisement holds before registration and should meet an advisor by mid-December for spring and summer, and by the second week of August for fall; students without a faculty advisor contact the Undergraduate Committee Chair.
• Changing into physics from another UNM program: not published; ask the department’s undergraduate advisors.
• College of Arts and Sciences residency (dual degree): dual-degree students are housed in the School of Engineering for most of their studies and in Arts and Sciences for two semesters, completing at least 12 credits as a physics or physics and astrophysics major. To begin, they need 26 credits with a 2.0 GPA and ENGL 1120, the second general education communication requirement, the general education second language requirement and PHYS 1310 (calculus-based Physics I).
• Overall requirements: besides the major, students meet UNM and College of Arts and Sciences general requirements, for at least 120 credits.

3. Prerequisites

• University high school expectations: the freshman requirements page says applicants should have graduated (or be projected to graduate) with the standard New Mexico high school curriculum or the equivalent in another state, and two sequential units of a language other than English (or proficiency at the second level) are preferred. GPA is a component of the decision. A high school physics or calculus requirement for the physics major is not stated.
• First-year course path: the physics BS and BA roadmaps start with Calculus I (MATH 1512) and calculus-based Physics I with lab (PHYS 1310 + 1310L); the BS adds Calculus II and III (MATH 1522, 2531), differential equations (MATH 316), linear algebra (MATH 314) and general chemistry (CHEM 1215 + 1215L). How incoming students are placed in math is not stated on the pages we read.
• AP credit (UNM table, score of 3 or higher): Physics 1 maps to PHYS 1230 + 1230L (4 credits); Physics 2 to PHYS 1240 + 1240L (4); Physics C: Mechanics to PHYS 1310 + 1310L (4); Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism to PHYS 1320 + 1320L (4). Calculus AB and BC credit varies by score (for example the higher BC row gives MATH 1240, 1512 and 1522, 11 credits); see the table. The department pages do not map these courses one by one to its requirements, so confirm with the table and an advisor.
• IB credit (UNM table, score 4 or higher): Physics SL gives PHYS 1230 + 1230L (4 credits); Physics HL gives PHYS 1230, 1230L, 1240 and 1240L (8); Mathematics (Analysis and Approaches or Mathematics) HL 4 gives MATH 1240 and 1512 (7 credits) and HL 5–7 gives MATH 1240, 1512 and 1522 (11).
• Labs and capstone: the BS base requirements include electronics, modern physics and contemporary physics labs (PHYSL 306L, 307L or 302L, 493L), as in the roadmaps. A thesis is not listed as a degree requirement on the pages we read; it is part of the department honors program. In the BS Physics applied roadmap, the last semester allows PHYS 452 (Senior Project) as an option.
• Departmental honors: register for 1 credit of PHYS or ASTR 456 in each of the last two semesters, work with a professor on original research, submit a proposal to the Undergraduate Committee by the fourth week, write a thesis, give an oral presentation and make a poster; GPA in the major must be 3.25 or greater at graduation.
• Undergraduate research: the department suggests completing PHYS 330 before starting research and looking for an advisor in the spring of the sophomore year; opportunities also exist outside the department, for example at Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and the Air Force Research Laboratory.
• Overseas exchange: the department has exchange programs with the University of Exeter (England), Simon Bolivar University (Venezuela) and the University of Jena (Germany), applied for through the Office of International Programs and Studies; the page lists a B or better in a prerequisite physics course, enrollment in or completion of PHYS 330, and permission of the Undergraduate Committee.
• Physics competitions (such as USAPhO): the website does not say how they are viewed in admissions, so we do not say.

4. US students

• Freshman priority dates: fall June 1, spring December 13, summer May 10. The page shows no year; check that they apply to Fall 2027.
• Materials: the application, official high school transcript, and a USD 25 non-refundable fee (or an approved waiver, such as those from the ACT and SAT services). ACT, SAT and CLT scores are not required but may help; essays, portfolios and recommendations are not necessary.
• Costs (2026–27, full time): tuition and fees USD 11,585 for New Mexico residents; USD 34,734 for non-residents; non-residents awarded a scholarship may pay the resident rate of USD 11,585. Food and housing USD 10,648, books USD 1,869, transportation USD 2,498, miscellaneous USD 2,800; the university’s estimated total is USD 29,400 for residents and USD 52,549 for non-residents.
• Out-of-state discounts: the affordability page says non-resident freshman and transfer applicants pay in-state rates if they apply on time (the page says by June 1 for Fall 2026), have a 3.0 cumulative high school or transfer GPA and a minimum 20 ACT or 1030 SAT; with a 2.8 GPA and 18 ACT or 960 SAT they pay 1.5 times the resident rate. No separate application. Because the page refers to Fall 2026, check Fall 2027.
• New Mexico residents: residents pay the in-state rate. Priority or guaranteed admission for residents and details of state scholarships such as the Lottery scholarship are not on the pages we read; see scholarship.unm.edu.
• Physics department awards: the department pages do not list a department scholarship for admitted students; they link to outside internship and scholarship information and an NSF undergraduate research program, and the research page mentions Rayburn Reaching Up Fund research grants and named awards for graduating seniors (the Eoin Gray Scholarship Award, the Feynman Award). How to apply is not stated.

5. International students

• Fall 2027 deadlines (international timeline page): priority application March 1, 2027; final application May 1, 2027; required documents June 1, 2027. The spring 2027 dates (May 1, August 15 and October 1, 2026) have passed. Transfer students already in the US: applications May 1, 2027 and documents July 1, 2027 for fall. First-year students cannot start in summer.
• Steps: apply online with the USD 50 application fee (the FAQ says it cannot be waived); after processing UNM tells you which documents it needs, typically official transcripts, graduation certificates (with translation if needed) and English scores; after your documents are processed you receive the decision and any scholarship nomination; after you accept and show funding, UNM issues the I-20. Admission is rolling and the FAQ suggests starting 10–12 months before the term.
• Testing: SAT/ACT are not required but encouraged; for GPAs between 3.0 and 3.5 they can help scholarship selection, placement out of English courses, and course placement.
• English minimums (undergraduate): Duolingo 95; IELTS 6.0; TOEFL 68 (4.0 on the new scale); TOEFL Essentials B2; SAT Reading/Writing 500; PTE 47; Cambridge CAE/CPE C1; LanguageCert 68 with no skill below 60; Oxford Test of English 125; PTE Express 76. Exceptions include an ACT English score of 19+, SAT EBRW 500+, four years of US high school with a 2.5 GPA, two semesters of freshman English composition with a C or better at a regionally accredited US institution, a bachelor’s degree from an accredited US or recognized English-speaking institution, completion of the Academic Bridge level at UNM’s CELAC program with a 2.5 GPA, or being from a listed English-speaking country. The page says electrical and computer engineering applicants must submit a test score and cannot use English composition grades instead; whether physics applicants face the same restriction is not stated.
• Scholarships (considered automatically, no separate application; the highest one you qualify for; not stackable): the International Amigo Scholarship lowers tuition to the New Mexico resident rate (fees not included), valued by UNM at about USD 27,000 per year, with one of: a 3.5 high school GPA; a 3.0 GPA with ACT 26 or SAT 1240; or a 3.25 GPA with at least 30 transferable university credits. The Leadership Scholarship (undergraduate only), valued at about USD 17,000 per year, needs a 3.0 high school GPA. Priority deadlines: March 15 for fall, May 1 for spring. Renewal: 15 main-campus credits per semester and a 2.5 GPA each semester, up to four years for first-year students and two for transfers; online programs are not eligible.
• Costs (2027–28 estimate, 15 credit hours): tuition and fees without a scholarship USD 38,850, room and board 12,471, books and supplies 1,869, transportation 2,498, miscellaneous and health insurance 4,000, total USD 59,688; with the Amigo Scholarship USD 29,142; with the Leadership Scholarship USD 41,731. For a visa you must show funds for one full year.

6. Applicants from China

• Documents: the by-country page lists official transcripts, the Upper Middle School Graduation Certificate and an English proficiency exam for China.
• Gaokao: the website does not say how gaokao scores are used. This is not published; ask the international admissions office (goglobal@unm.edu). The same applies to the huikao (academic proficiency exams).
• English: China is not among the exemptions we read (the English-speaking country list PDF was not read), so submit a score from the table in section 5 unless another exemption applies.
• Grade conversion: scholarships use a US 4.0 GPA; how Chinese high school grades are converted is not published. Interview or credential evaluation requirements for Chinese applicants are also not published.
• Prerequisites: how Chinese high school courses map to UNM math and physics courses is not published; AP/IB credit is in section 3.

7. Transfer students

• Apply as a transfer student if you have earned at least 24 semester credit hours after high school. Meeting either condition guarantees UNM transfer admission: at least 24 transferrable credits with a C (2.0) average in all transferrable work, or an associate’s degree (AA or AS) from a regionally accredited community college. Applicants with fewer than 24 credits must also meet freshman requirements. The page adds that individual colleges or programs may have additional requirements.
• Apply online with the USD 25 fee and an official transcript from each institution; priority dates for US students are August 1 for fall, December 1 for spring and May 10 for summer.
• Transferring into physics: GPA, calculus or physics-sequence requirements for transfer students entering the physics major are not on the physics pages we read; check with the department. After admission, the LOBO Trax degree audit shows how transfer credit applies to your degree plan.
• International transfers already in the US: fall application May 1, 2027 and documents July 1, 2027. The Amigo Scholarship transfer track needs a 3.25 GPA and at least 30 transferable credits and renews for up to two years.

8. Outcomes

• The department’s careers page says its alumni hold positions as teachers, engineers, data analysts, project managers, researchers, health care workers, science writers, policy makers and lawyers, among many others, and presents alumni interviews (research, teaching, finance, policy, healthcare, engineering). The undergraduate page says the department’s programs are nationally recognized for their rigor and that students often move on to the best graduate programs, with many achieving faculty positions at top research universities. These are the university’s own statements; employment rates and salary figures are not published on the pages we read.

Checklist

US students:

• Check the fall priority date (the page says June 1, no year printed); submit the application, transcript and USD 25 fee; test scores are optional
• Plan to start with Calculus I and calculus-based Physics I; compare any AP/IB scores with UNM’s credit tables

International students (including those from China):

• Apply by the March 1, 2027 priority date (USD 50 fee) and complete materials by March 15 for scholarships; prepare an English score
• Gaokao and huikao use is not published; ask the international admissions office

Transfer students:

• 24 transferrable credits with a C average, or an associate’s degree; priority date August 1 for fall (international transfers have their own dates); ask the physics department about course requirements

Sources: University of New Mexico, Physics and Astronomy undergraduate program; BS Physics; BS Astrophysics; BA Physics and Astrophysics; Dual degree with electrical engineering; Honors program; Undergraduate research; Advisement FAQ; Exchange programs; Learning goals; Careers; Freshman admission; Freshman requirements; Transfer; Undergraduate costs; Out-of-state tuition discounts; AP credit; IB credit; International timeline; Requirements by home country; English proficiency; International scholarships and costs; International FAQ. International dates and costs are for fall 2027 and 2027-28; domestic costs are for 2026-27; the domestic freshman priority dates and the out-of-state discount page refer to Fall 2026, so check Fall 2027. Check UNM’s website for the latest.