Need a course permit?
If you need a registration permit for an introductory physics courses (PHYS 191, 192, 193, 194, 180), send an email to csamssc@3588612.com with your request. Include the words “physics permit request” in the subject line. The email should include: (i) your MSU student ID number, (ii) your major, (iii) the specific course sections that fit your schedule, and (iv) your reason for requesting the permit. The department holds a few seats in reserve for students who are close to graduation or otherwise demonstrate a clear need to take the course to graduate on schedule.
If it’s possible for you to complete your degree on time while taking the course in a later semester, your permit request will be denied. You can then check back one to two weeks prior to the start of the semester to see if the course caps have been adjusted. You can then register on your own provided you meet the course prerequisite requirements.
If you are an Exercise Science major or need PHYS 193 for a non-CSAM degree or other requirement, you will need to pass the MATH 100 prerequisite. Effective August 2022, all CSAM and Exercise Science majors will find a math placement test among their Canvas courses. Check Canvas for an invite to that course. Complete the test in that course; your score will be updated in DegreeWorks (under Test Scores) in less than 2 days. If your score meets the MATH 100 equivalent, you have met the prerequisite for PHYS 193; the system will then allow you to go ahead and register for the course. If it does not, you will need to take MATH 100 or MATH 111. If you do not see the relevant course, complete this form and you will be added to the test. If—after following those instructions—you still need assistance, email csamssc@3588612.com.
Note that all 100-level courses with labs have a maximum capacity of 24 students per lab section; additional students cannot be accommodated due to lab safety concerns and equipment limitations. There is no wait list for these sections. A few seats are reserved for seniors or majors who need the course to meet graduation requirements. If a course is currently at its listed enrollment cap, your permit request will be denied unless you must take the course in the requested semester to progress in your degree. Additional seats are released one to two weeks before the start of the semester.
If you are a physics major or minor (or a prospective physics major/minor) who needs a seat in a physic course, send an email to the department chairperson to discuss your situation.
Introductory physics courses fill up quickly, so register early. Our typical course offering schedule is:
- PHYS 193 – College Physics 1 (algebra-based physics): fall, winter, and summer. No sections are offered in the spring. Limited sections are offered in the winter/summer depending on teaching staff availability.
- PHYS 194 – College Physics 2 (algebra-based physics): spring and summer. No sections are offered in the fall. Limited sections are offered in the summer depending on teaching staff availability.
- PHYS 191 – University Physics 1 (calculus-based physics): fall, spring, and summer. No sections are offered in the winter. Limited sections are offered in the spring and summer depending on teaching staff availability.
- PHYS 192 – University Physics 2 (calculus-based physics): spring and summer. No sections are offered in the fall. Limited sections are offered in the summer depending on teaching staff availability.Note: Certain CSAM majors (BIOL, EAES) have the option to complete either the PHYS 193/194 or the PHYS 191/192 course sequence. The PHYS 191/192 sequence requires that a two-semester calculus sequence is also completed in tandem or previously. Students who begin the PHYS 191/192 sequence are expected to complete it and will not be permitted to switch to the PHYS 193/194 sequence.
- PHYS 180 – Astronomy for Everyone (general education natural science course): typically offered fall and spring as an in-person course. Asynchronous online sections are offered in the winter and summer terms. Assumes high-school level math (unit conversions, basic algebra, and scientific notation).