<p>My daughter is seriously considering Tulane, and is currently interested in pursuing physics, perhaps through the PhD level. Can anyone provide good/bad experiences or other wisdom with Physics courses, professors, research, grad school receptiveness, for Tulane?</p>
<p>I’m a sophomore physics major. So far, I love the department here. I’m not sure what to explain, but if you have any specific questions just ask.</p>
<p>Thanks for offering info, RF. In some schools, physics seems to be an after-thought to bio and chem, and physics seems to be there just to teach the basic courses to engineering majors. </p>
<p>Are the courses taught by interested professors, or boring grad students or disinterested profs who’d rather be doing their research? </p>
<p>Are there research opportunities for undergrads, even underclassmen? </p>
<p>Are the students interested in going to grad school, and do they have optimism and confidence that they will be welcomed by grad schools admissions as coming from a respected undergraduate program? </p>
<p>Is the faculty largely instructors, visiting professors, or assistant professors will little institutional clout? </p>
<p>Do the labs have older facilities and equipment compared with the other science departments? </p>
<p>Are there honors lower level physics courses, or are the physics majors lumped in with everyone else? </p>
<p>Is it difficult to graduate in 4 years because necessary or desirable courses are difficult to get into?</p>
<p>I’ll stop there for now. Thanks for your opinions.</p>
<p>Physics will be taught by profs, one is even the Dean of Students (talk about clout!!). Look up James MacLaren [Newcomb-Tulane</a> College](<a href=“http://college.tulane.edu/deansoffice.html]Newcomb-Tulane”>http://college.tulane.edu/deansoffice.html) and [Tulane</a> University - Department of Physics and Engineering Physics - Faculty](<a href=“http://tulane.edu/sse/pep/faculty-and-staff/faculty/james-maclaren.cfm]Tulane”>http://tulane.edu/sse/pep/faculty-and-staff/faculty/james-maclaren.cfm) Note that on this last one he recently taught the intro physics course. I feel absolutely sure that you will have no trouble graduating in 4 years, not stalled because you couldn’t take a physics class you wanted/needed. In fact, this is not a problem at Tulane in general. I have heard no complaints in this area.</p>
<p>I am not sure about the facilities for physics research. I would write to Dean MacLaren directly and ask him. You will find him eminently approachable.</p>