COURSE CURRICULUM

The Bachelor of Science in Physics and Computer Science at the University of Victoria is a structured interdisciplinary program that integrates computing, mathematics, and physics to prepare students for advanced technical and scientific careers. In Year 1, students build foundational skills through introductory programming, academic writing, calculus, logic, and basic physics, along with electives that broaden their academic exposure. Year 2 focuses on core computational and scientific training, including algorithms and data structures, computer architecture, advanced calculus, linear algebra, probability and statistics, and fundamental physics topics such as quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, and experimental physics. In Year 3, students progress to more advanced material, studying numerical analysis, operating systems, software development methods, differential equations, thermodynamics, classical mechanics, quantum mechanics, and electromagnetism, which strengthen both theoretical understanding and practical computing skills. Year 4 allows specialization through advanced computer science topics such as systems for large datasets, operations research, data science, or quantum software, alongside continued study in physics or astronomy and upper-level computer science electives. Students also complete optics and additional advanced coursework to deepen their expertise. Overall, the program develops strong analytical, computational, and problem-solving abilities, preparing graduates for careers in software engineering, data science, research, physics applications, and emerging technology fields where both physics and computing are essential.