Physics Department Policies

Testing/Placing Out of Courses

In some cases, it may be appropriate for students with advanced physics experience, including but not limited to AP or IB courses in high school, to “test out” of one or more courses in the introductory physics sequence. Students should refer to our flow chart here on selecting your first physics course at Colorado College. Physics majors who place or test out of PC241 or PC242 will have the corresponding major requirement(s) waived. Note that testing out of a course is not the same as being awarded college credit, a process managed exclusively by the Registrar’s Office.  

PC141, PC142, and PC241 have MA126 (Calculus 1) as a prerequisite. PC242 has MA129 (Calculus 2) as a prerequisite. Students with transfer credit or high AP/IB scores should refer to the policies here to determine where they may be placed in the calculus sequence. To test out of the MA126 or MA129 prerequisites without transfer credit or a sufficiently high AP/IB score, students must pass the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science placement exam for the corresponding course. If a physics major places or tests out of MA126 or MA129, the corresponding physics major requirement(s) will be waived.  

Please note that the only accepted substitution for MA204 (Calculus 3) is transfer credit for a similar course from an accredited institution. There is no standard option to test out of MA204. 

In some cases, faculty may allow a student to take physics courses out of sequence due to extenuating circumstances (for example, taking PC441: Quantum Mechanics before PC341: Mechanics). In these cases, no major requirements are waived; all courses required for the student’s physics major still must be completed before graduation.  

Please note that physics minors must complete five courses in the department. If a physics minor tests out of PC241 or PC242 they will be required to complete additional courses to meet the five-course minimum.  

Students who believe they may be able to test out of a course that is not explicitly addressed above should contact the Physics Department Chair to discuss their situation.  

(Updated Spring 2026) 

Exceptions to Degree Requirements

For any exceptions to Physics Major requirements, please fill out the departmental exception form.  Exception requests will be discussed by the faculty at the next department meeting, which occur during weeks 1 and 3 of the block. The student will be notified by email whether their exception request is approved or denied.

Course Prerequisites

The physics department expects students to take responsibility for following the prerequisite requirements. In cases where a student seeks an exception to the prerequisites, the course professor and/or academic advisor review the request given the individual circumstances, and offer their advice.  Students are responsible to take responsibility for following the advice.

Taking Major Courses Off-Campus

Physics majors who wish to take one of their major courses off-campus, either domestically or abroad, will need approval from the Physics Department to count the course towards their major. We strongly recommend students seek approval before taking a course elsewhere, although students can apply after a course has been completed. Students who do not obtain pre-approval risk not having the course count towards their major.

To apply for approval, students should fill out an exception form with information about the course. Information about the course must include a detailed course syllabus, including the textbook used and a list of topics covered. The student's request will be considered by the department at our next department meeting, held during weeks 1 and 3 of the block. The student will be notified by email whether their exception request is approved or denied.

Rescheduling Senior Capstone Presentation

For PC 450, senior capstone presentations are scheduled at the conclusion of the course, typically sometime during the spring semester. After the capstone presentation in finalized, the penalty for rescheduling a presentation is 1/3 of a letter grade (for example a B becomes a B-), except under extraordinary circumstances as approved by the physics faculty.

Incomplete Policy

In case of illness or other exigency, students are sometimes unable to complete a course during the block. To help ensure student success in our courses, the Physics Department follows a policy to determine when an Incomplete (I) grade may be possible.

To be eligible for an Incomplete grade, a student must have:

• substantially completed material for the first 11 instructional days of the course (through third Monday in a traditional format)
• no more than 3 absences in the first 11 instructional days.  An "absence" consists of a lack of class participation during an instructional day however class participation is determined for a given course.

In our experience, students who meet these criteria are usually able to successfully complete the course on their own, and an Incomplete may be given at the discretion of the professor.  Students who do not meet these criteria will not be permitted to take an Incomplete, and should, if appropriate, pursue an Excused grade in cases of serious illness or extenuating circumstances.

Note that even if the above qualifications are met, a faculty member may still deny a request for an Incomplete grade if there is no satisfactory reason given for the course extension.