Who should take the placement exam:
All students enrolling in physics courses are advised to take the placement survey (go.middlebury.edu/PHYSplacementform), particularly those seeking calculus-based physics. Registration may require advising or waivers, and this survey can help identify such situations.
Students whose next step in physics is to take one or more calculus-based physics courses have two tracks to choose from. Students with little prior exposure to physics may prefer to begin with PHYS 0108 (Physics of Motion), followed by PHYS 0111 (Waves, Optics, and Thermodynamics) or PHYS 0114 (Electricity and Magnetism). Students who have successfully completed high school physics and calculus courses should instead opt for PHYS 0109 (Introductory Mechanics) when available, a more accelerated version of introductory Newtonian mechanics than PHYS 0108. These courses are a foundation for students majoring in the sciences, for students preparing for premedical, pre-engineering, and other professional programs, and for others who desire a more analytical approach to physics. [Source and additional information: https://www.middlebury.edu/college/academics/physics/requirements]
Exam components:
If you are planning to register for a calculus-based physics course now or in the future, please review the PHYSICS placement information online (go.middlebury.edu/physicsplacement) and the MATH placement information online (go.middlebury.edu/mathplacement).
Then fill out the physics placement survey form with information about your math/physics background (go.middlebury.edu/PHYSplacementform).
Filling out this survey does not yet guarantee you a seat in any class, but it helps us match students with any spaces that are available. If necessary, we will contact you via email with any questions we might have about your survey responses.
Contact window:
May 15 and June 15
Contact with questions:
Physics Department Chair, pdc@middlebury.edu