Special Programs
Students studying physics and astronomy at Carthage can take advantage of multiple academic programs, from a pre-engineering dual-degree program, to associations with observatories across the country.
Pre-Engineering Dual-Degree Program
ScienceWorks: Entrepreneurial Studies in the Natural Sciences
SURE: Summer Undergraduate Research Experience
Microgravity Program
Climatology & Meteorology Minor
J-Term
Observatory Research
Sloan Digital Sky Survey
Mid-States Math & Science Consortium
Pre-Engineering Dual-Degree Program
For students who want to become engineers, Carthage offers a pre-engineering 3-2 dual-degree program. Students spend three years at Carthage and two years at a partnering engineering school. Upon completion of the program, students earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Carthage and a Bachelor of Science in engineering degree from the engineering school. Partnering engineering schools are the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering and the University of Minnesota. Many Carthage physics majors have completed the program and are now engineers.
ScienceWorks: Entrepreneurial Studies in the Natural Sciences
ScienceWorks is a unique offering at Carthage. The program focuses on the business of science by integrating important skills such as written and oral communication, graphics and artwork, business accounting, management, and marketing. Students get hands-on experience and coursework that prepares them for the job market and career advancement.
SURE: Summer Undergraduate Research Experience
SURE offers Carthage students the opportunity to work one-on-one with a professor during the summer doing real research work. Students receive a stipend, room and board on campus, and a small research budget.
Microgravity Program
Each year, Carthage fields a Microgravity Team to compete for a place in NASA's Systems Engineering Educational Discovery program. Carthage has successfully participated in the 2008 and 2009 SEED programs. SEED pairs NASA researchers with student teams tasked with designing and building experiments in support of NASA mission research priorities. Carthage's participation in the SEED program is made possible by funding from Carthage College and from the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium.
Climatology & Meteorology Minor
This program — unusual at a small liberal arts college — combines geography and physics. The Climatology/Meteorology minor is directed toward students who are interested in studying climate change and global warming issues, and pursuing atmospheric scholarship and research.
J-Term
J-Term is a month-long period of study in January in which all academic departments offer innovative courses on campus, as well as study tours in other countries. The Physics & Astronomy Department offers courses every J-Term. Recent on-campus offerings include Good Vibrations: The Science of Music, in which students created musical instruments, studied the physical groundwork of music, examined the workings of the human ear and visited a professional radio station. Recent off-campus study tours include Observational Astrophysics, in which students traveled to Arizona to use the 84-inch telescope at Kitt Peak and the 61-inch telescope at Mt. Lemmon.
Observatory Research
The Carthage Physics and Astronomy Department has associations with many regional and national observatories, giving Carthage students access to the best astronomical equipment. Students have the opportunity to use telescopes at the nearby Yerkes Observatory, Kitt Peak in Arizona, and the Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona, among other facilities.
Sloan Digital Sky Survey
Carthage physics and astronomy students are involved in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, a cutting-edge program in astrophysics and one of the most ambitious and influential surveys in the history of astronomy. An international effort, SDSS has imaged 1 million galaxies, and created three-dimensional maps containing more than 930,000 galaxies
and more than 120,000 quasars. The data is accessible to the public, is 100 percent digital, and can be used by Carthage students and researchers for advanced astrophysics research.
Mid-States Math & Science Consortium
Carthage is a member of the 11-state Mid-States Science and Math Consortium, giving Carthage students access to facilities at other schools including the University of Chicago and Washington University in St. Louis.
Academic Resources
Prospective Students
Microgravity Team
The Carthage Microgravity Program sends physics students aboard NASA's "Vomit Comet." Read more.
Research Opportunities
Carthage students have access to some of the world's largest observatories. Read more.
Summer Undergraduate Research Experience lets students work one-on-one with a faculty mentor.
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Kenosha, WI 53140
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