Dr. Graziano Vernizzi, Director
Computational Physics is an interdisciplinary field that has emerged as a new and distinct discipline. It is a highly functional mixture of applied mathematics, computer science, and physics. Computational physicists bring computing skills to the solution of scientific problems-an approach traditional majors do not offer. Graduates of the program will be prepared for employment in research laboratories, business, academia, and high-tech companies.
Computational Physicists master a number of technical skills, ranging from the mathematical formulation and analysis of problems to the use of software packages and computer algorithms, from simulations and modeling to numerical analysis, visualization, and programming. Valuable problem-solving skills together with a multidisciplinary background, make computational scientists highly sought after by employers.
Students may elect to major or minor in Computational Physics. Courses for the Computational Physics program at Siena are distributed among three departments: computer science, mathematics, and physics. For the major, seven courses are required in each of the three participating departments, plus a capstone course that may be elected in any one of the three departments. For the minor, three courses are required in each department.
A student planning to major in Computational Physics should consult each semester with the Computational Physics program director. Not every course is offered every year, so care must be taken in scheduling to assure completion of the major.