Students who are interested in pursuing physics or astrophysics while at Williams, or are considering doing so, should strongly consider beginning their coursework during their first year. The most common starting point, appropriate for students who have seen calculus at the level of Math 130 or beyond, is for students to take Phys 141 during the fall semester; these students do not need to take the placement survey. Students who have not yet completed study of calculus at the level of Math 130 would likely begin with Phys 131, but should consult with the physics department for a placement discussion. Finally, students with prior work in physics and strong mathematics backgrounds, most commonly in the form of AP or IB coursework, should complete the placement survey to potentially earn placement into more advanced coursework such as Phys 151 or, less commonly, Phys 201 or beyond.
More information on course selections for students who are interested in pursuing advanced placement in physics, as well as a the survey and short placement exam, is included with the online Placement Survey, available as a course on Glow. However, the course will not be populated with incoming first-year students until mid-June, so if you try to visit before then and receive an “Access Denied” message, try again in a few days! Note that completion of the survey need not be completed unless students are seeking to place out of Phys 141. Incoming first-year students will need to activate their Williams College email account prior to accessing Glow. First-year students should automatically have access to the appropriate course (*once it is populated); any more-senior students interested in the Placement Survey should contact Prof. Charlie Doret to gain access. For those students enrolled for the 2025-2026 academic year, we request that, if at all possible, the placement exam be completed by 8/2 so that students can receive their results prior to the end of pre-registration (8/4-8/8), though surveys completed later will still be evaluated.
The Placement Survey consists of three parts: an Honor Code statement, a survey of prior physics and mathematics experience, and a set of physics questions. The physics questions should be completed `closed-book,’ and deal primarily with
In total the three sections should take approximately one hour to complete.
Questions? Contact Prof. Charlie Doret to learn more.