Physics Lab

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Physics

Welcome to the CSU Physics Department

The CSU Physics Department provides high-quality, affordable, and flexible education. Alumni of the department are highly successful in obtaining employment at leading institutions (e.g. NASA, Intel, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, UH, GE, Philips, CERN, National Renewable Energy Lab) and prestigious graduate programs (e.g. John Hopkins U., Carnegie Mellon U., CWRU, Caltech). Please check Physics alumni career highlights at: https://artsandsciences.csuohio.edu/physics/alumni

The department provides extensive opportunities for student engagement. These include faculty-coordinated research, involvement in teaching activities, and a nationally recognized Society of Physics Students (SPS) Chapter. The latter provides leadership, participation in student life, networking, and service opportunities for interested students.

Department Highlights:

  • Degree offerings: MinorBachelor of Arts (BA)Bachelor of Science (BS and BS Honors); Master of Science (MS).
  • The number of BS/BA degrees awarded is 2nd largest among the public universities in Northeastern Ohio (AIP Statistics - 3-year average 2022/2023/2024).
  • The number of MS degrees awarded is tied for 3rd largest among all universities in Ohio (AIP Statistics 2024).
  • Host of a National Science Foundation-sponsored site for Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) since 2017.
  • More than $4.5M in external funding for research projects that involve undergraduate students through grants from NSF, DOE, NIH, Research Corporation in the last fifteen years.
  • An award-winning chapter of Society of Physics Students (SPS): 11 Marsh White Awards from the American Institute of Physics for science outreach; distinguished as Outstanding  SPS Chapter (top 1-3%) for more than 12 years.
  • In the last decade, 3 University Valedictorians; 4 College Valedictorians (3 COSHP & 1 Engineering); 1 YWCA Dr. Jennie S. Hwang Award (a first for a CSU student); and 1 Distinguished Alumni Award were Physics majors.

Contact:

Physics News

Video of Waterspouts Over Lake Erie, Captured by a CSU Physics Student, Featured on FOX 8 News

Jonathan Hammel, a physics student at Cleveland State University, spotted waterspouts that were over Lake Erie near Cleveland on Thursday. Jonathan recorded the phenomenon, which...

CSU Recognizes Jearl Walker as its Distinguished Professor

 On April 9, 2025, CSU held its 2025 Faculty Excellence Award Celebration. Jearl Walker, who has been teaching at CSU for 52 years, was awarded the Distinguished Professorsh...

CSU Recognizes Thijs Heus as Distinguished Faculty in Research

 At the Faculty Excellence Award Celebration on April 9, 2025, Associate Professor in Physics, Dr.  Thijs Heus was recognized as CSU’s Distinguished Faculty in Resear...

Physics Giving Day Scholarship Awarded to Emily Schaffer

 Thanks to generous support from the Physics Dept alumni and friends during the 2024 CSU’s Giving Day, each semester the department awards one Giving Day Physics Scholarsh...

Physics major Emily Schaffer spends a week at the Michigan State University’s Nuclear Science Summer School (NS3)

 This summer I had the opportunity to attend Michigan State University's Nuclear Science Summer School. We spent a week at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRiB) getting...

Mailing Address
Cleveland State University
Department of Physics
2121 Euclid Avenue, PHY
Cleveland, OH 44115-2214

Campus Location
Science Building (SI)
2399 Euclid Avenue, Rm. 112

Contact Us
Phone: 216.687.2425
Fax: 216.523.7268
physics.dept@csuohio.edu