Biophysics
Program Details
Biophysics is a highly-interdisciplinary field that uses chemistry, biology, physics and mathematics to explain how molecules, cells, tissues and whole organisms function. As a biophysics major at Xavier University, you’ll study foundational questions in the emerging field of biophysics, including how the molecules of life are made, how cells move and operate and how complex systems in our bodies work. You’ll also complete individual research alongside expert faculty, conduct experiments and have access to multiple labs.
This program's structure is intended to prepare students for the rigors of advanced degree programs in biophysics, biomedical engineering, medicine, health sciences and biotechnology. Xavier students have a 92 percent acceptance rate to med schools (Class of 2019), compared to 40 percent nationally. Additionally, 98 percent of Xavier students, including those in the biophysics major, are working, volunteering or in graduate school within six months of graduation (Class of 2021).
Curriculum
The sample course sequence below illustrates class offerings for the Biophysics major. Consult the official Xavier University course catalog for detailed registration and advising information.
Fall
- ENGR 101: Introduction to Engineering............ 3cr.
- Physics 170: University Physics I ............ 3cr.
- Physics 171: Exploration in Physics I ............ 1cr.
- Mathematics 170: Calculus I ............ 4cr.
- Biology 160: General I Biology ............ 3cr.
- Biology 161: General I Biology Lab ............ 1cr.
- CORE 100, First Year Seminar ............ 3cr.
- Core 101: GOA ............ 0cr.
Spring
- Physics 172: University Physics II ............ 3cr.
- Engineering 173: Exploration in Engineering or PHYS 173............ 1cr.
- Mathematics 171: Calculus II ............ 3cr.
- Theology 111: Theology Foundations ............ 3cr.
- Philosophy 100: Ethics as Intro to Philosophy ............ 3cr.
- Core 102: GOA ............ 0cr.
Fall
- Physics 330: Modern Physics I ............ 3cr.
- Physics 331: Modern Physics I Lab ............ 2cr.
- Chemistry 160: General Chemistry I ............ 3cr.
- Chemistry 161: General Chemistry I Lab ............ 1cr.
- MATH 220: Calculus III............ 4cr.
- Second Language 103 Level ............ 3cr.
Spring
- PHYS 355: Advanced Lab............ 3cr.
- Chemistry 162: General Chemistry II ............ 3cr.
- Chemistry 163: General Chemistry II Lab ............ 1cr.
- ENGL 101: English Composition or ENGL 115: Rhetoric............ 3cr.
- Second Language 201 Level ............ 3cr.
- Elective............ 3cr.
Fall
- Chemistry 240: Organic Chemistry I ............ 3cr.
- Chemistry 241: Organic Chemistry I Lab ............ 1cr.
- Program Elective ............ 3cr.
- Physics 382: Thermodynamics ............ 3cr.
- Lit. & Moral Imagination 205............ 3cr.
- Diversity Flag* or Free Elective ............ 3cr.
Spring
- Chemistry 242: Organic Chemistry II ............ 3cr.
- Chemistry 243: Organic Chemistry II Lab ............ 1cr.
- Theological Perspectives............ 3cr.
- Program Elective ............ 4cr.
- Historical Perspectives ............ 3cr.
- Elective............ 3cr.
Fall
- Physics 395: Physics Research ............ 1cr.
- CHEM 440: Biochemistry ............ 3cr.
- Program Elective............ 3cr.
- Humanities Elective ............ 3cr.
- Social Science Elective ............ 3cr.
- ER/S Flag* or Free Elective ............ 3cr.
Spring
- Physics 398: Biophysics............ 1cr.
- Physics Thesis............ 3cr.
- Program Elective ............ 3cr.
- Philosophical Perspectives ............ 3cr.
- Creative Perspectives ............ 3cr.
Sample Courses
Xavier is known for providing an education that’s both challenging and personal. Here are some courses that are part of the biophysics major at Xavier:
Biophysics (PHYS 387) - Take an exploration into the current research techniques to study proteins, DNA, virus, and cells that were once only a figment of one's imagination. Have discussions with the scientists that use these state-of-the-art techniques. As technology continues to advance, Biophysicists are pushing the limits of quantum mechanics to study the tiny forces that proteins exert and how viruses permeate a cell membrane. As innovations come out of physics and biology labs, biophysicists find new areas to explore where they can apply their expertise, create new tools, and gain new knowledge. The work always aims to find out how biological systems work.
Modern Physics (PHYS 330) - Learn about the warping of spacetime as objects travel close to the speed of light; learn about strange effects on the scale of quantum mechanics - from particles and waves behaving like each other to objects tunneling through walls; and how spectroscopy works and is applied in a range of industrial and scientific situations.
Biochemistry (BIOL 440) - Take the opportunity to discover the chemistry of the biological world. Learn about the building blocks of what makes life, explore the chemical cycles that drive our existence, engage in the replication process of DNA and the creation of proteins. It is with the knowledge of Biochemistry that a Biophysicist can advance science.
Thermodynamics (PHYS 382) - Starting from the ideal gas law, explore the statistical interpretation of thermodynamics, and apply that interpretation toward an understanding of thermal energy and heat capacity, entropy and irreversibility, heat engines and refrigerators, and Boltzmann Statistics. Explore how energy is transferred and transformed to run our cars, our computers, our hearts and our bodies.
Student Clubs
The clubs below are popular choices for students in the biophysics major.
Physics Club
Students in the Physics Club organize trips to national labs, host cool experiment series and events that connect to physics, like ice skating (friction!) and water balloon launches.
Biology Club
Student events include hiking trips, Break Out Games, scavenger hunts and trips to the Cincinnati Zoo and Newport Aquarium.
Career Outcomes
98% of Xavier students, including those in the biophysics major, are employed, attending grad school or working in service or volunteer positions within six months of graduation (Class of 2021). Many graduates of the program go on to Graduate, Medical, Dental or Law School.
Career Opportunities: Biotechnician, Clinical Research Coordinator, Drug Developer, Food Scientist, Genetecist, Laboratory Technician, Microbiologist, Research Associate, Research Biophysicist, Science Teacher/Professor, Technical Writer
Take the Next Step
All For One
Physics Department Labs and Facilities
The Lindner Family Physics Building houses a variety of research facilities for students in the biophysics major, including a holography lab, atomic and nuclear labs, optics lab, superconductivity lab, atomic force microscope lab, a thin-film deposition system and an astronomical observatory.
Cincinnati: A City of Opportunity for Biophysics Majors
Cincinnati, Ohio features some of the largest companies in the world, which means students in the biophysics major have countless opportunities for careers, internships and mentorships at places like Kroger, Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Trihealth. The city is ranked the #1 Best City for College Graduates (smartasset.com) and is home to some of the nation’s leading hospitals and healthcare networks.
What Is Jesuit Education?
A Xavier education is more than your typical college experience. Drawing on a Jesuit Catholic educational model which emphasizes ethics, responsibility and service, students get the support they need to succeed and make a difference in the world. The result is an education that’s as encouraging as it is challenging, and as enriching as it is demanding.
Graduate With Honors
Are you looking for an academic challenge? The University Scholars Honors Program offers incoming students a more challenging curriculum and close support from professors while completing their undergraduate degree. Acceptance into the program is highly selective and includes a $2000 travel grant.
Biophysics Major at Xavier University
The Biophysics program at Xavier University is a minimum 120-hour degree program that studies the interdisciplinary fields of biology and physics. Biophysics looks for the laws and principles in physics that describe patterns seen in biological systems. Once laws and principles are properly identified scientists can make detailed predictions that can be tested in other biological systems. Biology studies the complexity and variety of life. It describes the life sustaining processes of organisms as they go about getting food, communicating, sensing the environment, and reproducing. Physics looks for mathematical laws that govern nature. These laws allow scientists to predict which forces drive idealized systems. Biophysicists aim to describe the complexity of life using simple physical laws. Essentially a biophysicist's job is to look for the patterns in life and analyzing them with math and physics in order to gain insight into how biological systems function. Biophysicists are well suited for our high-tech economy. They provide innovative methods and instruments that are increasingly used to serve everyday needs, from forensic science to bioremediation.
Xavier University’s College of Arts and Sciences challenges students to develop an integrated understanding of humanity, the world, and God by pursuing the questions raised in Xavier's core and departmental curricula. The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest and largest college at Xavier University. The college provides an excellent liberal arts education in the Jesuit tradition that prepares students for careers, professional or graduate school, and life in a global society.
Xavier University is a private university located in Cincinnati, Ohio, providing a liberal arts education in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. Founded in 1831, the University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation. It has been ranked among the top 10 master's-level universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for the past two decades. The Princeton Review names it one of the "Best 385 Colleges in America."