PHYS 485
Physics Colloquium for Undergraduate Students
Spring 2015 Syllabus

Instructor: Carlo Segre segre [at] iit.edu
166a Life Sciences Building 312.567.3498
Meetings: Thursday 15:30-17:00, Room 111 Life Sciences Building
URL: http://phys.iit.edu/~segre/phys485/15S/index485.html
Objectives:
  • Become familiar with the major research trends, with the institutions engaged in these activities, with the time scale involved in various fields, and with the background of the speaker.
  • Learn of the applications of concepts in physics to technology, medical science, and society at large.
  • Learn the structure of a public presentation of scientific work.
  • Demonstrate competency in summarizing and abstracting a high-level scientific presentation.
Grading: Grading for this course will be based equally on attendance and 4 Colloquium Summary papers to be assigned during the term.
  • Students will be contacted by email on the day of the Colloquium, after 19:00 and assigned to prepare a Summary paper.
  • Summary papers will be at least 1 page, double spaced, long and may include critique of the research and/or presentation as well as summarizing the presentation.
  • Summary papers are due before the following Colloquium.
  • Papers must be submitted to the appropriate "Review" Assignment on Blackboard in PDF format.
  • The final letter grades will be awarded on a scale as shown below.

    Max % Grade Min %
    100 A 80
    79 B 70
    69 C 60
    59 D 50
    50 E 0
Academic Honesty Policy: IIT has a Code of Academic Honesty which is available at http://www.iit.edu/student_affairs/handbook/information_and_regulations/code_of_academic_honesty.shtml. All students in this course are expected to follow this code. The first violation will result in a grade of "zero" for that assignment (exam or quiz). Subsequent violations will result in a failing grade in the course.
Schedule