Skip to Content

Breadth Courses for Non-Physics Students

We offer several courses of interest for students who are looking to fulfil Breadth Requirement Category #5: The Physical and Mathematical Universes or just looking for a cool elective course!

Attention Faculty of Arts and Science Students: Are you looking for a course to fulfil Breadth Requirement Category #5: The Physical and Mathematical Universes or just searching for a cool elective course and want to learn more about physics? Check out the courses below which are offered specifically for students with no university-level background in physics.

PHY100H1 - The Magic of Physics

This course provides a survey of Physics, including both Classical and Modern Physics. It is designed for non-scientists, and assumes no background in either science or mathematics. The approach to the course is broad rather than deep. We will concentrate on the concepts underlying such fascinating topics as planetary motion, chaos, the nature of light, time travel, black holes, matter waves, Schrodinger's cat, quarks, and climate change. We will uncover the wonders of the classical and the quantum worlds courtesy of Galileo, Newton, Maxwell, Einstein, Heisenberg and many others.

PHY100H1F is offered in Summer 2025 and Fall 2025

PHY205H1 - The Physics of Everyday Life

An introduction to the physics of everyday life. This conceptual course looks at everyday objects to learn about the basis for our modern technological world. Topics may include anything from automobiles to weather.

Check out PHY205H1S for Summer 2025! It is also offered in Winter 2026

PHY207H1 - The Physics of Music

An online course intended to provide non-science students with a basic understanding of the science behind sound and music. Topics include oscillations, waves, human hearing and perception of music, musical scales, musical instruments, recording and storing sound digitally, producing sound and broadcasting. Lectures will be delivered via the web and mandatory tutorials will require live webinar participation. The final exam will require attendance on the St. George campus.

PHY207H1S is offered in Winter 2026

Eligibility Requirements

PHY100H1, PHY205H1, and PHY207H1 are primarily intended as a Breadth Requirement course for students with no university-level background in physics. For this reason, any student who does have a university-level credit in physics is not eligible to take these courses. This also includes students with secondary school transfer credits in physics.

Read more about Breadth Requirements in the Faculty of Arts & Science Academic Calendar and the Sidney Smith Commons website.

Questions? Please contact the Physics Undergraduate Coordinator.