Department of Physics & Astronomy
Summer Hours
The Department Office will be closed Monday, June 3, 2025 - Friday, June 20, 2025. During this time, the Academic Office Coordinator (AOC) Roger Dang will be on vacation. The Department Chair Joseph Barranco (barranco@sfsu.edu) will be available via email and Zoom (please email for an appointment.).
From Monday, June 23, 2025 - Friday, August 8, 2025, the Department Office will be open only on Tuesdays & Thursdays, 9:30 am - 3:30 pm, and also on Wednesday, July 9, and Wednesday, August 6. The office will be staffed by AOC Roger Dang. The Department Chair Joseph Barranco will primarily be availably via email and Zoom, but can be available for limited in-person meetings, by appointment only.
If you are a student who has questions about transfer equivalencies and/or needs guidance on class selection and/or would like an advising appointment, please email the Chair Joseph Barranco (barranco@sfsu.edu).
The Department Office will resume to regular hours starting on Monday, August 11, 2025.
Mission Statement
The fields of physics & astronomy use the scientific method to investigate the fundamental laws that govern the cosmos and all its contents, from subatomic particles to the cosmic web of galaxies on the largest observable scales in the universe and beyond. The pursuit of science is a human endeavor, and our department welcomes the full spectrum of humanity to contribute their perspectives, passions, and skills to scientific exploration.
The mission of San Francisco State University’s Department of Physics & Astronomy is to equip students from all backgrounds with foundational content knowledge in classical mechanics, electricity & magnetism, special and general relativity, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics, and astronomy and astrophysics; to provide “hands-on” training in theoretical, experimental, observational, and computational techniques for pure research and industrial and “real-world” applications; to mentor students to embrace an empirical, scientific framework to expand the boundaries of knowledge through novel research, and, ultimately, to create diverse STEM leaders, teachers, and policy-makers ready to tackle the most challenging problems facing society locally and globally.