General Guidelines for Required Courses (Department of Physics)

• Automatic System Enrollment: All required undergraduate professional courses are automatically assigned by the system based on grade level. Do not drop these courses without careful consideration to avoid conflicting with underclassmen's registration in future semesters.

• Freshmen Policy: First-year students must take required physics courses offered directly by the Department of Physics; taking out-of-department courses for credit equivalency is not permitted. (Per NCKU Course Registration Regulations, Article 4: Freshman required courses may not be substituted with same-named courses in other departments unless approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.) (Department transfer and university transfer students are exempt from this restriction).

Retaking Required Courses

• General Physics Required Courses: Physics students are generally not allowed to retake required courses in other departments. This option is open only to graduating seniors and delayed-graduation students under the following condition:

  • You must have failed the required course offered by physics department faculty twice, and you must obtain prior departmental approval. The substituted course in another department must match the NCKU Physics course in title, content, credit count, and language of instruction.

• General Chemistry (I)(II) and Calculus (I)(II) Required Courses: (Revised policy as of June 7, 2022, applicable to all students admitted before and after the 2022–2023 academic year per the Curriculum Committee meeting on March 21, 2022)

  • Original Policy: Students had to fail the course within the Physics Department during regular semesters twice before being permitted to take equivalent courses in other departments.

  • Revised Policy: Students must fail the course within the Physics Department during regular semesters once. Starting from the second attempt, students may take a course in another department with the same title, content, and credit count to substitute for General Chemistry (I)(II), General Chemistry Lab (I)(II), and Calculus (I)(II).

  • Definition of Regular Semester Enrollment: Properly enrolling in and completing the course during a regular fall or spring semester in accordance with university regulations, but receiving a failing grade.

Summer Session Regulations

• Distance / Online Courses: For foundational required courses (General Chemistry, General Chemistry Lab, Calculus), if taking a distance/online summer course offered via NCKU's summer system, you must have enrolled in and failed the course during a regular semester at least once before being eligible to take the online version.

• Professional Physics Courses: Except for General Chemistry and Calculus, summer credit recognition is strictly limited to summer courses offered directly by the NCKU Department of Physics.

• Graduation Shortfalls: Any student lacking non-professional required credits (e.g., General Education, Service Learning) that impact graduation eligibility may apply for summer courses in accordance with university policies.

• Non-Graduating Students: For all department-required professional courses (excluding General Chemistry, General Chemistry Lab, and Calculus), non-graduating students must fail the course twice during regular semesters before applying for summer sessions.

• Inter-Collegiate Summer Sessions: Only graduating seniors and delayed-graduation students may apply for inter-collegiate summer sessions at other universities for professional required courses, subject to university rules.

• Reference: NCKU Course Registration Regulations (June 30, 2021 Version) (Subject to the latest official university announcements).

Department Transfer & University Transfer Students

• Required Course Framework: Required physics courses include General Physics (I) [4 credits], General Physics (II) [4 credits], General Physics Lab (I) [1 credit], and General Physics Lab (II) [1 credit].

• Deficiency Fulfillment: If you are missing any of these courses upon transferring, you must enroll in the section offered directly by the Department of Physics (do not choose out-of-department sections). Your first attempt cannot be taken during a summer session.

• Credit Waiver Rules: Courses taken at a previous university or department prior to transferring must be required courses of 3+ credits per semester with identical course content. Waiver approvals are strictly subject to departmental review; lower-credit courses cannot replace higher-credit requirements.

• Single-Semester General Physics: A single-semester General Physics course can only be waived for General Physics (I).

• Credit Deficiency Adjustment: General Physics (I) and (II) total 8 credits (4+4). Students who previously completed 3-credit General Physics (I) and 3-credit General Physics (II) may waive 6 credits in total. The remaining 2-credit deficiency must be fulfilled before graduation by taking elective courses (2+ credits) offered by the NCKU Department/Graduate Institute of Physics (course codes starting with C2 or L2).

Out-of-Department General Chemistry & Calculus Requests (Transfer Students)

(Form Version: June 30, 2022 - 1st Version)

If you need to request taking General Chemistry (I)(II) or Calculus (I)(II) in an outside department for your first attempt, please download and submit the application form:

• Application Form for Transfer Students Taking General Chemistry & Calculus Outside the Department (.pdf / .docx)

• Note: Applications are only complete once approved and returned by the Department.

Physics Department Laboratory Courses Guidelines

Physics Majors (including Transfer Students needing Physics Lab credits):

• Enrollment Limits: Lab rosters are directly populated by the system to maintain capacity control for hands-on learning. Do not drop lab courses online without consulting the department.

• Departmental Requirement: Physics majors must take General Physics Lab offered by the NCKU Department of Physics; out-of-department physics lab courses cannot be used as substitutes.

• Roster Space Verification: Before manually adding a lab, verify open slots with the dedicated laboratory manager/TA:

  • General Physics Lab Manager: Mr. Guo-Liang Yang (Physical Chemistry Building, 2F General Physics Lab)

  • Physics Lab (I)(II) [Sophomore]: TA Po-Ching Wu (New Physics Building, 3F, Room 36365)

  • Physics Lab (III)(IV) [Junior]: TA Hui-Ling Kang (New Physics Building, 3F, Room 36361)

Non-Physics Majors (including Minors, Double-Majors, & Inter-Collegiate Students):

• University-Wide General Physics Lab:

  • Approval: You must obtain the stamp/signature of the Lab Manager, Mr. Guo-Liang Yang (ext. 65264, Physical Chemistry Building, 2F). Signatures from individual course instructors are not accepted.

  • Add/Drop Process: Submit your department’s course-addition form to Mr. Yang during class on the first day of the semester, noting your grade level, home department, and senior/graduation status. (Note: Due to capacity caps, Monday/Tuesday lab assignments are determined directly by the General Physics Lab management).

  • Once approved by Mr. Yang, bring the stamped form to your home department office (e.g., Department of Systems and Naval Mechatronic Engineering for F1-012 course codes) to process the manual registration. The Physics Department office only handles C2-XXX course codes. Home departments will only accept add forms stamped by the General Physics Lab.

• Physics Lab (I) through (IV):

  • Check department website announcements, consult the dedicated TA, and attend the first class session.

• Important Departmental Notes:

  • The NCKU Physics Department Office only handles course actions for codes starting with C2 and L2.

  • For special overrides, download the "Special Circumstances Course Registration Form" from the Department Website > Downloads section.