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<p>That is debatable…but I’m not going to open this whole can of worms.</p>
<p>I will just say that I am a physics major here entering my senior year. I have been VERY happy with the department - I feel it is arguably the best department here (of course, I am biased) and certainly one of the best in the country, if not the best (but as I said, that is a whole other debate). I do not think it is accurate to say that UCSB is better than HMC for physics. Certainly, UCSB has an exceptional graduate program and excellent faculty members who do research in physics. But that does not necessarily equate to a stellar undergraduate program.</p>
<p>I assure you, the physics program here is excellent and top-notch. We are out of this world in terms of undergraduate research opportunities (especially for an undergraduate only college), classes, and overall preparation.</p>
<p>But don’t take my word for it. We underwent external review in 2004 by an independent team of three physicists, from Williams, Swarthmore and Caltech. I shall let their comments speak for themselves:</p>
<p>“The physics program at Harvey Mudd College is truly excellent and among the very best at undergraduate institutions across the country. The curriculum has been carefully conceived and is effective in providing an outstanding education to students, the faculty are skilled teachers who are extremely accessible and wonderfully supportive to students, the research experiences offered to students are top-notch, the department is an important contributor to the excellence of the institution, and the people in the department enjoy an esprit de corps that allows them to work together quite effectively. In short, the department enjoys the admiration of the administration, the faculty in other departments, the students, and now this review team.</p>
<p>“In reviewing one of the best if not the best physics program at an undergraduate institution, there are no major problems for us to address. …”</p>