What areas of research does physics cross with ?
and Ph.D. Usually , a core of basic and advanced courses in mathematics , physics , chemistry , and biology forms the foundation of the curriculum , while typical elective areas may include fluid dynamics , quantum physics , economics , plasma physics , relativity , solid mechanics , operations research , information technology and engineering , dynamical systems , bioengineering , environmental engineering , computational engineering , engineering mathematics and statistics , solid - state devices , materials science , electromagnetism , nanoscience , nanotechnology , energy , and optics .