PHYS 125 – Big Science in Twenty-First Century Europe

Image of Florence, Italy.

Washington and Lee University Center for International Education Spring Term Abroad Spring Term Abroad 2026 PHYS 125 – Big Science in Twenty-First Century Europe
Center for International Education
Four credits; FDR-SC, EXP, Math, CS Distribution
Two weeks on campus, two weeks in Italy and Switzerland
Professor Tom McClain
St. Pierre
Though the United States catapulted to the forefront of big science around the middle of the twentieth century, European organizations have nevertheless sponsored some of the biggest science projects of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. In this course, we will learn about particle physics and gravitational wave astronomy as we travel to two of the premier “Big Science” sites in Europe: the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva and the VIRGO gravitational wave detector in Tuscany. While in Europe, we will also examine the question of how twenty-first-century science is able to thrive in centuries-old European societies. No background in physics or mathematics beyond high school algebra is required.

Program fee (paid to W&L): $4,872
Includes programming, room, some meals (breakfast nearly every day), transportation to the airport from W&L, and most in-country transportation.

Additional costs: airfare, most meals (~2 breakfasts, ~14 lunches and dinners), cell phone, spending money, passport, and visa fees (if applicable).

For further details, please contact Professor McClain.

The information session for this course will take place on October 6, 2025, at 7 pm in Science Addition, room G14.

Center for International Education

Mark Rush

Director

Hunter Swanson

International Student Advisor

Cindy Irby

Associate Director and Study Abroad Advisor

Jillian Murphy

Senior Assistant Director of International Education and Study Abroad Coordinator

Kristy Reed

Center for International Education Office Manager

Center for International Education

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    Ruscio Center for Global Learning
    Room 145
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    Center for International Education
    204 W. Washington St.
    Washington and Lee University
    Lexington, Virginia 24450