▁or ▁not ▁before ▁experimental ▁data ▁is ▁available . ▁ ▁Training ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁typical ▁under grad uate ▁program ▁for ▁physics ▁maj ors , ▁required ▁courses ▁are ▁in ▁the ▁sub - dis cipl ines ▁of ▁physics , ▁with ▁additional ▁required ▁courses ▁in ▁mathematics . ▁Because ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁insight ▁of ▁physics ▁is ▁described ▁by ▁differential ▁equations ▁rel ating ▁matter , ▁space , ▁and ▁time ▁( for ▁example ▁Newton ' s ▁law ▁of ▁motion ▁and ▁the ▁Max well ▁equations ▁of ▁elect romagnet ism ), ▁students ▁have ▁to ▁be ▁familiar ▁with ▁differential ▁equations . ▁In ▁a ▁typical ▁under grad uate ▁program ▁for ▁chem istry ▁maj ors , ▁emphas is ▁is ▁placed ▁on ▁labor atory ▁classes ▁and ▁understanding ▁and ▁applying ▁models ▁describing ▁chemical ▁b onds ▁and ▁mole cular ▁structure . ▁Em phas is ▁is ▁also ▁placed ▁in ▁the ▁methods ▁for ▁analysis ▁and ▁the ▁formulas ▁and ▁equations ▁used ▁when ▁considering ▁the ▁chemical ▁transformation . ▁Stud ents ▁take ▁courses ▁in ▁math , ▁physics , ▁chem istry , ▁and ▁often ▁bio chem istry . ▁Between ▁the ▁two ▁programs ▁of ▁study , ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁large ▁area ▁of ▁overlap ▁( calcul us , ▁intro duct ory ▁physics , ▁quantum ▁mechan ics , ▁therm od ynam ics ). ▁However , ▁physics ▁places ▁a ▁larger ▁emphas is ▁on ▁fundamental ▁theory ▁( with ▁its ▁deep ▁mathematical ▁treatment ) ▁while ▁chem istry ▁places ▁more ▁emphas is ▁in ▁combining ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁mathematical ▁definitions ▁of ▁the ▁theory ▁with ▁the ▁approach ▁of ▁the ▁mole cular ▁models . ▁Labor atory ▁skills ▁may ▁differ ▁in ▁both ▁programs , ▁as