Yea sounds like it, I took the standard math track at my college and never had any problem with my upper level physics courses but most of my fellow students constantly complained their lack of math understanding was severely hurting their physics education.
I wonder if most physics curriculum's underestimate the amount of time it takes to truly become competent with calculus/DE tools. I may of only escaped because I loved math and did a lot of self study out of pleasure.
I think they are well aware of how few hours they have to teach physics. The debate is more, which classes can be dropped and replaced with a math course, in order that the students can have a deeper understanding of the underlying math?
More specifically, which of thermodynamics, optics, particle/nuclear physics, solid state, lab courses, E&M, classical mechanics, or quantum mechanics do you think should be dropped from the physics requirement, and which math course should replace it?
Or should the liberal arts requirements be reduced? Or should physics become a 5 year program?
I wonder if most physics curriculum's underestimate the amount of time it takes to truly become competent with calculus/DE tools. I may of only escaped because I loved math and did a lot of self study out of pleasure.