The Society of Physics Students and the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society (SAACS) raise funds, sponsor campus events, and take field trips to planetariums, Oak Ridge National Research Labs, Fontana Dam Hydroelectric Plant, and other university research facilities. Award banquets, picnics, camping trips, and river excursions round out the year's activities.

Undergraduate research is encouraged. Many students take advantage of the low student-to-teacher ratio during their research projects. Students often participate in regional and national research conferences.