Art wrote:
"I had no idea that standing and travelling waves was reserved for post
doctorial studies in America,---."

It isn`t. Just as elsewhere, electromagnetism and wave motion are
covered in freshman physics. Anything needed beyond simple algebra is
covered in the physics course itself. It includes the relationship of
classical physics to modern physics, emphasizing conservation laws,
concepts of waves, fields, and particles.

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI