Engineering Physics
What is Engineering Physics?
Physics is the study of the complex and basic interactions of matter, energy, space, and time. Engineering physics combines basic engineering classes with fundamental physics and mathematics courses.
What do Engineering Physicists do?
There are, generally speaking, two categories into which physicists fall. Experimental physicists consider potentially interesting, unknown aspects of physical systems and then prepare experiments to study the behavior of these systems under controlled conditions. Theoretical physicists attempt to find the mathematical relationships that characterize the behavior of physical systems, guided by experimental results.
Engineering Physics at UIUC
Engineering Physics is made up of these main subcategories:
- Nuclear and Elementary Particle Physics: This field involves the study of atoms, the nuclei of atoms, and elementary particles.
- Condensed Matter Physics: This field involves the study of the behavior of atoms when they combine to form liquids and solids, including the study of magnetism and superconductivity.
- Biomolecular Physics: This field involves the study of the physical processes of biological systems.
- Astrophysics: This field involves the study of the properties of astronomical objects such as stars, black holes and planets.
Additionally, students in engineering physics may pursue an applied physics option in one of the following areas:
- Applied Nuclear Physics
- Bioengineering
- Fluids and Plasmas
- Optical Physics and Lasers
- Physical Electronics
- System Analysis and Control Theory
Career Opportunities
Both private industry and the government employ physicists to do research and engineering. The electronics industry is the largest employer of physicists, but the petroleum, chemical, aerospace, instrument, and machinery industries hire numerous graduates also. Private consulting and research firms, engineering and architectural service industries, and commercial laboratories have a need for engineering physicists too. The federal government employs many physicists in its defense, standards, and aeronautics divisions, as well as in national laboratories. Additionally, the broad, thorough training provided in the undergraduate program prepares students to continue on to graduate school to conduct research and instruct the next generation of physicists.
Why Engineering Physics?
The Physics Department at the UIUC is one of the largest departments in the country. Our undergraduate, graduate, and research programs are ranked among the top ten in the world. The hallmark of physics is its technical breadth, and our graduates have the skills to succeed in graduate school or in their choice of industries.
Department Contact Information:
Department of Physics
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
211 Loomis Laboratory, MC-704
1110 W. Green St.
Urbana, IL 61801
Telephone: 217-333-9819
Fax: 217-244-4293
E-mail: physdept@physics.uiuc.edu
Web page: http://www.physics.uiuc.edu
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