Unlike traditional engineering disciplines, engineering science/physics is not necessarily confined to
a particular branch of science, engineering or physics. Instead, engineering science/physics is
meant to provide a more thorough grounding in applied physics for a selected specialty such
as optics, quantum physics, materials science, applied
mechanics, electronics, nanotechnology, microfabrication, microelectronics, computing, photonics, m
echanical engineering, electrical engineering, nuclear engineering, biophysics, control
theory, aerodynamics, energy, solid-state physics, etc. It is the discipline devoted to creating and
optimizing engineering solutions through enhanced understanding and integrated application of
mathematical, scientific, statistical, and engineering principles. The discipline is also meant for cross-
functionality and bridges the gap between theoretical science and practical engineering with
emphasis in research and development, design, and analysis.
It is notable that in many languages the term for "engineering physics" would be directly translated
into English as "technical physics". In some countries, both what would be translated as "engineering
physics" and what would be translated as "technical physics" are disciplines leading to academic
degrees, with the former specializing in nuclear power research, and the latter closer to engineering
physics.[5] In some institutions, an engineering (or applied) physics major is a discipline or
specialization within the scope of engineering science, or applied science. [6][7][8][improper synthesis?]
In many universities, engineering science programs may be offered at the levels of
[Link], [Link]., [Link]. and Ph.D. Usually, a core of basic and advanced courses
in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology forms the foundation of the curriculum, while typical
elective areas may include fluid dynamics, quantum physics, economics, plasma
physics, relativity, solid mechanics, operations research, quantitative finance, information technology
and engineering, dynamical systems, bioengineering, environmental engineering, computational
engineering, engineering mathematics and statistics, solid-state devices, materials
science, electromagnetism, nanoscience, nanotechnology, energy, and optics.
Whereas typical engineering programs (undergraduate) generally focus on the application of
established methods to the design and analysis of engineering solutions, the engineering science
programs (undergraduate) focus on the creation and use of more advanced experimental or
computational techniques where standard approaches are inadequate (i.e., development of
engineering solutions to contemporary problems in the physical and life sciences by applying
fundamental principles).
Engineering Physics prepares students to apply physics to
tackle 21st century engineering challenges, and to apply engineering
to address 21st century questions in physics.
Although Engineering Physics is a relatively new program at Stanford
(it was introduced about a decade ago), it has a long history at a
number of universities; see the list at the bottom of this page for
examples. See Stanford's Engineering Physics web page for an
overview of the purpose and scope of the Engineering Physics major.
You can read about the Engineering Physics major in detail in
the Stanford Engineering Handbook. Engineering Physics has a
student society called EPIC. The EPIC web page contains some four-
year plans with commentary by recent graduates of the program,
examples of research that some of the majors have pursued, and a
page called "Where are they now?", which describes the paths some
of our Engineering Physics alumnae have followed.
What is the difference between engineering physics and
other majors in engineering?
The fundamental difference between Engineering Physics and other
Engineering majors is that in Engineering Physics students study the
same advanced physics topics as physics majors -- in particular, at
least two quarters of quantum mechanics and at least one quarter of
statistical mechanics. Most engineering students (other than
engineering physics students) would take these courses only as
graduate students (or not at all). An Engineering Physics degree
prepares students to work in the private sector or in national
laboratories at the very forefront of technology, or to pursue an
advanced degree in engineering. An Engineering Physics degree also
prepares students to pursue an advanced degree in physics; other
engineering majors do not. Industries that need people with very
strong scientific backgrounds recognize the Engineering Physics
major and what it stands for.