Admission to the program
Any student who satisfactorily completes the B.S.E. freshman year program or its equivalent is eligible for admission to the program. Engineering students entering the program are strongly encouraged to complete the following courses or their equivalents by the end of the sophomore year.
PHY 205 or 207 – Classical Mechanics or Mechanics and Waves
PHY 208 – Principles of Quantum Mechanics
MAT 201 – Multivariable Calculus
MAT 202 – Linear Algebra with Applications
In applying for admission to the program, a student should indicate interest in a particular area of engineering and should be enrolled as a major in one of the six participating engineering departments or in physics. A student planning to enroll in the program should consult the director of the program who will assign a special adviser to help plan a curriculum.
Program of Study
An engineering physics major will normally satisfy both program and departmental requirements. The curriculum for each student is worked out by the student and the student’s departmental adviser in consultation with the special adviser in engineering physics. In some cases, courses taken under the program requirements may be applied toward the fulfillment of regular departmental requirements. The program requirements are as follows:
- All students must take one upper-class course in mathematics (300 and 400 levels).
- Engineering majors must take a minimum of six advanced courses in physics (which may include the following 200-level courses: PHY 205, 207, 209, and 210), and must include the quantum mechanics (PHY 208). At least four of the courses must be listed (or cross-listed) in the physics department. In order to accommodate specific student interests, there is particular flexibility with regard to the two other courses, which may be a course with a strong physics content from other departments such as astrophysical sciences or chemistry, but must be approved in advance by the program’s committee.
- Physics majors enrolled in the program must have five engineering courses, chosen in consultation with their adviser. They are required to take at least two of their engineering courses in a coherent area of study so that a clear engineering stem can be identified.
Close collaboration with faculty is expected. Students are required to complete, with a grade of B- or better, at least one semester of independent work in an appropriate area. Physics students are encouraged to have a professor in engineering serve as a reader on their senior thesis.
Program students are expected to demonstrate strong academic performance. To qualify for the engineering physics certificate upon graduation, a minimum grade average of B- in the program courses is required. Courses taken pass/D/fail are permitted, but a pass counts as a C in determining grade average.
Further details can be obtained by contacting the director ([email protected]).
Jeffrey O. Kephart '80 Prize
The Jeffrey O. Kephart '80 Prize is awarded yearly to the Engineering Physics graduating senior with the most outstanding record.
No nominations are needed. The Engineering Physics faculty nominates the candidates and selects the winner(s) at the end of each academic year. The award carries a monetary value of $1000.00.
Past winners of the Jeffrey O. Kephart '80 Prize are below:
2023 Julia Berndtsson Physics
2022 Hoang Le Electrical and Computer Engineering
2021 Haicheng (Charles) Zhao Computer Science
2020 Geoffrey Zheng Physics
2019 Ryoto Sekine Electrical Engineering
2018 Lamia Ateshian Electrical Engineering
2016 Aditya Trivedi Physics
2015 Mark Stone and Physics
Andrew Ward Electrical Engineering
2014 Alexander Creely Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
2013 Amaresh Sahu Chemical and Biological Engineering
2012 Matthew Edwards Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
2011 Michael Gelbart Physics
2010 Joonas Govenius Physics
2009 Chris Baldassano and Electrical Engineering
Kamil Khan Chemical Engineering
2008 Amirali Modir Shanechi Electrical Engineering
2007 Jayson Paulose Physics
2006 Catherine Kunkel Physics
2005 Bryan Ellis and Electrical Engineering
Julia Bert Physics
2004 Jonathan Fan Electrical Engineering
2003 Erik Nielsen Electrical Engineering
2002 Marc Schreiber Physics
2001 Christine McLeavy Physics
2000 Andrew Houck and Electrical Engineering
Kenneth Wu Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
1999 Gwendolyn Barriac and Electrical Engineering
Daniel Russell Computer Science
1998 McMahon Homer Reid Physics
1997 Pei-Lin Hsiung Electrical Engineering
1996 Adam Durst Electrical Engineering
1995 Dennis Yu Physics
1993 Ho Bun Chan Physics
1992 Scott Wunsch Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
1991 Arthur Mateous Physics
1990 Matthew Husman Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
1989 Jerry Chia-yung Chen Electrical Engineering
1988 John Michael Hergenrother Chemical Engineering
1987 Kathryn Diaroh Li Physics
1986 Stuart Alan Jacobson Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
1985 Julia Hsu Chemical Engineering