WHAT IS A&EP?
A&EP stands for "School of Applied and Engineering Physics". The school is one of the departments in the College of Engineering. The undergraduate major is called Engineering Physics or "EP". The graduate field is called Applied Physics.
The mission of the School of Applied and Engineering Physics is to create and disseminate knowledge in intellectual areas at the interface between physics and traditional engineering or scientific disciplines, using the techniques, skills and principles commonly associated with physics. We create knowledge through research and scholarly activity. We disseminate knowledge both by educating undergraduate and graduate students and by performing service to industry, government and professional societies. In all of the endeavors required to fulfill this mission, we aim to maintain the highest standards of excellence.
EP gives you a firm foundation
Engineering physics is the major for undergraduates who want to know more about the science that underlies engineering.
The work is challenging, but most EP majors will tell you that they love it. They genuinely enjoy physics and math. And they benefit from a decided edge EP gives them in terms of study and career choices. EP is not for everyone, but if it is a good match for your interest and ability, it can be a gateway to any number of opportunities.
If you specialize in one engineering field as an undergrad, you are likely to pursue work or advanced studies in that field. If you are an EP major, you can go into any of the engineering fields [or do something else entirely] because EP teaches you the fundamental principles that form the foundation of all engineering. If you are looking for flexibility, engineering physics may be for you.
The curriculum includes classes in the fundamentals of mathematical physics, technical engineering courses and hands-on lab experience. EP majors take a full year of mathematics beyond what most other engineers take, they spend a year studying electromagnetism and devote a semester to each of the fundamental areas of applied physics: classical mechanics, quantum mechanics, statistical thermodynamics, and continuum physics.
The core courses provide a strong and broad foundation. It is important to compliment this with some specialized knowledge, and that’s where technical electives come in. In careful consultation with an EP faculty advisor, each student chooses five or six upper-level courses to build a concentration of knowledge in a specific area. Recently, computer science and biological sciences have become popular concentration areas, joining traditional fields such as electronic devices and astrophysics.
EP majors can take advantage of the engineering college’s industrial Coop program. Some pursue independent study, joining a professor’s research team to explore problems in areas such as electron and ion-beam nanofabrication, integrated-circuit technology, lasers and optics, nanoscience, plasma physics, superconductivity and magnetism, thermonuclear fusion, biophysics or advanced instrumentation.
When it comes to career choices, prepare to be surprised
If you are not entirely sure which engineering field to choose, EP might be just the choice. With a degree in engineering physics you can take the fork in the road to pure research or go on to any field of engineering, industrial science, medicine, education, business or law. Consistently, two-thirds of EP graduates go on to advanced study; in physics, applied physics, astronomy, medicine, electrical, chemical and other kinds of engineering, computer science and more.
The problem-solving ability you develop in EP is recognized and rewarded wherever you go. Graduates who accept jobs in industry, for example, receive salaries at the high end of the engineering scale. And those who pursue advanced study are accepted at the best research institutions in the country.
EP graduates consistently gravitate toward the most challenging new areas of technology. In the past, EP graduates pursued careers in nuclear physics, optics, lasers, and integrated-circuit development. Increasingly, today’s graduates are exploring other burgeoning fields, such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, communications technology, computer design, and software development.
With alumni playing key roles in national research centers; including MIT’s Lincoln Lab, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Hubble Space Telescope; today’s EP students find many opportunities for summer work that sometimes leads to the start of a career.
Homework focuses on problem-solving
In EP you learn how and why, as well as, what and when. You actually work out the formulas from first principles; deriving wave equations for antenna design from Maxwell’s equations, for example. In electricity and magnetism you learn the basics of optical fiber communication. Classical mechanics gives you a grasp of planetary motion and rocket trajectory. And quantum mechanics equips you to work with lasers and electronic devices such as transistors, integrated circuits and electro-optical devices or to pioneer in the new field of quantum computing.
EP students say this approach to learning is totally absorbing, and more than worth the effort to master your own understanding of the material. Whereas some engineering students complain about problem sets of plugging in numbers, EP courses often require creativity and deal with the most recent advances in the world of science and technology.
It’s what you always hoped college would be
The atmosphere in EP is special. With only 25 to 40 students in each graduating class and fifteen faculty members in the School of Applied & Engineering Physics (at the graduate level the field is called Applied Physics), students are known by name. You and your classmates routinely work together on homework assignments. (If you’re wondering about the workload, figure on three problem sets a week.)
Because EP attracts very good students, there is an esprit among majors based on enthusiasm for the subject matter. The atmosphere is stimulating and challenging, but it’s not competitive in a negative way. It’s rare for an EP major to raise a hand in class to ask what percentage of a final grade the next test counts for. You feel like you’re really learning to learn.
You’ll spend a lot of time in Clark Hall, which is also home to the physics department in the College of Arts and Sciences. Along with grad students you can attend the weekly physics colloquium, but don’t think that EP will limit your ability to join an a capella group, do volunteer work, get out socially, or play sports. One recent class included a varsity baseball player voted one of Cornell’s top 25 athletes.
Homework focuses on problem-solving
Wonder whether EP is for you? Students say Physics 213-214 are good indicators. If you liked those, or Physics 217-218, and you genuinely enjoy doing math, you’ll do fine.
If EP sounds like the sort of serious challenge you want from college, along with the chance to play with some really cool toys, talk to students and professors. They will happily answer all your questions. Contact A&EP’s academic program administrator at 255-0638, or contact us for additional information.
