<p>Can anyone answer this question: for what type of life after college does Engineering Physics best prepare its graduates? Some outstanding schools offer this program, including Berkeley, Caltech, Cornell, Michigan, and Princeton (order is alphabetical). Other outstanding schools like Carnegie-Mellon, MIT and Stanford (order again alphabetical), however, have chosen not to. According to some of the websites, the Engineering Physics major is designed for the brightest of engineering students, offering the best of theoretical pursuit and practical training, with unheard of curricular flexibility, but in isolation such superlatives are really difficult to evaluate. Also, while only some schools offer Engineering Physics, even fewer are ABET certified, so it isnt clear that this major has well-defined content and contours. Perhaps someone knowledgeable like Alexandre and dr_Reynolds can explain the intent of this major and comment on its success?</p>
<p>I do not know much about Engineering Physics. All I know is that at Michigan, only 2 or 3 students major in it annually and that their starting salary is usually slightly above the average...like $65,000 inseat of $55,000.</p>
<p>I've seen quite a few engineering physics programs. I think the job propects are good for these majors, similar to a mechanical or electrical engineer. Engineering physics tends to be more theoretical than a regular engineering degree, but it's still engineering so there is an applied aspect. For those who are thinking about graduate work in physics but want to have an engineering degree this is a good compromise. I wouldn't worry too much about the ABET accrediation, I would look at the curriculum and compare it to what you see in engineering degrees. Most programs have sufficient rigor and are good, but there may be some weak ones out there. Ask the program to tell you about what their graduates are doing.</p>
<p>Engineering physics programs allow students great flexibility in choosing their programs while still getting strong educations in physics and engineering. This is a highly viable program because most engineering is applied physics of one form or another. </p>
<p>At Berkeley, the engineering physics curriculum includes study in advanced mathematics (real and complex analysis), and the key areas of physics: classical mechanics, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics (these are closely related topics), quantum mechanics, electromagnetism and optics (also closely related topics), and solid state physics. The key difference between studying engineering physics and pure physics is that engineering physics majors can choose to take courses in either the physics department or the various engineering departments to fulfill requirements in the above-mentioned areas; for example, one might choose to study mechanics in the mechanical engineering department, or solid state physics in the materials science department. </p>
<p>Because engineering physics is a more theoretical major than the traditional engineering programs, as dr_reynolds said, it is very good preparation for students interested in going to graduate school, in either physics or the various fields of engineering. Civil, electrical, materials science, or mechanical engineering are probably the most common as they are the most physics-y of the engineering fields. </p>
<p>It would probably be harder to go into bio, chemical or environmental engineering from engineering physics, as these engineering fields also involve applied chemistry and biology (in the case of the bio and environmental engineers) in addition to applied phsyics, though the engineering physics major who takes chemistry and biology courses with his or her free electives would probably be well prepared for graduate school. (Maybe not as much for chemical engineering because chemical processing is very different from anything else).</p>
<p>I am considering doing engineering physics major as well because I'm really interested in physics, but I guess I like it with more of a flavor of engineering. So I'm wondering, how is the job outlook for graduates of this major? Does the engineering + MBA route still apply if I choose to do this instead of say, EE?</p>
<p>for your description of the Berkeley program. What is your opinion of the Engineering Physics programs at Caltech and Princeton? Thanks.</p>
<p>Even without firsthand involvement with the two schools' EP programs, I would say that they are both bound to be good. Those two particular schools are both extremely strong in physics--each school can make an argument for having the best physics department in the world--and both have very good engineering programs. (Caltech's engineering department is a bit more reputable than Princeton's). Caltech is a very, very hard school, while Princeton is probably a bit less hard.</p>
<p>I do know is that the Princeton EP program isn't a major in and of itself, but is rather an add-on to some other major (physics or a traditional engineering field), so it can be seen as officiating advanced math and extra technical electives taken outside of the major. In some ways you could call the physics major who does EP as minoring in engineering, and the engineering major who does EP as minoring in physics.</p>
<p>I don't know much about Caltech's EP program. As I mentioned earlier, it is probably very good (basically, any technical major at Caltech is probably very good).</p>
<p>If given a choice between Princeton and Caltech, ceterius paribus I would recommend going to Princeton beacuse it's a less stressful, more socially active and all-around-more-enjoyable-for-the-average-kid school, with comparable reputation.</p>
<p>Thank you Alexandre, dr_reynolds, and Quentin for your informative and helpful replies!</p>