This unique program is one of only two physics programs in the state of Texas to be certified as an engineering program by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

The program is designed to provide students with training in electrical and computer engineering along with a strong foundation in mathematics and physics.

The program consists of 66 hrs of engineering and physics.

Thus, a BS in engineering physics provides a student with the opportunity for employment as an engineer in the high paying, high technology fields of semiconductor manufacturing, electronics, and computers as well as preparing the student for future graduate study in either physics or engineering.

Transfer between engineering physics, pre engineering, and engineering departments at Texas A&M University at anytime until your junior year with little or NO additional course work.

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Engineering Physics Course Work

Physicists have developed many of the devices used today including:
1) lasers (used in your CD player and grocery store scanners)
2) transistors (fundamental component of computers)
3) X-ray Machines (Medical)
4) Positron Electron Tomography, PET, (Medical)
5) Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI (Medical)
6) Ion Implantation (Process used to make electronic devices and also to improve cutting tools and medical implants)

The traditional undergraduate physics degree was designed to prepare students for graduate study in physics with eventual careers in industry, national laboratories, or universities. Because the ability to solve complicated problems is a valuable asset, some BS physics students chose to find employment in fields other than physics instead of attending graduate school. However, this type of employment was not the focus of a traditional physics degree.

What is engineering physics?
"The major goal of an engineering physics program is to prepare graduates who can apply state-of-the-art concepts in basic science to solve engineering problems, cutting across the bounds of conventional engineering disciplines to develop innovative approaches to the analysis and design required by our advancing technological environment." - Texas Tech

Over the past 30 years, the employment demographics have changed in the US. There are decreasing job opportunities for physicists in defense and academia with increasing opportunities in non-traditional fields. In order to provide physicists with additional job skills at the undergraduate level, many physics departments are now reexamining their programs.

Traditionally Engineering Physics or Applied Physics has been an engineering program that either originated or was developed in conjunction with a physics program to provide engineering training with a strong physics background. An example of such a program is the Applied Physics Program at Cal Tech.

However, if you want to become an engineer then you need to enroll in an engineering program NOT a technology program!!

How is the TSU Engineering Physics Program Different?
The new engineering physics program at Tarleton State University is directed toward students who are interested in the interplay of basic physics with work on the frontiers of engineering development.

The new engineering physics program at Tarleton State University is an Engineering Program  as certified by the Texas State Coordinating Board (State Agency in charge of Higher Education in Texas).

This new program is designed to meet ABET (American Board of Engineering and Technology) accreditation requirements as an engineering program. Thus, students will be able to sit for the professional engineering licensing examination.

The program is specifically designed to prepare students for
1) graduate work in physics, electrical engineering, computer engineering, or material science
2) jobs as a computer or electrical engineers following graduation.

Advantage:
Engineering physics students take the same classes as pre engineering students at Tarleton for their first two years. This is the same program taken by engineering students at Texas A&M.

Students up to the beginning of their junior year can transfer between engineering physics and Texas A&M's engineering program with little or no additional course work depending on the engineering discipline chosen.

Many freshman have a vague knowledge of what engineers really do on the job. By allowing students to easily change between disciplines up to their junior year, the program allows students to delay their choice of discipline until they have had substantial engineering course work. This allows students to make more informed decisions without penalty.

Advantage:
By restricting the program's focus to computer engineering, electrical engineering, and the fabrication and characterization of electronic materials, the student will obtain a very strong and unique engineering background. For Example:
1) Normal EE courses in electronic materials and E&M waves are replaced with high level courses in solid state physics and electromagnetic theory since students have stronger physics backgrounds (including a previous quantum mechanics class) than traditional electrical engineering students.
2) The electronics class for scientists is replaced with a higher level electrical engineering electronics class since students have courses in circuit analysis, digital electronics, etc. that are not present in a conventional physics degree.
3) Rutherford Backscattering, and other ion beam techniques that are essential to modern semiconductor fabrication are used to demonstrate nuclear physics principles instead of particle physics applications. The study of these characterization  tools are generally left either for graduate study or on the job training for engineers since they have more limited physics backgrounds and not all engineers need such tools.

Disadvantage of the Program:
Engineering physics with specialization in civil, mechanical, or other engineering fields are not offered.

Is the Program Difficult?

 The engineering motto is:

We LOVE the challenge of SOLVING Problems that others claim are IMPOSSIBLE!!!

A full-time engineering or physics student will study and go to class between 60 and 80 hrs a week. This is one and a half to two full time jobs!!!

This is only bad if you don't enjoy what you are doing!!!

Most other majors begin serious academic studies at the graduate level!!!

In these professions (Law, Medicine, Dentistry, Psychology, etc.), professional licensing requires a graduate degree, engineers may be professionally licensed after the BS degree. The most creative period for many people in science and engineering is the early 20's and 30's with many engineers going into management later in their careers. Einstein developed his theory of Relativity and the Photoelectric effect before he was 26. Newton did his work on gravitation, laws of motion, and the Calculus when he was 18.

A student wishing to eventually become a doctor or psychologist will not only have to graduate with a BS but will need a very high GPA and excellent test scores on the required entrance exam (MCAT, GMAT, GRE, etc.). Thus, they will have to be among the best students in their majors and study harder than the average student or they will not be allowed to become doctors and lawyers.

Disadvantage of the Engineering Approach:
Engineering and physics students must be better prepared to enter college than other students!!!

Advantage of the Engineering Approach:
Engineering students make substantially more money than students with other degrees and become professionals without 8 yrs of college.

Each additional year of college toward a technical degree makes you on average $4K a year of annual salary.

Each year that you extend your degree program due to poor high school preparation cost you a year of salary and the cost of college. This can be more than $40K per year for a person with a BS in Engineering.

Thus, only very high paying professionals like doctors and lawyers can make up the lost income due to their delay in learning a profession.

BOTTOM LINE:
Becoming a professional involves hard work and sacrifice, regardless of the profession. Professional athletes, actors, musicians, etc. all have to work hard at their trade. If you enjoy what you are doing then you won't mind the work. The financial rewards, job freedom and job security obtained through this hard work are also large!!!

Students not prepared to take these courses will have to take additional course work prior to starting the program!!!

Poor high school preperation does not prevent students from completing engineering programs, but the probability for success does decrease for students that do not take advanced courses in high schools!!!

Poor high school preperation costs the students additional years in college with both increased college costs and lost wages!!!

Suggested Minimum Background:

1) Trigonometry

2) Trig-Based Physics

3) Chemistry

Preferred Background:

1) Trigonometry	2) Chemistry - 2 years	3) AP - Physics (Calculus)
4) Calculus	5) Lab Science Experience	6) Basic Computer Skills

Additional Background:
Students should also have familiarity with several concepts covered in other math courses including: vectors, matrices, complex numbers, quadratic equations, exponential and logarithmic functions, probability, etc.

Reference Book:
Students or high school teachers wishing to gain additional information on math requirements for science and engineering or wishing to improve their skills are referred to the inexpensive classic textbook on the subject-

If you spend only 50 hours a week studying your engineering classes then you will spend:

studying engineering at college. You will then spend more than 100,000 hrs learning and practicing engineering during your professional life as an engineer.!!!

You had better enjoy it or you will be miserable!!!!

Many non-A&M schools have 3+2 programs (ie. TCU, Abiline Christian) which means 5 years to an ABET accredited engineering degree.

2) The TSU pre-engineering program was developed in conjuntion with faculty at Texas A&M University to ensure that you get exactly the same material as students at College Station!!

3) This new program was developed as part of a "FIPSE" (Fundamental Improvement in Post Secondary Education) grant by the Federal Government.

During the pilot program, students from this new engineering program performed better on all exams including national test than students taking the traditional A&M engineering classes.

4) The pre-engineering program is part of the TSU engineering physics program allowing students to change majors upto their Junior year with little or no course work lost!!

5) Most of the pre-engineering course work can also be applied toword degrees in mathematics, computer science, etc including training for secondary school teachers. Thus, the program is very flexible allowing students to change majors depending on personal tastes or outside problems without adding years of additional college.

Want to know more?  Check out the Pre-Engineering Web Page 

The TSU program concentrates on particular areas of electrical engineering that are experiencing high growth with abundant job opportunities in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio areas. These areas include analog/digital design, computer engineering (software and hardware), and semiconductor processing.

The TSU program has extensive training in both analog and digital electronics. The program includes design and analysis of both passive and active linear circuits. The program is stronger in several areas than a traditional EE degree because of the students unique course work including E&M waves, computers and electronic materials.