Engineering Physics

Career potential

Texas is among the world's leaders in semiconductor manufacturing and overall high-tech industry research and development. Majoring in engineering physics at the University of North Texas will help prepare you for a career with:

• semiconductor firms
• aerospace and automobile manufacturers
• computer software companies
• electrical equipment manufacturers
• engineering services firms
• independent research and development laboratories

The armed forces, the Department of Defense, Department of Commerce, national laboratories and NASA also employ engineering physics graduates in research careers.

UNT's Career Center can help you prepare to pursue your career. The center has information about jobs and employers, and the staff can help you with resume and letter writing, job search strategies, and interview preparation.

Majoring in engineering physics

The engineering physics program will prime you for the diverse challenges you could face by working in a high-technology industry. These challenges change over time because of technological advances and advancement opportunities. The degree program will include a basic physics core and a broad-based background in engineering and engineering-related technologies.

Upon graduation, you will have a strong foundation in the basic physics principles that support many high-tech advancements and will have the hands-on capabilities for developing various systems and devices.

Engineering physics faculty members include dedicated teachers and researchers from the physics and engineering technology departments. Two physics professors have been named Regents Professors for outstanding research and teaching. Regents Professors devote at least half of their teaching loads to introductory-level courses.

Engineering technology faculty members have degrees in aerospace, civil, electrical, mechanical, metallurgical and nuclear engineering, and engineering technology. They average 10 years of industrial experience. Faculty members have worked for Airgas Inc., Boeing Military, Electrotest, General Dynamics, General Electric, Integrated Technologies Inc., Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, among others.

UNT's Society of Physics Students often goes on field trips and invites guest speakers to meetings. Students in the society sponsor the Physics Olympics each spring for high school students in the Dallas-Fort Worth region.

Getting hands-on experience

UNT engineering physics majors will have many chances to get hands-on experience and to participate in research as undergraduates. Research opportunities include working as a group or individually with a professor, interning at a high-technology company in the region or presenting original student research at conferences or in publications.

Upon completion of 12 semester hours at UNT with at least a 2.5 GPA, you may work in a job related to your major through UNT's office of Cooperative Education and Internships. You may earn academic credit and money and gain valuable work experience.

Preparing for UNT: High school students

If you are a high school student, we suggest you prepare for college by becoming computer proficient and taking:

• English … 4 years
• Math … 4 years
• Social science - economics, geography, government, history … 4 years
• Science … 3 years
• Foreign language … 3 years
• Fine arts … 1 year

Along with basic college preparation courses, you should take as much mathematics and physics as you can.

You will take courses in most of these subjects under the university core curriculum required of all undergraduates, in addition to your major courses. Talk with your high school counselor about preparing for college, including the entrance exams (SAT or ACT) that you should take during your junior year.

Preparing for UNT: Transfer students

As a benefit for transfer students, UNT participates in the Texas Common Course Numbering System. This system makes it easier to transfer credits for general academic courses from one Texas institution to another.

If you're attending a Texas community college, you should consult the UNT Transfer Guide, the UNT Undergraduate Catalog and an academic advisor/ counselor to discuss your degree plan. We suggest meeting as many math requirements as possible while attending a community college. Proper planning helps you receive the maximum amount of transfer credits.

Charting your path with academic advising

The undergraduate advisors in the Department of Physics are available to help you when necessary. For more information, visit the main office in the Physics Building, Room 110 or e-mail physics@unt.edu.

Curious about courses and other features of this major?
See the current catalog.