University of Pittsburgh
Swanson School of Engineering
412-624-PITT • oafa@pitt.edu • www.oafa.pitt.edu
engineering physics
www.engr.pitt.edu/mems
Anyone who is interested in the underlying physical basis for how things work will find an exciting course of
study at the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering. The Engineering Physics Program is designed for those students who have a strong interest in physics combined with a desire to acquire the skills and
perspective of engineering. The program combines study in electrical engineering, materials science, and physics.
As such, the program is highly interdisciplinary.
You also have a unique opportunity to pursue a joint degree between the Swanson School of Engineering and
the University Honors College by completing the Engineering Physics Program and satisfying the special degree
requirements of the Honors College. This includes both completing and defending a thesis, or taking a competency examination administered by the Honors College. Students who decide not to seek Honors College degree
candidacy or do not satisfy the special degree requirements will, upon successful completion of the curriculum,
be awarded the BS from the Swanson School of Engineering.
Graduates of this program will be well prepared for graduate study in any of three areas: electrical engineering,
materials science, or applied physics. Career opportunities exist in many areas of technology, such as semiconductors and integrated circuits, magnetic data storage, photonics, and other areas of information technology.
Engineering Physics Program Objectives
Consistent with the criteria set by ABET, the overall educational objective of the undergraduate program is to
educate students with excellent technical capabilities in the engineering physics discipline and related fields,
who will be responsible citizens and continue their professional advancement through life-long learning.
The objectives of the engineering physics program are to:
• Provide students with fundamental understanding of physics and the engineering knowledge required to work in a variety of technical positions.
• Provide an undergraduate education that will allow qualified students to enter and be successful in
graduate schools in electrical engineering, materials science and engineering, and physics.
• Provide a general education in engineering science that will allow alumni to work in a variety of
professional positions that benefit from some knowledge of engineering and physics, such as management, teaching and law.
Engineering Physics Undergraduate Curriculum
During the freshman and sophomore years, the student will be given a basic educational foundation in mathematics (calculus, matrix theory), and the fundamental methods and principles of the physical sciences, as well
as an introduction to electrical engineering (linear systems, electronics, and computer applications) and materials science. During the junior and senior years the course work provides a comprehensive knowledge of the
branches of physics that are closely related to modern technology. In particular, the student will take courses in
optics, electricity, and magnetism, classical mechanics, and modern physics from the physics department. Junior
and senior engineering studies will stress such related topics as applications of electricity and magnetism, materials science, signal processing and applied thermodynamics. Senior level design projects and program electives
allow the student to focus on a specific area of interest.
Requirements for a Degree in Engineering Physics
In addition to the courses required in the freshman engineering program, students must satisfactorily complete
the following courses:
Office of Admissions and Financial Aid
4227 Fifth Avenue, Alumni Hall • Pittsburgh, PA 15260
THIRD TERM
MATH 0240 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 3 (4 units)
ENGR 0022 Material Structure and Properties (3 units)
MSE 0031 Introduction to Materials Laboratory (1 unit)
ECE 0031 Linear Circuits and Systems 1 (3 units)
PHYS 0219 Basic Lab Physics Science & Engineering (2 units)
Humanity/Social Science Elective (3 units)
MEMS 1085 Departmental Seminar (0 units)
FOURTH TERM
MATH 0250 Matrix Theory and Differential Equations (4 units)
ECE 0041 Linear Circuits and Systems 2 (3 units)
ECE 0257 Analysis and Design of Electronic Circuits (3 units)
ECE 1201 Electronic Measurements and Circuits Laboratory (3 units)
MEMS 0051 Introduction to Thermodynamics (3 units)
MEMS 1085 Departmental Seminar (0 units)
FIFTH TERM
MEMS 1054 Materials Science 1 (3 units)
MSE 1055 Materials Science 1 Laboratory (1 unit)
MEMS 1056 Energetics (3 units)
ECE 1247 Semiconductor Device Theory (3 units)
PHYS 0480 Principles of Modern Physics 1 (3 units)
PHYS 1351 Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism (3 units)
MEMS 1085 Departmental Seminar (0 units)
SIXTH TERM
MEMS 1064 Materials Science 2 (3 units)
ECE 1266 Applications of Fields and Waves (3 units)
PHYS 0481 Principles of Modern Physics 2 (3 units)
PHYS 1331 Mechanics (3 units)
Humanity/Social Science Elective (3 units)
MEMS 1085 Departmental Seminar (0 units)
SEVENTH TERM
MEMS 1058 Electromagnetic Properties of Materials (3 units)
ECE 1552 Signals and Systems Analysis (3 units)
ENGRPH 1801 Engineering Design 1 (3 units)
PHYS 1361 Wave Motion and Optics (3 units)
Program Elective (3 units)
Humanity/Social Science Elective (3 units)
MEMS 1085 Departmental Seminar (0 units)
EIGHTH TERM
MATH 1560 Complex Variable and Applications (3 units)
ECE 1212 Electronic Circuit Design Laboratory (3 units)
ENGRPH 1802 Engineering Design 2 (3 units)
Program Elective (3 units)
Humanity/Social Science Elective (3 units)
MEMS 1085 Departmental Seminar (0 units)
Special Programs and Degree Options
The University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering offers many special programs and degree options to help you
get the most out of your education. The following programs are just a sample of the opportunities that await you at Pitt.
The EXCEL Program is a comprehensive program committed to the recruitment, retention and graduation of engineering
students, particularly students from groups traditionally underrepresented in the field. Program activities include academic
counseling, tutoring, study skills and career development workshops, scholarship search assistance, engineering research and
mentoring opportunities, as well as a two-week intensive study skills and math review session for pre-freshmen. For more
information, please visit www.engr.pitt.edu/diversity/pecap/excel.html.
The Fessenden Honors Engineering Program (FHEP) is a challenging and comprehensive two-term program for curious,
motivated, and talented entering engineering students offered through the University Honors College (UHC). The FHEP enables participating students to take UHC courses together as a group for the duration of the program. Courses include chemistry, physics, engineering analysis, and humanities/social sciences. The UHC elective courses, in addition to the technical
subjects, make this unique program especially attractive for the highly motivated student with broad interests and abilities.
Beyond course work, the FHEP group meets on a regular basis to discuss general issues of personal and educational concern.
Nuclear Engineering Certificate for students in the Swanson School of Engineering and qualified students in the School
of Arts and Sciences with an interest in nuclear science and technology. The nuclear engineering certificate currently targets
competency gaps that exist in the following educational areas:
•Basic theoretical concepts of nuclear physics, radiation protection, reactor physics, reactor kinetics, fuel depletion
and energy removal.
•Fundamental calculational skills that can aid in understanding nuclear energy problems and solutions.
•Important fuel cycle operations with uranium from exploration through enrichment including fundamental aspects of spent-fuel reprocessing and fuel-cycle waste management.
•Knowledge of important social and technical issues related to nuclear science and technology.
•Interfaces between engineering disciplines involved with the design of a reactor core and the reactor coolant system for light water reactors.
•Tasks of the reactor thermal designer, nuclear designer and mechanical designer.
•Improvements in near-term nuclear plants and future designs.
For more information, please visit http://www.engr.pitt.edu/mems/undergraduate/nuclear-certificate.html.
The Swanson School of Engineering is making a concerted effort to expand students’ knowledge through International
Education. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected and globalization is a way of life, Engineering students must
understand how to operate in a global manner to remain competitive. The school’s programs provide opportunities for students to broaden their horizons in numerous ways.
The Swanson School of Engineering has designed several international programs for the benefit of its students. Students are
encouraged to participate in overseas study and/or internship programs for academic credit during a semester, summer, or
academic year. For more information, please visit http://www.engr.pitt.edu/students/InternationalEducation.html.
Undergraduate research opportunities lets you participate in cutting-edge research conducted by Pitt faculty in state-ofthe-art laboratories. Working with a researcher can help you focus your career path and prepare you for employment or a
graduate or professional program. Students usually pursue undergraduate research in their junior and senior years or during summers. In previous years, students have contributed to projects involving computer modeling and simulations, fuel
cells, biomechanics, energy generation and distribution, high-temperature electrochemistry, ceramics, plastic deformation,
ionic polymers, and artificial organs. For more information, please visit www.engr.pitt.edu/mems/undergraduate/projects_research.html.
• The Mascaro Sustainability Institute (MSI) undergraduate research in sustainable engineering is a twelve week
summer program aimed at providing talented undergraduate students with creative opportunities that go beyond
the engineering classroom curriculum and enable them to develop their own ideas and work independently on
hands-on research projects in sustainable engineering with the advice and guidance from a faculty mentor. For
more information, please visit http://www.engr.pitt.edu/msi/education.html.
• The EXCEL Program’s Summer Research Internship (SRI) selects underrepresented science and engineering undergraduates at the University of Pittsburgh in their sophomore, junior or senior year to participate in a nine-week
Summer Research Internship (SRI). Students are assigned to faculty mentors who lead multi-disciplinary student
teams in advanced research. For more information, please visit http://www.engr.pitt.edu/diversity/pecap/sri.html.
Student organizations can enhance your undergraduate experience through a variety of academic, professional, and social activities. Students may participate in engineering field-specific organizations, Engineering Student Council, American
Society for Metals International, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, National Society of Black Engineers, Society of
Hispanic Professional Engineers, Society of Women Engineers, and Panther Racing just to name a few. For a complete list of
the Swanson School of Engineering student organizations, please visit www.engr.pitt.edu/students/organizations.html.
For more information about the mechanical engineering program, please contact:
University of Pittsburgh
Swanson School of Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
Undergraduate Administrator
648 Benedum Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
412-624-9780
www.engr.pitt.edu/mems
For more information about other majors, contact:
University of Pittsburgh
Office of Admissions and Financial Aid
4227 Fifth Avenue, Alumni Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15260-6601
412-624-PITT
E-mail: oafa@pitt.edu
www.oafa.pitt.edu
The information printed in this document was accurate to the best of our knowledge at time of printing and is subject to change at any time at the University’s sole discretion.
The University of Pittsburgh is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution.
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