WHAT IS ENGINEERING PHYSICS?
Engineering is the ability and effort to create useful formations for humans or more generally for living beings by synthesizing concrete results through reason and experience from all knowledge obtained through science. The word "engineer" used in English, meaning the same as engineer, is derived from the Latin word "İngeniatorem," which means a person with creativity in invention or, in other words, technology design. The Turkish word "mühendis" (engineer) is derived from the word "hendese" in old Ottoman Turkish (from Arabic), which means "knowing geometry." Science reveals something, while engineering puts it to use. Physics is the fundamental science that investigates and enables the application of the laws that govern the formation and operation of the universe. Physics is based on universally accepted concepts and theories of nature. For example, matter is composed of atoms and molecules; energy levels in nature are discrete; every object in nature emits radiation that is proportional to the fourth power of its absolute temperature. Devices used in daily life such as transistors, lasers, telescopes, and various spectrometers (NMR, etc.) have been developed by physicists. Modern technological systems such as satellites, aircraft, and advanced computer structures are products largely created by physicists, although they also receive contributions from other branches of science.
Due to this characteristic, physics has paved the way for the emergence and development of all current engineering fields such as construction, mechanical, electrical engineering, and later geology, mining, materials, electronics, and computer engineering in the historical natural development process of science. In addition, physics will also lead to the creation of new engineering fields such as superior conductivity, optics, photonics, and biomedical physics in the future. From this perspective, it can be seen that physics has the capability of forming and developing all engineering fields that have emerged so far and will emerge in the future. Applied physics is also an engineering field due to its ability to transfer the universal laws it reaches through research into practice through measurable quantities. Therefore, similar studies are included in every physics engineering department. Physics Engineering is a branch of engineering that focuses on converting the findings of the physics science, which examines the structure of substances in nature and their interactions, into practical applications. Physics engineering departments in many universities around the world continue their activities in line with the aforementioned objectives through engineering-oriented education, training programs, and research.
Today, many advanced technological products that have become part of our daily life, such as transistors, lasers, computers, radars, aircraft, telescopes, and satellites, are largely the work of physicists and physics engineers, although they receive contributions from other science and engineering disciplines. It is also a fact that physics and physics engineering have made the biggest contribution to the transition from microtechnology to nanotechnology in science. In the 21st century, research and applications in the field of physics engineering will focus on areas such as nanorobots, new and super materials, renewable energies, space stations, mathematical modeling and numerical analysis (at the company level), quantum computers, analysis with chaotic processes, biotechnology, genetic engineering, microsurgery, new types of lasers, artificial organs, robotics, microspectroscopy and spectromicroscopy, super accelerators and colliders, superconductors, magnetooptics, RF engineering, power engineering, radiation, thorium-based reactors, vacuum technologies, high-temperature and low-temperature physics, atmospheric physics, ion implantation, synchrotron radiation, free electron lasers, super-fast microchips, wireless computers, super-fast planes and trains, unmanned aircraft, etc.
WORKING AREAS OF PHYSICS ENGINEERING Physics engineers can work in various fields such as academia, public institutions and organizations that use modern technology (TAEK, TÜBİTAK, ROKETSAN, ASELSAN, TEDAŞ, TELEKOM, TSE, MKE, MSB, Meteorology, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labor, TRT, TÜPRAŞ, Turkish Airlines, State Railways, TAI, Military Quality Control and Optics, Land, Air, Sea, and Gendarmerie Commands, State and University Hospitals in the fields of Radiology, Oncology, and Nuclear Medicine as a health physicist, Forensic Medicine, etc.), and private sector institutions and organizations. In the private sector, they can work in computer and electronic material production, sales and service of special measuring instruments and calibration, industrial establishments for total quality planning and quality assurance systems, energy power plants, renewable energy production systems, industrial organizations, research and development (R&D) units and laboratories, private hospitals in the fields of Radiology, Oncology, and Nuclear Medicine.
DOUBLE MAJOR AND MINOR OPPORTUNITIES
Physics Engineering students have the opportunity to pursue a double major and minor with all departments of the engineering faculty as well as the Business Administration and Economics departments of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences.
OPPORTUNITIES ABROAD
Through the Erasmus program, which is an EU program that encourages higher education institutions to collaborate with each other, our students can receive education for a semester at various universities abroad.
MASTER'S AND DOCTORAL EDUCATION
For those who want to continue their education after graduation, our department offers master's, physics teaching, physics, and mathematics programs for graduates of physics and mathematics. These programs primarily focus on the areas in which our faculty members work. The language of instruction for our master's and doctoral programs is English.
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION
The undergraduate education provided by our department is 100% in English. In the 1st and 2nd years, students take basic courses such as English, mathematics, chemistry, and general physics (mechanics, electricity, optics, and thermodynamics) as well as some professional courses such as Engineering Drawing, Circuit Analysis, and Programming. In the 3rd and 4th years, students enhance their professional knowledge and skills in the field of physics engineering through compulsory and technical elective courses. Starting from the 3rd year, students have the opportunity to choose one of the branches of theoretical physics, industrial physics, and medical physics to specialize in their chosen field. Students must complete a total of 171 credits until graduation. The list of technical elective courses that can be selected in the third and fourth years with our current undergraduate program is given below.