University of Wisconsin Madison College of Engineering
The Pegasus Toroidal Experiment in the Engineering Research Building at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

The Pegasus Toroidal Experiment is a fusion-energy experiment that uses powerful magnetic fields to both confine and drive plasma—a conductive state of matter similar to gas but containing ionized particles—through a tokamak, a spherical device shaped like a doughnut with a small hole in the center. Photo: Jeff Miller.

 

BS in Engineering Physics

 

Our undergraduate degree in engineering physics is a research-oriented degree for top students ultimately interested in attending graduate school. You must have a GPA of at least 3.5 and junior standing to be eligible for admission. Students in the program choose a focus area that influences course requirements and research topic areas. The currently available focus areas are listed below.

 

Nanoengineering

 

Students choosing this topic area study the physics, chemistry, and mathematics of nanostructured materials. Nanoengineering requires manipulation and control of matter on the molecular and atomic scale in order to obtain materials and properties not otherwise achievable. Examples include molecular machines, high strength composite materials, and new concepts for solar cells.

 

Plasma science and engineering

 

Plasmas are ionized gases with engineering applications ranging from electricity production via fusion reactions to to industrial processing (such as semiconductor etching). Students in this thrust area obtain a strong background in physics and engineering, with an emphasis on electricity and magnetism.

 

Scientific computing

 

Modeling and simulation are rapidly reaching the point where they can provide realistic simulation of very complex engineering systems. In order to exploit these capabilities, students choosing this focus area develop strong backgrounds in numerical analysis and software engineering and apply these techniques to realistic engineering applications.