Bachelor of Science in
Engineering Physics
The bachelor’s degree in Engineering Physics program at Embry-Riddle is especially suited to those who want to become part of the future of space exploration and contribute to the science that is conducted beyond the Earth. This program addresses the scientific challenges and planning associated with mission design and the research that is carried out in the space environment. Students will understand atmospheric physics and design sensors and instruments to take our understanding of the cosmos to the next level. Should students choose to work outside of the space field, this program prepares them with the foundation necessary to pursue graduate school or enter challenging careers in engineering and physics in any industry.
The Engineering Physics program at Embry-Riddle is among the largest in the U.S. but is still a small program of just fewer than 100 students. Students have quality time with professors and other students who share the same passion for math, engineering, science, and space.
All Engineering Physics majors can easily complete a minor in mathematics. And with the upper-level mathematics and physics courses in the ERAU program, graduates emerge with stronger abilities in theoretical endeavors than engineering programs that are focused in other specializations.
This program is unique in its focus on space. Students have the opportunity to participate in space-related research that might involve astrophysics, satellite exploration, or space weather.
Students can expect to join organizations like the student chapters of the Mars Society and the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Mars Aerial Vehicle Project, Society of Physics Students (SPS), Sigma Pi Sigma — the National Physics Honor Society, Embry-Riddle Future Space Explorers and Developers Society (ERFSEDS), and more.
Approximately two-thirds of each Embry-Riddle Engineering Physics class enters the workforce upon graduation. The others continue to pursue graduate studies in various branches of engineering and science.
ERAU’s Engineering Physics program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and is administered by the Physical Sciences Department in the College of Arts & Sciences.
DETAILS
About Engineering Physics at the Daytona Beach, FL Campus
Housed in the Department of Physical Sciences in the College of Arts & Sciences, the B.S. in Engineering Physics degree program gives students the knowledge and skills of both scientists and engineers.
Students focus on the scientific challenges and planning associated with mission design and research related to space exploration.
However, with its strong emphasis on engineering fundamentals, the curriculum not only creates a gateway into the space program, but also a foundation for a wide range of engineering and physics careers and graduate programs.
A typical first year will include fundamentals like Engineering Drawing and Current Topics in Space Science along with math, science, communication, and general education courses.
ERAU’s Daytona Beach Campus is home to an Engineering Physics Design Lab featuring high-processing engineering graphics workstations and state-of-the-art software.
The Atmospheric Physics Research Laboratory provides equipment that allows students to test their instruments and sensors in a chamber that closely replicates the vacuum of the space environment.
Students at this campus also benefit from its proximity to Kennedy Space Center. Our Daytona Beach Campus is only 50 miles north of Florida’s Space Coast, enabling students to participate in special programs in the Florida Space Grant Consortium, NASA, and many of the other contracting companies operating in the area.
ERAU also offers an accelerated program that allows exceptional students to complete both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Engineering Physics in five years. Learn more about this accelerated degree program.
The Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics is designed to produce graduates with the knowledge and skills of both scientists and engineers. Combining the fields of space systems engineering and space physics, this program focuses on the scientific challenges and planning associated with mission design and research related to the exploration of the space environment, thereby providing an excellent stepping stone into the space program. Additionally, the Engineering Physics program’s strong emphasis on fundamental mathematics, engineering and applied sciences also provides the flexibility to enter a broad variety of engineering and physics applications and graduate programs.
The B.S. Engineering Physics program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org. This program supports the University’s purpose “to provide a comprehensive education to prepare graduates for productive careers and responsible citizenship with special emphasis on the needs of aviation, aerospace engineering, and related fields".
Admission Requirements
To enter this program, students must have completed four years of high school science and mathematics, demonstrating a high level of competency. Successful candidates for this program will be prepared to enter Calculus I and Chemistry for Engineers.
Spacecraft Systems Area of Concentration
The Engineering Physics degree with an area of concentration in Spacecraft Systems is specifically designed for students with interests in space physics, applied mathematics, and aerospace engineering sciences. The student MAY declare a Minor in Applied Mathematics. The math courses required within the BSEP may fulfill the requirements of the Applied Math Minor but the student will be held to Minor Policies, specifically they must complete the minor with a 2.00 GPA or higher. Students of this AOC benefit from a broad education in many disciplines of engineering and physics and graduate as versatile systems engineers and space scientists.
Spacecraft Instrumentation Area of Concentration
The Engineering Physics degree with an area of concentration in Spacecraft Instrumentation is specifically designed for students with interests in space physics, applied mathematics, and electrical engineering. The student MAY declare a Minor in Applied Mathematics. The math courses required within the BSEP may fulfill the requirements of the Applied Math Minor but the student will be held to Minor Policies, specifically they must complete the minor with a 2.00 GPA or higher. Students of this AOC benefit from in-depth training in electrical engineering and space physics, and graduate as engineers with instrumentation expertise and space scientists.
Degree Requirements
The Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics degree program requires 128 credit hours. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 is needed for all required EP,PS, ES, CEC, and CS courses, including engineering electives. The program can be completed in eight semesters. The courses necessary to earn this degree are listed below.
Students should be aware that several courses in each academic year may have pre-requisites and/or corequisites. Check the course descriptions at the back of this catalog before registering for classes to ensure requisite sequencing.
Remaining on Track for Engineering Physics
A grade of C or better is required in MA 241/242/243 and PS 226/227/228 as a pre-requisite for entry into all subsequent EP and PS courses. Additionally, Engineering Physics students must attain a CGPA of 2.5 or higher in these six courses. Failure to satisfy the above requirement will prevent the student from continuing in the program.
General Education Requirements
For a full description of Embry-Riddle General Education guidelines, please see the General Education section of this catalog. These minimum requirements are applicable to all degree programs.
| Communication Theory & Skills (COM 122, COM 219, COM 221 or COM 222) | 9 | |
| Humanities - Lower level * | 3 | |
| Social Sciences - Lower level * | 3 | |
| Humanities or Social Sciences - Lower or Upper level * | 3 | |
| Humanities or Social Sciences - Upper level * | 3 | |
| Computer Science (CS 223) | 3 | |
| Mathematics (MA 241, MA 242) | 8 | |
| Physical and Life Sciences - one course must include a lab | 7 | |
| Total Credits | 39 | |
Suggested Plan of Study - Spacecraft Systems Area of Concentration
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Credits | ||
| EP 101 | Current Topics in Space Science | 1 |
| EGR 120 | Graphical Communications | 3 |
| MA 241 | Calculus and Analytical Geometry I | 4 |
| MA 242 | Calculus and Analytical Geometry II | 4 |
| CHM 140 | Chemistry for Engineers | 4 |
| CHM 140L | Chemistry for Engineers Laboratory **** | 1 |
| Communication Theory and Skills * | 6 | |
| PS 226 | Physics I | 3 |
| PS 226L | Physics I Laboratory | 1 |
| HU Lower-Level Elective * | 3 | |
| SS Lower-Level Elective * | 3 | |
| Credits Subtotal | 33.0 | |
| Year Two | ||
| CS 223 | Scientific Programming in C | 3 |
| ES 201 | Statics | 3 |
| ES 202 | Solid Mechanics | 3 |
| ES 204 | Dynamics | 3 |
| MA 243 | Calculus and Analytical Geometry III | 4 |
| MA 345 | Differential Equations and Matrix Methods | 4 |
| Communication Theory and Skills * | 3 | |
| HU/SS Lower or Upper Elective * | 3 | |
| PS 227 | Physics II | 3 |
| PS 228 | Physics III | 3 |
| PS 228L | Physics III Laboratory | 1 |
| Credits Subtotal | 33.0 | |
| Year Three | ||
| EE 327 | Electrical Engineering Fundamentals | 3 |
| EP 340 | Introduction to Space Systems Design | 2 |
| EP 391 | Microcomputers and Electronic Instrumentation | 3 |
| EP 391L | Microcomputer and Electronic Instrumentation Laboratory | 1 |
| EP 393 | Spaceflight Dynamics | 3 |
| EP 394 | Space Systems Engineering | 3 |
| ES 309 | Fluid Dynamics | 3 |
| MA 441 | Mathematical Methods for Engineering and Physics I | 3 |
| MA 442 | Mathematical Methods for Engineering and Physics II | 3 |
| ME 200 | Machine Shop Laboratory | 1 |
| PS 303 | Modern Physics | 3 |
| PS 305 | Modern Physics Laboratory | 1 |
| PS 320 | Classical Mechanics | 3 |
| Credits Subtotal | 32.0 | |
| Year Four | ||
| EP 320 | Electro-Optical Engineering | 3 |
| EP 410 | Space Physics | 3 |
| EP 440 | Engineering Electricity and Magnetism | 3 |
| EP 455 | Quantum Mechanics | 3 |
| EP 496 | Space Systems Design I | 3 |
| EP 497 | Space Systems Design II | 3 |
| Engineering Elective *** | 6 | |
| PS 290 | Physics Laboratory Practicum | 0 |
| HU/SS Upper-Level Elective * | 3 | |
| Open Electives | 3 | |
| Credits Subtotal | 30.0 | |
| Credits Total: | 128 | |
Suggested Plan of Study - Spacecraft Instrumentation Area of Concentration
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Credits | ||
| EP 101 | Current Topics in Space Science | 1 |
| EGR 120 | Graphical Communications | 3 |
| MA 241 | Calculus and Analytical Geometry I | 4 |
| MA 242 | Calculus and Analytical Geometry II | 4 |
| CHM 140 | Chemistry for Engineers | 4 |
| CHM 140L | Chemistry for Engineers Laboratory **** | 1 |
| Communication Theory and Skills * | 6 | |
| PS 226 | Physics I | 3 |
| PS 226L | Physics I Laboratory | 1 |
| HU Lower-Level Elective * | 3 | |
| SS Lower-Level Elective * | 3 | |
| Credits Subtotal | 33.0 | |
| Year Two | ||
| CEC 220 | Digital Circuit Design ** | 3 |
| CEC 222 | Digital Circuit Design Laboratory ** | 1 |
| CEC 315 | Signals and Systems ** | 3 |
| CEC 320 | Microprocessor Systems ** | 3 |
| CEC 322 | Microprocessor Systems Laboratory ** | 1 |
| CS 223 | Scientific Programming in C | 3 |
| MA 243 | Calculus and Analytical Geometry III | 4 |
| MA 345 | Differential Equations and Matrix Methods | 4 |
| ME 200 | Machine Shop Laboratory | 1 |
| Communication Theory and Skills * | 3 | |
| PS 227 | Physics II | 3 |
| PS 228 | Physics III | 3 |
| PS 228L | Physics III Laboratory | 1 |
| Credits Subtotal | 33.0 | |
| Year Three | ||
| EP 340 | Introduction to Space Systems Design | 2 |
| EP 391 | Microcomputers and Electronic Instrumentation | 3 |
| EP 391L | Microcomputer and Electronic Instrumentation Laboratory | 1 |
| EP 393 | Spaceflight Dynamics | 3 |
| EP 394 | Space Systems Engineering | 3 |
| MA 441 | Mathematical Methods for Engineering and Physics I | 3 |
| PS 303 | Modern Physics | 3 |
| PS 305 | Modern Physics Laboratory | 1 |
| PS 320 | Classical Mechanics | 3 |
| Engineering Elective *** | 3 | |
| HU/SS Lower or Upper Elective * | 3 | |
| Open Electives | 3 | |
| Credits Subtotal | 31.0 | |
| Year Four | ||
| CEC 410 | Digital Signal Processing ** | 3 |
| CEC 411 | Digital Signal Processing Laboratory ** | 1 |
| EP 320 | Electro-Optical Engineering | 3 |
| EP 410 | Space Physics | 3 |
| EP 430 | Spacecraft Instrumentation ** | 3 |
| EP 440 | Engineering Electricity and Magnetism | 3 |
| EP 455 | Quantum Mechanics | 3 |
| EP 496 | Space Systems Design I | 3 |
| EP 497 | Space Systems Design II | 3 |
| MA 442 | Mathematical Methods for Engineering and Physics II | 3 |
| PS 290 | Physics Laboratory Practicum | 0 |
| HU/SS Upper-Level Elective * | 3 | |
| Credits Subtotal | 31.0 | |
| Credits Total: | 128 | |
| * | Any of the Embry-Riddle courses listed in the General Education Requirements list can be taken assuming prerequisite requirements are met. Courses from other institutions are acceptable if they fall into these broad categories and are at the level specified above in the Engineering Physics vertical outline. |
| ** | These are the courses that are different from those in the Space Systems Area of Concentration. |
| *** | Any 3xx-4xx course with one of the following prefixes is an acceptable engineering elective: AE/CEC/CIV/CS/EE/EGR/EP/ES/ME/SE/SYS. |
| **** | Students may also complete CHM 110L. |
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