About the Program

Bachelor of Science (BS)

The engineering physics major offered through the Engineering Science Program interweaves classical and modern physics, chemistry, and mathematics with their engineering applications. Chief among the attractions of the major is its flexibility in that students have the ability to take diverse engineering, math, and science classes based on individual research goals. The solid base in physics and mathematics is augmented with a selection of engineering course options that prepare students to tackle complex problems faced by society.

Admission to the Major

Prospective undergraduates in the College of Engineering must apply to one specific major/degree program. For further information, please see the College of Engineering's website.

Admission to engineering via a Change of College application for current UC Berkeley students is very competitive as there few open spaces in engineering for students admitted to other colleges at UC Berkeley. For further information regarding a Change of College to Engineering, please see the College's website.

Minor Program

There is no minor program in engineering physics

Other Majors offered by the Engineering Science Program

Energy Engineering (Major and Minor)
Engineering Mathematics and Statistics (Major)
Environmental Engineering Science (Major)

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Major Requirements

In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, students must fulfill the requirements listed below specific to their major program.

General Guidelines

1. All technical courses taken in satisfaction of major requirements must be taken for a letter grade.

2. No more than one upper division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student’s major and minor programs.

3. A minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required for all work undertaken at UC Berkeley.

4. A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for all technical courses taken in satisfaction of major requirements.

For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

For a detailed plan of study by year and semester, please see the Plan of Study tab.

Lower Division Requirements

Upper Division Requirements

Due to the interdisciplinary nature of this major, electives must be selected and approved in consultation with a faculty adviser.

College Requirements

Students in the College of Engineering must complete no fewer than 120 semester units with the following provisions: 

1. Completion of the requirements of one engineering major program study. 
2. A minimum overall grade point average of 2.00 (C average) and a minimum 2.00 grade point average in upper division technical coursework required of the major. 
3. The final 30 units and two semesters must be completed in residence in the College of Engineering on the Berkeley campus. 
4. All technical courses (math, science and engineering), required of the major or not, must be taken on a letter graded basis (unless they are only offered P/NP). 
5. Entering freshmen are allowed a maximum of eight semesters to complete their degree requirements. Entering junior transfers are allowed a maximum of four semesters to complete their degree requirements. (Note: junior transfers admitted missing three or more courses from the lower division curriculum are allowed five semesters.) Summer terms are optional and do not count toward the maximum. Students are responsible for planning and satisfactorily completing all graduation requirements within the maximum allowable semesters. 
6. Adhere to all college policies and procedures as they complete degree requirements.
7. Complete the lower division program before enrolling in upper division engineering courses. 

Humanities and Social Science (H/SS) Requirement

To promote a rich and varied educational experience outside of the technical requirements for each major, the College of Engineering has a six-course Humanities and Social Sciences breadth requirement, which must be completed to graduate. This requirement, built into all the engineering programs of study, includes two reading and composition courses (R&C), and four additional courses within which a number of specific conditions must be satisfied. Follow these guidelines to fulfill this requirement:

1. Complete a minimum of six courses from the  approved Humanities/Social Sciences (H/SS) lists. 
2. Courses must be a minimum of 3 semester units (or 4 quarter units).
3. Two of the six courses must fulfill the college's Reading and Composition (R&C) requirement. These courses must be taken for a letter grade (C- or better required) and must be completed by no later than the end of the sophomore year (fourth semester of enrollment). The first half of R&C, the “A” course, must be completed by the end of the freshman year; the second half of R&C, the “B" course, must be completed by no later than the end of the sophomore year. View a detailed list of courses that fulfill Reading and Composition requirements, or use the College of Letters and Sciences search engine to view R&C courses offered in a given semester. 
4. The four additional courses must be chosen within College of Engineering guidelines from the H/SS lists (see below). These courses may be taken on a Pass/Not Passed basis (P/NP).
5. Two of the six courses must be upper division (courses numbered 100-196).
6. One of the six courses must satisfy the campus American Cultures requirement. For detailed lists of courses that fulfill American Cultures requirements, visit the American Cultures site. 
7. A maximum of two exams (Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or A-Level) may be used toward completion of the H/SS requirement. View the list of exams that can be applied toward H/SS requirements.
8. Courses may fulfill multiple categories. For example, if you complete CY PLAN 118AC that would satisfy the American Cultures requirement and one upper division H/SS requirement.
9. No courses offered by any engineering department other than BIO ENG 100, COMPSCI C79, ENGIN 125, ENGIN 157AC, MEC ENG 191K and MEC ENG 191AC may be used to complete H/SS requirements.
10. Foreign language courses may be used to complete H/SS requirements. View the list of language options.
11. Courses numbered 97, 98, 99, or above 196 may not be used to complete any H/SS requirement
12. The College of Engineering uses modified versions of five of the College of Letters and Science (L&S) breadth requirements lists to provide options to our students for completing the H/SS requirement. No courses on the L&S Biological Sciences or Physical Sciences breadth lists may be used to complete H/SS requirements. Within the guidelines above, choose courses from any of the lists below.

• Arts and Literature
• Foreign Language
• Historical Studies
• International Studies
• Philosophy and Values
• Social and Behavioral Studies

Class Schedule Requirements

• Minimum units per semester: 12.0.
• Maximum units per semester:  20.5.
• Minimum technical courses: College of Engineering undergraduates must enroll each semester in no fewer than two technical courses (of a minimum of 3 units each) required of the major program of study in which the student is officially declared.  (Note: for most majors, normal progress will require enrolling in 3-4 technical courses each semester).
• All technical courses (math, science, engineering), required of the major or not, must be taken on a letter-graded basis (unless only offered as P/NP).
• A student's proposed schedule must be approved by a faculty adviser (or on approval from the dean or a designated staff adviser) each semester prior to enrolling in courses.

Minimum Academic (Grade) Requirements

• A minimum overall and semester grade point average of 2.00 (C average) is required of engineering undergraduates. A student will be subject to dismissal from the University if during any fall or spring semester their overall UC GPA falls below a 2.00, or their semester GPA is less than 2.00. 
• Students must achieve a minimum grade point average of 2.00 (C average) in upper division technical courses required for the major curriculum each semester. A student will be subject to dismissal from the University if their upper division technical grade point average falls below 2.00. 
• A minimum overall grade point average of 2.00, and a minimum 2.00 grade point average in upper division technical course work required for the major is needed to earn a Bachelor of Science in Engineering.

Unit Requirements

To earn a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, students must complete at least 120 semester units of courses subject to certain guidelines:

• Completion of the requirements of one engineering major program of study. 
• A maximum of 16 units of special studies coursework (courses numbered 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, or 199) is allowed towards the 120 units; a maximum of four is allowed in a given semester.
• A maximum of 4 units of physical education from any school attended will count towards the 120 units.
• Students may receive unit credit for courses graded P (including P/NP units taken through EAP) up to a limit of one-third of the total units taken and passed on the Berkeley campus at the time of graduation.

Normal Progress

Students in the College of Engineering must enroll in a full-time program and make normal progress each semester toward the bachelor's degree. The continued enrollment of students who fail to achieve minimum academic progress shall be subject to the approval of the dean. (Note: students with official accommodations established by the Disabled Students' Program, with health or family issues, or with other reasons deemed appropriate by the dean may petition for an exception to normal progress rules.) 

UC and Campus Requirements

University of California Requirements

Entry Level Writing

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing Requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley. 

American History and American Institutions

The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that a U.S. resident graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

Campus Requirement

American Cultures

American Cultures (AC) is the one requirement that all undergraduate students at UC Berkeley need to take and pass in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture in the United States. AC courses offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.

Plan of Study

For more detailed information regarding the courses listed below (e.g., elective information, GPA requirements, etc.), please see the College Requirements and Major Requirements tabs.

Faculty and Instructors

Faculty

Ilan Adler, Professor. Financial engineering, optimization theory, combinatorial probability models.
Research Profile

Ana Claudia Arias, Associate Professor. Physical Electronics (PHY); Flexible and Printed Electronics; Energy (ENE).

James Casey, Professor. Continuum mechanics, finite elasticity, continuum thermodynamics, plasticity, theories of elastic-plastic materials, history of mechanics, dynamics.
Research Profile

Scott Moura, Assistant Professor. Optimal control, PDE control, estimation, adaptive control, dynamic system modeling, energy management, battery management systems, vehicle-to-grid, smart grid.
Research Profile

Kara L. Nelson, Professor. Water and wastewater treatment, water reuse, detection and inactivation of pathogens in water and sludge, appropriate technologies.
Research Profile

Junqiao Wu, Associate Professor. Semiconductors, nanotechnology, energy materials.
Research Profile

+ Tarek Zohdi, Professor. Finite element methods, computational methods for advanced manufacturing, micro-structural/macro-property inverse problems involving optimization and design of new materials, modeling and simulation of high-strength fabric, modeling and simulation of particulate/granular flows, modeling and simulation of multiphase/composite electromagnetic media, modeling and simulation of the dynamics of swarms.
Research Profile

Affiliated Faculty

David Attwood, Professor-in-Residence. Short wavelength electromagnetics; Soft X-ray microscopy; Coherence; EUV lithography.

Alex Zettl, Professor. Physics, condensed matter physics, fullerenes, condensed matter experiments, characterize novel materials with unusual electronic and magnetic ground states, low-dimensional and nanoscale structures, superconductors, giant magnetoresistance materials, nanotubes, graphene, boron nitride nanostructures, neural probes, NEMS.
Research Profile