Engineering/Physics

The HTC Engineering Physics program is for students interested in Physics with an orientation toward applications, or for those who are interested in Engineering but would like a deep understanding of fundamentals. Often such students work on problems that do not lie in a traditional branch of Engineering.

There are two ways to study Engineering Physics at Ohio University. There is a two-degree program in which a student works toward a Bachelor's degree in one of the engineering disciplines within the College of Engineering and Technology, at the same time working toward a degree in Engineering Physics within the Honors Tutorial College. The second way to study Engineering Physics here is to work only on the Engineering Physics degree within the Honors Tutorial College.

Curricula

Below are outlined two curricula, one for the single-degree program and the other for the two-degree program using, as an example, a student studying Electrical and Computer Engineering.

At the heart of both programs is the tutorial. In a tutorial the student studies from selected written material in a given subject area under the guidance of a professor as tutor. At individual weekly meetings, usually lasting about 90 minutes, the student and tutor discuss the current reading, solutions of problems, and other assignments.

A student typically spends about a semester to a fifth of her/his time (and academic credit) on such studies, the remainder being in laboratories and class work either required (such as mathematics and engineering courses) or electives.

Single-Degree Program

Taken alone, the B.S. in Engineering Physics program in the Honors Tutorial College requires four years to complete. The program is basically the Honors Tutorial Physics curriculum with an engineering component. Unlike the two-degree program, this curriculum may cross engineering disciplines and will include an undergraduate thesis project.

Requirements are outlined below. It should be noted that such a degree will generally NOT satisfy the accreditation criteria of the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology, which some students regard as a disadvantage. On the other hand, there is more flexibility in designing a curriculum to meet individual interests.

Required subjects are as follows:

  • Physics - mechanics, special relativity, wave phenomena, optics, electricity and magnetism, electronics (replaced by equivalent courses for Electrical Engineering majors), quantum physics (molecules, atoms, nuclei, elementary particles, condensed matter), thermodynamics, and statistical mechanics.
  • Mathematics - analytical geometry, calculus, differential equations, vector analysis, Fourier series, partial differential equations, matrix algebra, applied complex variables.
  • English composition (two semesters) - required of all Honors Tutorial students.
  • Chemistry (one year).
  • Engineering drawing, computer programming - appropriate engineering courses according to the program designed for you.
  • Undergraduate thesis on some topic in Engineering Physics.

Two-Degree Program

The two-degree program takes five years to complete. One must be accepted into the Honors Tutorial Program to work on a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Physics and into the College of Engineering and Technology to work on a second degree, a Bachelor of Science in one of the engineering disciplines offered.

The branches of Engineering represented at Ohio University are: Chemical, Civil, Electrical and Computer, Industrial and Systems, and Mechanical Engineering. The degrees from the College of Engineering and Technology are based upon curricula accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of The Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology.

Detailed descriptions are available in the Undergraduate Catalog or from the College of Engineering and Technology. An example which integrates the requirements for a B.S. in HTC Engineering Physics and a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering (B.S.E.E.) is shown below.

Some especially good students are able to bypass the B.S. and obtain a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Engineering. This has the advantage that, as a graduate student, one may receive a fee waiver and graduate stipend; however, this will not meet the certification requirements for an engineer in the State of Ohio.

Sample Program

This listing assumes no prior calculus. Humanities and/or social science requirements for the B.S.E.E. are 24 hours with at least 8 in humanities and 8 in social sciences selected from a list approved by the College of Engineering and Technology.

Ohio University has certain general education requirements (Tier I, II, and III) which must be satisfied by students in the College of Engineering and Technology. Some of the Tier II requirements may also be met concurrently with the humanities and social science requirements. More detailed requirements for the B.S.E.E. degree appear in the current issue of the Ohio University Undergraduate Catalog.

  • First Year Physics tutorial: mechanics, electricity, magnetism, heat, waves, optics, and special relativity; Mathematics: analytic geometry and calculus; Chemistry: introduction to chemistry; Engineering: engineering drawing; General: freshman English composition; and a humanities or social science elective.
  • Second Year Physics tutorial: quantum phenomena, elementary quantum mechanics and nuclei and particles; Mathematics: analytic geometry and calculus, ordinary and partial differential equations; Engineering: computer methods in engineering, statics; General: public speaking; and two humanities and/or social science electives.
  • Third Year Physics: intermediate physics laboratory (electrons, photons, and nucleons), statistical mechanics; Mathematics: vector analysis, matrix methods, applied complex variables; Engineering: circuits and circuit analysis, instrumentation and introduction to digital circuits laboratory, analytic foundations of electrical engineering; General: junior English composition.
  • Fourth Year Physics: intermediate electricity and magnetism, advanced optics; Engineering: strength of materials, intermediate laboratory, linear systems and networks, electronics, microcomputers, applied probability and statistics for EE, and energy conversion.
  • Fifth Year Physics tutorial: advanced mechanics, solid state physics; Engineering: advanced laboratory, electrical engineering design, senior EE concentration electives, technical electives; General: Tier III requirement, humanities and/or social science electives.

Shipman Scholarships

The Physics Department offers Shipman Scholarships to qualified freshmen. There is also a special Shipman Award for women and minorities. Award of a Shipman Scholarship does not prevent the recipient from accepting other Ohio University awards.

Eligibility

Applicants are selected by the Director of Studies and are selected on the basis of academic ability and the potential for self-motivated undergraduate study and research.

The deadline for application for admission to the Honors Tutorial College for fall semester is November 15th. An interview is required for admission.

Director of Studies

David Tees

Associate Professor, Dr. David Tees
(740) 593-1694
Clippinger 357A
tees@ohio.edu

Education

Ph.D.: McGill University

Scholarly Interests

Dr. David Tees researches experimental determination of the response of single cell adhesion molecules to applied forces, computer simulations to determine receptor-ligand adhesive phenotype from structure, understanding the mechanical properties of biological macromolecules, and using cell adhesion molecule adhesive properties for sensors, biomimetic materials and drug targeting.

Selected Publications

Dr. Tees' publications include "Leukocyte adhesion: An exquisite balance of hydrodynamic and molecular forces" (2003), "Simulation of cell adhesion to bioreactive surfaces in shear: the effect of cell size" (2002), and "Reliability theory for receptor-ligand bond dissociation" (2001).