A strong foundation in physics and engineering
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The course is a unique blend of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics.
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CLEARLY ABOVE THE ORDINARY: Combining basic and applied sciences is emerging as a favourite among IIT aspirants. Photo: V. Ganesan
Modern technology relies, more than ever before, on latest advances in Physics. Thus, there is a demand for engineers well versed in recent scientific developments and simultaneously adept in their engineering skills so that they can carry an idea right from its conception through evolution to implementation.
The Engineering Physics programme in IIT-Madras was launched in 2002 to address this demand. It was designed to create a new class of engineers with a strong background in the principles that go into making technology. The programme in IIT-Madras is jointly offered by the Electrical Engineering and Physics departments, in a unique blend of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics courses.
The core courses ensure a firm understanding of the basics of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics, with a range of electives that cater to the specific interests of students.
Engineering Physics was first started in IIT-Bombay and was later followed by IIT-Delhi. About 10 students are taken in every year for this programme by selection through the Joint Entrance Examination - JEE. Currently, Engineering Physics at IIT-Madras is one of the much sought after branches. The students are subsequently trained in the numerous principles and techniques in both Physics and Electrical Engineering.
The curriculum
At the end of four years, the students do 180 credits of course and project work.
The core courses and labs done in the electrical dept include: electrical and magnetic circuits; digital systems; signals and systems; principles of communication; analog circuits; computer Organisation & microprocessors; solid state devices; semiconductor device modeling; digital signal processing.
The core courses in physics include: Engineering Optics; Mathematical Physics; High Vacuum Science and Technology; Principles of Quantum Mechanics; Electromagnetics and Applications; Statistical Physics and Applications; Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy; Photonics; Applied Magnetics; Solid State Physics; Microwave Physics; Low Temperature Physics; Thin Film technology.
Some of the elective courses opted by students depending on their interests include: Artificial Neural Networks; Special Semiconductor Networks; Fiber Optic Communication Networks; Advances in Fiber Optics and Photonics; Advanced Analog Circuits; Numerical Methods and Programming; Methods of Computational Physics; Laser Theory; Dynamical Systems Engineering. Physics students choose minor streams from Theoretical Computer Science Financial Management; Operations Research; Industrial Engineering; Trends in Business and Finance.
Last year, students of the programme worked at Texas Instruments; General Electric; DRDO, SAMEER - Centre for Electro Magnetics, and the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc).
The institute requires the students to do a project as part of their B. Tech degree . Job opportunities would be the same as that for an electronics and communication engineer.
The difference between electrical engineers and engineering physics (EP) students of IIT-Madras is that the EP students don't do the courses involving power systems. Instead they do the physics courses.
SUPRADEEPA V.R. AND VIJAY H.M.
(The authors are students of IIT-Madras)
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