Master of Engineering in Instrumentation and Applied Physics
Join a community of people who build things and solve problems
The Illinois professional master's in Instrumentation and Applied Physics is a two-semester project-based program. Through a mix of laboratory, classroom, and field work we will teach you to take a collaborative project from conception and design through planning, prototyping, calibration, analysis and documentation.
The M. Eng. degree will comprise 32 credit hours and emphasize real-world project work, in which small collaborations of students will bring a project from conception through design, implementation, execution, analysis, and documentation.
The project focus and the broad set of skills acquired in the Illinois Physics M. Eng program will make our students attractive to a wide range of potential employers.
Some projects will be suggested by industry partners as extensions to their own R & D efforts, for example expanding on the Internet of things (IoT) architecture, developing cost-effective, life-saving medical devices or learning how to build a dilution refrigerator used in cryogenics. If you choose to develop an idea of your own, we'll help you investigate its feasibility and facilitate your efforts to develop it.
Why should I get a master of engineering degree in physics?
We will be emphasizing breadth of knowledge and experience so that our graduates will be prepared to step into leadership roles as initiators and managers of projects.
Our students will become comfortable participating in all aspects of the realization of a project.
The year-long projects will develop student skills in a wide variety of technical areas, including circuit design and fabrication, mechanical engineering and rapid prototyping, embedded systems design, project planning, data analysis, and proper reporting and documenting of the project's progress and outcome.
Read more about the projects you will encounter in this program
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
We recognize we can succeed in our core missions—research, education, and outreach—only if each member of our Illinois Physics community is free to contribute, without fear of bias or prejudice. We embrace diversity in our faculty, staff, and student body as a strength and we support the principles of academic freedom, equity, and inclusion as expressed in the University of Illinois' policy against discrimination and harassment.
Please see the Physics Department’s statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for more information.