The name and subject have been used since 1861 by the German physics teacher J. Frick in his publications.[4]
Definition and Terminology
It is notable that in many languages and countries, the term for "Engineering physics" would be directly translated into English as "Technical physics".
In some countries, both what would be translated as "engineering physics" and what would be translated as "technical physics" are disciplines leading to academic degrees. In China, for example, with the former specializing in nuclear power research (i.e. nuclear engineering), and the latter closer to engineering physics.[5]
In some universities and their institutions, an engineering (or applied) physics major is a discipline or specialization within the scope of engineering science, or applied science.[6][7][8][9]
Related Names
Several related names have existed since the inception of the interdisciplinary field. For example, some university courses are called or contain the phrase "physical technologies" or "physical engineering sciences" or "physical technics". In some cases, a program formerly called "physical engineering" has been renamed "applied physics" or has evolved into specialized fields such as "photonics engineering".
Other Meanings
A "Physical Design Engineer" or improperly called as "Physical Engineer" is the role of an electrical engineer who is responsible for the design and layout (routing) in CAE, specifically in ASIC/FPGA design. This role could be performed by a person trained in engineering physics if the person has received training in integrated electronics design, but this does not necessarily mean that an engineering physicist is an IC design engineer.
There are awards for excellence in engineering physics. For example, Princeton University's Jeffrey O. Kephart '80 Prize is awarded annually to the graduating senior with the best record.[10] Since 2002, the German Physical Society has awarded the Georg-Simon-Ohm-Preis for outstanding research in this field.[11]