Where science meets engineering!

The Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics B.Sc. program prepares students having physics-math background and interest for a rewarding research and development career of emerging technologies in the fields of optoelectronics (lasers, sensors, imaging systems), microelectronics (information processing units, switching, memories), and nanotechnology (physical phenomena at the nanometric regime, the quantum world), and their system integration (communication, computation, sensing, and more).

The degree is aimed for students aspiring to work in R&D positions that involve engineering, scientific research, and ingenuity in the established hi-tech industry or at start-up endeavors, defense industry, or as a foundation for advanced research.

The importance of physical hardware increases with the introduction of technology to new arenas in our information society:

• Autonomous vehicles that scan and map their surroundings at high speed and accuracy.
• Cloud-based services requiring high-speed communication access and massive storage capability.
• Smart phones filled with sensing modules for touch, biometrics, position, acceleration, and imaging demonstrate the challenges we face.

The curriculum of the Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics B.Sc. program is founded on the fundamental physics and mathematics courses required to properly understand the field of electrical engineering while specializing in the physical hardware development, from device physics through their incorporation in complex systems. 

The B.Sc. program extends over the course of four years, and entails high-level theoretic courses, complementary practical laboratory experiences, and the selection of one advanced specialization track: optoelectronics, microelectronics, and nano-engineering. 

Senior year project: All students are required to complete a senior year project, in which a practical solution to an engineering problem is developed utilizing the acquired knowledge throughout the academic studies. The project is supervised by the department faculty and facilitated by experts from Israel’s high-tech sector. The senior year project provides the experience of leading an engineering solution to the tackled problem from initiation to realization, while emphasizing teamwork, dealing with real-world problems, and choosing practical solutions.

The distinguishing feature of the EE/AP program is the promotion of electrical engineers having system-level, experimental comprehension based on a scientific foundation in device physics. 

In the program’s first two years, the curriculum is devoted to fundamental courses in mathematics, physics and electrical engineering. The courses are comprehensive and of high caliber, and establish accurate physical and engineering thinking. First year courses are similar to those in Electrical and Computer Engineering and in Physics programs (at the Hebrew University and other institutions), enabling the transition between programs while meeting the requirements of the receiving institute.

The program’s third and fourth year mandatory courses delve deeper to the core of electrical engineering in emphasizing physical devices (introduction to solid state, semiconductor devices, guided waves, and analog and digital electronics labs), emphasizing engineering and computational applications. In addition, each student must choose one of the following three specialization tracks:

• Optoelectronics: field of specialization that utilizes light as the carrier of information in processing systems. Sample track courses: laser physics, optical and quantum communication, optoelectronic devices, nanophotonics.

• Microelectronics: field of specialization that implements electronic circuit hardware from semiconductor materials whose properties can be altered to control electrical conductivity. Sample track courses: semiconductor devices, VLSI, logic design.

• Nanoengineering: field of specialization that utilizes the altering material properties and interactions when physical dimension are scaled to the nanometric regime. Sample track courses: quantum structures in semiconductors, nano materials, MEMS/NEMS.

Students can pursue additional specialization in ancillary fields to expand the scope of their studies, with offered elective courses (in consultation with the program advisor): extension to more comprehensive physics, extension to electrical and computer engineering, extension to computer science, and extension to the university’s entrepreneurship track.

Senior year project: All students are required to complete a senior year project, in which a practical solution to an engineering problem is developed utilizing the acquired knowledge throughout the academic studies. The project is supervised by the department faculty and facilitated by experts from Israel’s high-tech sector. 

To course Catalog

The Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics program is relevant for students considering engineering and/or physics studies and are interested in inventing and developing innovative and breakthrough technologies. The program offers extensive chapters in applied physics (see curriculum), which are required to enter and lead research and development efforts in the high-tech sector.

The demand for electrical engineers with knowhow in physical technology development is increasing, in Israel and worldwide. The profession offers many employment opportunities, in established and start-up companies, with excellent compensation.

Our program offers ample opportunities for expansion and customization: the program’s mandatory courses set the scientific foundation for the degree. The specialization tracks in the third and fourth years are selected according to the interests of each student. Students can pursue additional specialization in ancillary fields with offered elective courses: extension to more comprehensive physics, extension to electrical and computer engineering, extension to computer science, and extension to the university’s entrepreneurship track.

The field of electrical engineering in the 21^st century has expanded immensely, spanning the space from physics on the one hand to computer science on the other. The EE/AP curriculum allows for in-depth specialization, as required by the next generation of hardware development leaders in the high-tech sector.

International ranking: The Hebrew University is the premier institution in Israel according to some of the important international rankings and has an excellent reputation.

Join us! The unique and challenging program is tailored for motivated students who aim to become future leaders of research and development in Israel and worldwide. This is an opportunity for you to prepare yourself for a rewarding career in the high-tech industries, startups companies and the like.

The faculty consists of active researchers — scientists and engineers having an entrepreneurship spirit and renowned in the international research arena — who are knowledgeable in trends and innovations in the technology world and receive numerous competitive research grants, including prestigious EU grants.

The program’s teaching faculty is based on The Institute of Applied Physics faculty, which consists of upcoming and veteran researchers, experimental physicists and engineers, active in basic and applied science, along with extensive engagement and experience in the high-tech world. The institute regularly recruits promising young researchers who enrich the university's research endeavors.

The low students to faculty ratio ensures that students receive personal attention and individual care where applicable. Undergraduate students can engage with research activities taking place in the faculty’s research groups, and gain hands-on experience in breakthrough research endeavors, possibly leading to scientific publishing.

An accelerated master's degree in Applied Physics (M.Sc. within five years) will be offered to outstanding students in their third year of study, including a tuition scholarship and stipend during the fourth and fifth years of study.

Excelling students can elect to participate in an international student exchange program for a semester in a study abroad experience. Admission to the student exchange program is based on student achievements during their studies.

Students enrolled to the Hebrew University’s prestigious Amirim program in the Natural Sciences can select the EE/AP program for their specialization. The curriculum will be determined in consultation with the EE/AP advisor and, if necessary, with the Amirim program coordinator.

Graduates of the Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics degree have broad employment opportunities in industry and research, in one of the following career paths:

1. Continuing along the scientific track towards a Master's degree or a Doctorate in Applied Physics.

2. Engagement and leadership within industrial research and development positions offered to electrical engineers: hardware developers, optics, communications, alternative energies, security, and more.

3. Employment in large Israeli and international companies and organizations (Intel, Tower Jazz, Apple, Orbotech, Applied Materials, KLA, etc.), defense industries (Elbit, Rafael, Alta, etc.), telecommunications companies (ECI, Gilat , Rad, etc.), etc.

4. Entrepreneurship! Some of our graduates have launched or elected to work in startup companies.

5. Employment in fields requiring in-depth knowledge of mathematics, physics, computer science, nanotechnology, electronics and optoelectronics.