About The Department

The physical sciences aim to discover the fundamental laws of nature. Although it can be argued that the roots of physics date back to the ancient Ionian philosophers of nature, the modern approach of mathematical modeling and testing of models with sophisticated and sensitive experimental procedures started at the end of the 16th century with Galileo. The physics of the 21st century has developed from the invaluable contributions of many scientific geniuses, such as Newton, Maxwell, Einstein, Bohr and Heisenberg. As a result of intense research efforts including physicists from all over the world working in large-scale and well-funded research projects, our understanding of the atom and its nucleus, including sub-nuclear particles down to the size scale of a millionth of a billionth of a millimeter, has evolved immensely. We can now estimate the appearance of the universe 15 billion years ago in a time scale of a billionth of a second. Furthermore, through astronomical observations and theories we can gain detailed information about the dark matter and energy which fill up most of space, in addition to galaxies, black holes and stars. The understanding of the fundamental physical laws that govern natural occurrences has lead in time to many scientific and technological applications. The technology that facilitates the way we live today in the modern world is based on the scientific advances made in the previous era of fundamental research. A good example is the quantum physics developed in the 1920’s and 1930’s that is now finding diverse applications in nuclear energy, transistors, lasers, and MR devices. However the true technological potential has not yet been fully uncovered. In the next 10-20 years applications based on new research will revolutionize the way we live by introducing quantum computing, spintronics, high temperature superconductors and many other exciting developments based on nanotechnology.

The Department of Physics in Bogazici University offers the basic ingredients needed to delve into this exciting adventure of the human mind in the most flexible way possible. The undergraduate program allows students to choose specializations from a pool of options including Basic Physics, Astrophysics, Computational Physics, Physical Electronics-Applied Solid State Physics and Medical Physics. Furthermore physics students can also choose to take classes from Archeometry, Social Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Economy, Teaching Physics, French, German, Communication, Management, Chemistry, and Molecular Biology to develop special interests and/or to apply the experimental, mathematical and information-processing capabilities acquired during physics education to other disciplines that they plan to pursue.

Lab Facilities

There are 7 undergraduate education laboratories in the Physics department. These include Introductory  Physics Labs (4), Modern Physics Lab, Electronics Lab and Computer Lab. Furthermore graduate research activities are carried on in the High-Energy Physics Lab, Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics and Photonics, Fiber Optics Lab, Soft-Condensed Matter Physics Lab, Astrophysics Lab and Research Laboratory for Nuclear Physics. Two additional research facilities: Nanomagnetism and Spin-Applications Research  and Medical Physics Research Labs are currently under construction. There is a common-use computer lab for all physics students in addition to a separate computer lab for graduate student use. A study lounge open to all students is also available.

Department Faculty-Members

The physics department faculty consists of internationally recognized distinguished scientists, each of whom is highly specialized in his or her own field of interest. Members of the department have degrees from world-class research institutions such as MIT, Harvard, Yale, Caltech, Chicago, Cornell etc., to name just a few. In addition there are faculty members from major universities in other parts of the world offering online graduate courses to help diversify our specialization topics.  Members of the faculty have received numerous honors and awards from national and international institutions in recognition of their contributions to fundamental theoretical and applied physics research.

Our Graduates

The Department of Physics maintains a strong tradition in undergraduate education that originated in the 1960s Robert College era and has been further developed in the graduate sphere since the 1970’s. Our undergraduates go on to graduate programs in the best universities in the world, while our graduate program attracts the best students from within Turkey as well as students from abroad. The majority of our undergraduate graduates go on to graduate school, and the majority of our graduate students find positions in academia or other research institutions.

Undergraduate Program

The department offers many specialization topics:

– Astrophysics

-Atomic and Molecular Physics

-Applied Solid State Physics

-Experimental High-Energy Physics

-Gravitation Theory

-Statistical Physics

-Mathematical Physics

-Theoretical Nuclear Physics

-Theoretical High Energy Physics

-Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics

-Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

-Medical Physics

-Computational Physics

Moreover double major programs are available for highly qualified students to pursue multiple degrees in mathematics, molecular biology and genetics and chemistry. Click for the curriculum.

Academic Research Activities

In a addition to offering top quality undergraduate education, the department of physics participates in many national and international research projects with an emphasis on interdisciplinary aspects . Research efforts focus on important contributions to Turkish and European research projects that aim to enhance fundamental knowledge and to develop cutting-edge technological applications. More Info

Faculty members and students have access to exciting developments in physics and related fields research from all over the world through weekly seminars. Seminars are offered regularly every Wednesday afternoon in the Feza Gursey Seminar room following a coffee hour, and all interested persons are welcome to attend.

Facts and Figures

Number of Full-Time Faculty : 29
Number of Total Students : 279
Number of Students in M.S. Program : 26
Number of Students in Ph.D. Program : 26
Number of Articles in Science Citation Index in 2008 : 30

More Facts and Figures

Last update: 8/12/2022