Engineering
With a low student-to-faculty ratio and strong connections to the local engineering industry, UNK’s engineering foundations program is the perfect place for students to begin their engineering degree.
UNK also offers a 3+2 dual-degree program that allows students who spend three years at UNK and two years in the College of Engineering at UNL to earn a bachelor’s degree in physics from UNK and a bachelor’s degree in engineering from UNL.
Career Opportunities
Agricultural engineers use science and math to meet challenges in agriculture – helping producers grow better and more food, conserving soil and water and designing tools and equipment.
Civil engineers design, build, supervise, operate and maintain construction projects and systems in the public and private sector, including roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges and systems for water supply and sewage treatment.
Electrical engineers develop and oversee electrical systems and equipment. They work with everything from power grids to computers and telephones to cars.
Mechanical engineers develop, build, maintain and improve tools, machines and systems.
Computer engineering integrates electronic engineering with computer sciences. Computer engineers design and develop computer systems and other technological devices.
Starting salary: $55,000 to $70,000
Number of faculty: 2
Student enrollment: 10
Physics
Studying physics equips students with problem-solving and analytical skills, which are very desirable in the job market, while preparing them to work in a variety of interesting places, including industrial settings, government labs, K-12 schools and college campuses. Physicists are an excellent match for high-demand STEM jobs.
Career Opportunities
Most UNK physics students will attend graduate school and earn a doctoral degree. Nationally, 47% of all undergraduate students will go to graduate school, with about 48% securing employment directly after receiving their bachelor’s degree, according to the American Institute of Physics. The private-sector STEM field has a median starting salary of $60,000 for graduates with a bachelor’s degree, while the private-sector non-STEM field has a median starting salary of $35,000. The median starting salary is approximately $110,000 in the private-sector STEM field for employees with a doctorate.
- Accelerator operator
- Applications engineer
- Data analyst
- Design engineer
- Lab technician
- Laser engineer
- Optical engineer
- Software developer
- Systems analyst
- Technical specialist
- Web developer
Graduate school acceptance rate: 90%
Starting salary: $60,000
Number of faculty: 3
Student enrollment in physics/astronomy: 8
Astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is the physical science that studies things outside the Earth’s atmosphere. Astronomers use observations of planets, stars, nebulae and galaxies to collect data and theories from physics to make sense of the whole universe. They rely entirely on observation, unlike physicists and chemists who build laboratories and conduct experiments.
UNK offers degrees in astronomy and astrophysics to prepare students for the many tasks in this field.
Career Opportunities
- Data science
- Software development
- Finance and optics
- Telescope design
- Planetarium director
- Meteorologist
- Research scientist
- Climatologist
- Aeronautical engineer
Job placement rate: 100%
Starting salary: $60,000+
Number of faculty: 3
Student enrollment in physics/astronomy: 8
Welcome to the Department of Physics, Astronomy and Engineering at UNK! We offer Astronomy, Physics, and Astrophysics degree options, or you could begin your 2+2 Engineering or 3+2 Dual Engineering and Physics degree program here. If you have questions, please contact Laura Jensen at jensenla1@unk.edu
In our department, you will be prepared to work in many different and interesting places; in industrial settings and government labs, schools, or on college campuses. Physicists, astrophysicists, and engineers also work in unconventional settings, such as at newspapers and magazines, in government, or even in business — anyplace where their problem-solving abilities and analytical skills are great assets.
"What I’m studying is intensive, but UNK professors explain material in a straightforward way and provide help when needed. It is a fruitfully challenging environment. Faculty have been very welcoming. I have done undergraduate research with faculty, which gives me a leg up, and my confidence in being prepared for my career is growing every day."
"I feel very supported by UNK, and the International Office has really helped me. Before coming to the U.S., I was able to talk to many people which made it easy for me to decide on UNK. That support has been continuous and is one of the reasons why I have been able to successfully complete my first three years. The quality of education is really good. Smaller classes have allowed me to ask questions and get the help I need to be successful. What stands out to me is the great connections I have with UNK faculty. I hope to attend graduate school, and UNK is preparing me and giving me support during the application process. Overall, I have grown personally and academically and feel prepared for my career after I graduate."
I truly enjoyed how the physics department at UNK was almost like a small family. Everyone very much knew each other and were supportive of one another. The professors were all great and very personable. It was very easy to discuss topics with them and to work on getting a better understanding of what we happened to be studying. It was great to expand my knowledge not only in engineering but also other areas of physics as well. Without the Engineering Foundations program, I likely would not be where I am today. I am currently working at Commonwealth Electric Company of the Midwest. Once I graduate from UNL, I will then move into a full-time electrical engineering position with Commonwealth and work under their head engineer.
