The Department of Physics is a research-intensive department that believes in the importance of discovery within education. Research is not only an important part of the graduate student experience, but also an integral part of the undergraduate student experience. Strong collaborations with other departments and institutes on campus further strengthening the programs. Materials science and engineering; electrical and computer engineering; mechanical engineering–engineering mechanics; the Multi-Scale Technologies Institute; and the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences Institute all have strong interdisciplinary connections with the department.