Program overview
Applied physics may sound a bit "hardcore," but it's actually very down-to-earth—simply put, it turns physical laws into usable technologies. You'll learn foundational theories like mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, and quantum mechanics, but the key is how to use them to design lasers, semiconductor devices, optical systems, and even medical imaging equipment. Core courses include general physics, theoretical physics, solid-state physics, optics, electronic circuits, and computer simulation. There are plenty of lab sessions where you'll build optical setups, measure material properties, and write data analysis programs. Chinese universities have strong features in this field—for example, applied physics programs at Tsinghua, Peking University, and USTC are closely tied to industry, with many labs directly collaborating with companies like Huawei, SMIC, and BOE. If you enjoy hands-on work, are curious about questions like "how does a phone take photos" or "how are chips made," and don't mind math and programming, this major is a great fit.