Department of Engineering Physics in Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) was originally a study program in Physics Department, Faculty of Science, which first established at November 1965. Since November 10, 1983, this study program developed into Department of Engineering Physics, under the Faculty of Industrial Technology. The separation legalized by the Ministry of Higher Education with “Keputusan Dirjen Dikti RI No. 116/Dikti/Kep/1984”. The existance of Department of Engineering Physics is supported by STATUTA ITS 0443/O/1992 ratified 18 November 1992.

Engineering Physics has vast role in the development of science and technology related to industry. As a higher education institute, the undergraduate program of Engineering Physics has been accredited by BAN-PT (National Accreditation Bureau) with the score of A (Excellent) since 2006, renewed in 2012 by serial number 044/BAN-PT/Ak-XV/S1/XII/2012, and will be renewed again in 2017.

In the year of 1995, Department of Engineering Physics ITS established its diploma program, called Diploma of Instrumentation Engineering to answer the demand of instrumentation engineers in Indonesia. As in 2011, the program changed its name into Diploma of Metrology and Instrumentation and receive B accreditation since 2013 (BAP-PT No. 167/SK/BAN-PT/Ak-XIII/Dpl-III/VIII/2013).

With an intention to be actively engaged in the development of Engineering Physics, Department of Engineering Physics ITS officially announced the formation of Graduate Program (master degree) in 2008. The establishment is aimed to create active and independent alumni to develop the science and technological aspects of Engineering Physics. The master degree receive A (excellent) accreditation in 2013. Upon the success of master degree program, Department of Engineering Physics ITS mark its first class of Doctoral Degree program in 2014.

Since Janury 26, 2017, based on the “Peraturan Rektor Nomor 10 tahun 2016”, the Diploma of Metrology and Instrumentation is not the part of Department of Engineering Physics anymore, but operated under the Faculty of Vocation Education instead.

First established in Indonesia at 1950, the Engineering Physics education in Indonesia developing continuously until in 2017, provided by eight higher education institutions: Institut Teknologi Bandung, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Universitas National, Telkom University, Surya University, Sekolah Tinggi Teknologi Mutu Muhammadiyah Tangerang, and Universitas Multimedia Nusantara. The popular Engineering Physics specializations in Indonesia are Instrumentation and Control, and Energy Engineering. Instrumentation and Control is highly related to national industrialization, while Energy Engineering focus on the study of renewable energy and energy conservation. Other specializations such as material, photonics, and acoustics is only available in few institutes.

In International scope, Engineering Physics sometimes known as Applied Physics. The curriculum is much depending on the universities but commonly similar. Unlike in Indonesia, where there are only 8 institutions has this department, Engineering Physics is popular is America, Japan, and European countries due to its heterogeneous specializations. Front-end engineering areas such as mechatronics, nanotechnology, microelectronics, photonics, and biophysics are the examples of elective courses available around the world.