Interdisciplinary physics applies physics to other disciplines, allowing for a new perspective on problems. It can enrich both fields and is offered as a degree at the university level, with various majors allowed to be combined with physics.
Interdisciplinary physics is a category of physics that applies the foundations of this science to subjects of other disciplines, thus allowing a new perspective on those problems. This is sometimes referred to as applied physics because it involves applying physics to other disciplines. Since physics is not limited in its applications in principle, this category is very useful as an academic specialization and designation for degrees. Different schools allow various other majors to be combined with physics in their interdisciplinary physics programs.
The first and most important thing to understand is that interdisciplinary physics is an approach, not a different topic for physics. Of course, no topic is better suited to physics than another, but some topics are traditionally covered by other disciplines. Since physics studies the structure of the universe, any subject could fall within its sphere of expertise. Topics such as biological physics, for example, are often seen as a marriage of biology and physics due to the special forces at work in biological contexts.
All of the hard sciences study the same materials from different perspectives, and many people believe that combining these perspectives can produce more fruitful research. As such, chemical physics and biological physics are both popular degrees. In these cases, research can be informed by both disciplines, providing potentially viable solutions to problems. Understanding the physics behind chemistry, for example, can allow for a more nuanced understanding of chemical processes.
In some cases, interdisciplinary physics can also enrich the field of physics by providing a more detailed understanding of its underlying principles. Having a deep understanding of mathematics can often prompt interesting research in physics, since these two disciplines are so closely related to each other. Similarly, a combination with computer science or engineering can be used to produce interesting research in physics or create new models for use in physics.
As a degree, interdisciplinary physics is usually offered at the university level. At the graduate level, physics is often so focused that an interdisciplinary program is either infeasible or unnecessary. Even so, there are interdisciplinary programs that combine physics with teaching, designed primarily for individuals involved in physical education at the pre-college level.
Any discipline can be combined with physics to create an interdisciplinary physics program. While it is common to combine other sciences with physics, some schools allow for a blend with writing, political science, and other traditionally social sciences. In general, the result of these unions must enrich both disciplines for a school to consider the program a worthy degree.
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