Since 1993 lecturers of the MSU Faculty of Physics have been reading a course on ‘Programming and Information Technology’. The goal of the given course is to provide fundamental background knowledge for the students in the field of computational technology in its application to physics. The course also intends to fight computer illiteracy, which unfortunately is not that rare a phenomenon among students. However, there is a certain part of students who already at the time of entering the University demonstrate advanced IT skills, which they would also like to receive more profound knowledge than offered by the curriculum.

In 2000 the faculty, as well as undergraduate and graduate students of the department of the General Physics and Wave Processes launched an optional course closely connected with the latest and most challenging topics in the field of programming and information technology. In 2008 the Dean of the Faculty of Physics approved a new curriculum, which allowed advanced second-year students to take a course in one of the following disciplines instead of the basic programming course: Microcontroller Programming, FPGA Design, Parallel Programming, and Computer-Aided Science Engineering (CASE). Alongside with these changes, our material and technical resources has been constantly updating, and new equipment has appeared, primarily various and numerous 8-bit and 32-bit controller kits. We have also increased the variety of the read disciplines, including ‘Introduction to Linux’ and  ‘Circuit Diagnostics’. In 2012 Educational Programme became a part of the obligatory course on ‘Programming and Information Technologies’ thus including its classes into standard curriculum.

In the end of 2011 as a part of the Development Programme of the Moscow State University, Engineering Physics Laboratory was founded. It united educational plans connected with the latest and relevant fields in programming and information technologies also embracing printed circuit design, robotics, electronic and mechatronic system development, modeling and simulation. Our workshop is locates in the room N8 (in Cyrillic – H8), however, for the reasons of comfort and a large number of students we conduct classes in the display rooms or in the room 3-14 at Nonlinear Optics Building (KHO).

Currently we teach more than 40 second-year students every academic year; we also conduct topical workshops and open classroom classes for senior students, graduate students and employees. At our disposal we have modern equipment and contacts, which allow us to create electronic and mechatronic systems from a design concept to a prototype. This includes assembling, production and mounting printed circuit boards, production of mechanical components, assembling and debugging, testing and fault location. Every year up to two students choose our laboratory to work on their term or final papers. We collaborate with the leading Russian and foreign manufacturers of microelectronics and turnkey systems. We keep our finger on the pulse. We are practical people, and our goal is to set and solve engineering problems of international standard!