physics discipline in Beijing Normal University has been developing for more than a century, which can be traced back to the physics courses offered by the Advanced Normal School, the Imperial University of Peking (Jing Shi Da Xue Tang) in 1904. The Department of Physics was officially established in 1923. A number of renowned physicists and education experts such as Zhang Yihui, Zhang Zongsui, Wang Dezhao, Huang Zuqia, and so on, have been working in Department of Physics. In particular, the member of Chinese academy of sciences, Zhang Zongsui was working in Beijing Normal University from 1952 to 1957. During this period, he organized the two and a half-year-long "Advanced Class of Theoretical Physics" endorsed by the Ministry of Education, and directed the formulation of the Educational Guideline of Theoretical Physics for Normal Colleges and Universities, which played a key role in the development of education and research talents for theoretical physics in Chinese colleges and universities. The physics discipline in Beijing Normal University is qualified to confer Level I discipline doctoral degree and has established a postdoctoral research station, with four Level II discipline doctoral programs, namely theoretical physics, condensed matter physics, optics and nuclear physics. The physics discipline in Beijing Normal University is among the top 1% in the ESI ranking, top 201-250 in the QS news global ranking (2016) in physics and astronomy major, ranks the eighth among the universities in China mainland.

Currently, there are 64 faculties in department of physics, including 3 Distinguished Young Scholars and 3 Outstanding Young Scholars awarded by National Natural Science Foundation of China, 1 winner of the Young Top-Notch Talent of National High-level Personnel of Special Support Program, 1 winner of China Youth Science & Technology Award, and 3 authors of National Hundred Excellent Doctorate Theses. Since 2012, the faculties in physics discipline have published more than 800 research papers including 1 Science, 14 Physical Review Letters, and 6 in Nature series of journals. 7 papers are rated as the ESI highly cited papers. Three persons were the invited speakers in APS March Meetings; 2 persons were rated among the Elsevier Highly Cited Scholars in China; 1 person was rated among the Thomson Reuters Global Highly Cited Researchers. Seven textbooks were approved to be the National Program Textbooks in the Twelfth Five-Year Plan, ranking the first among all physics departments in Chinese universities.

Department of Physics has produced over 10,000 well-trained graduates of various specialties, who prove to be highly competitive in the job market with their extensive and solid academic base, prudent and rigorous attitude, down-to-earth approach, flexibility and vast potentials. Undergraduate education of Department of Physics has trained numerous professionals in the field of physics for the past decade. Five of our graduates (4 of whom graduated from our undergraduate program) won National Excellent Doctoral Thesis Award. Department of Physics attaches great importance to teaching reforms and pedagogical research with visible achievements.

Based on the physics discipline of the university renowned for its complete portfolio of disciplines and comprehensive discipline construction and development, Department of Physics, Beijing Normal University is proud to announce our ambition to train talents with excellent background in science and culture, high moral standards, solid and extensive theoretical basis of physics, strong capability in practical experiments and innovation as well as rigorous and prudent academic attitude. We shall continue with our efforts in education and innovation so as to build Department of Physics into a training base for outstanding talents in physics and relevant scientific research and high-quality research-oriented teachers.

• 2016 QS news global ranking in physics and astronomy major: 201-250
• Top 1% in the ESI ranking
• New students enrolled in each year: about 140 undergraduate students, 60 graduate students for master's degree, 30 Ph.D. students