The Department was established by the Resolution of the University Academic Board as of September 28, 2010 as a result of joining two departments – the Department of Physics of Innovative Technologies and the Department of Physics, the Department of General and Applied Physics was established headed by Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Professor M. O. Haluschak.
The Department of Physics started its activities in 1962. Professor Skublevskyi Yukhym Mykhailovych became the first head of the Department. There were only two teachers during that time: Assistant Professor Hodovanets Liubomyr Yuriiovych and Senior Lecturer Mikhelman Ananii Ananiievych, including Kustovskyi Anatolii Hryhorovych, a Head of Laboratories.
In 1963 on the basis of this faculty the Ivano-Frankivsk Branch of Lviv Polytechnic Institute was established. Since then the Department has started its development. Many new teachers have joined the Department: R. H. Pokhodenko, A. M. Mashynov, H. Ya. Zhuravska, K. Y. Richka, R. T. Malincheva, A. V. Lysyi, I. M. Korniienko, A. M. Barchuk. Z. V. Petruk, O. A. Kostiuk and V. Ya. Konovalov came from Lviv Polytechnic Institute. In 1964 Zarin P.P., Podvalnykh H. S., O. Ye. Fedorov, V. I. Putohov and L. S. Surnin joined the Department of Physics and established the solid state physics research area.
From 1969 to 1982 the Department was headed by the Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Associate professor O. O. Tsok. That period was the prime of the Department. In 1977 the Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences M. O. Haluschak and B. O. Chernov joined the Department. The latter entered the employer-sponsored graduate program in the All-Union Research Institute (Moscow), defended a Candidate’s thesis and returned to the Department as an Associate Professor.
Since 1975 the Department of Physics has been transferred to Karpatska Street, 15, where it is situated today, in academic building No. 4. New lecturers, the Candidates of Physical and Mathematical Sciences V. V. Omelianenko, R. M. Luchytskyi and the Candidate of Biological Sciences B. Yu. Sameliuk.
Since 1982 р. the Department has been headed by H. S. Podvalnykh, who contributed much to improvement of the Department material and technical facilities, the number of financed commercial contracts increased.
In 1993 Associate Professor M. O. Haluschak was conferred the title of Professor for academic and research activities. In 2000 he was awarded the title of “The Honored Education System Worker of Ukraine” by the decree of the President of Ukraine.
In 2000 B. O. Chernov defended a Doctor’ thesis and in 2001 he was appointed as the Department of Physics Head by the University Academic Board.
Since 2001 the Department of Physics, having within its staff two Professors, ten Associate Professors and six Assistant Professors, joined the Institute of fundamental Training, headed by the Honored Education System Worker of Ukraine Professor M. O. Haluschak.
In 2004 Professor M. O. Haluschak proceeded to degree of the Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and headed a new Department of Innovative Technologies. The members of the newly established Department developed and implemented in the academic process new and innovative technologies. The high level of the mentioned innovative technologies is supported by three Golden medals awarded at International exhibitions during 2008-2011 on the basis of the materials, presented by the Department.
The Department of general and Applied Physics sees its future in the high quality training of specialists in compliance with the requirements of Bologna Declaration, combining the academic process with fundamental scientific research.
