LeFan's degree is in engineering physics, a program administered by the Department of Physics at the University. The engineering physics degree was accredited as an engineering program in 2001 by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

According to Dr. David Probst, chair of the Department of Physics, three people have taken and passed the FE test: two students and himself. Probst took the test because he wanted to become a Professional Engineer, a process he has completed. Although many Department of Physics graduates have received the engineering physics degree, LeFan is the first student who was required to take the test as part of the department's assessment plan.

The engineering physics degree, the only engineering degree offered by the University, was created by the Department of Physics almost 30 years ago. Graduates from the program have been very successful at finding employment as engineers, most recently in the aerospace industry. The Boeing Company in St. Louis and Lockheed-Martin in Texas employ five recent engineering graduates. These companies also employ two other Department of Physics graduates, one with a physics degree and one with a dual math/physics degree.