EPTI like physics much more than engineering, but I feel like mechanical engineering/Aerospace Engineering would provide more practical job opportunities than physics. I wanted to hear from some of y'all since I figure gamers will probably have a lot of technical majors. What are the practical opportunities of a physics major? I am more interested in knowing this than engineering since I am already aware of what I can do with a mech e degree. Especially physics vs engineering. Any help would be awesome, thanks!
Practicality of Physics Major vs Engineering?
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TexDrum
United States67 Posts
I like physics much more than engineering, but I feel like mechanical engineering/Aerospace Engineering would provide more practical job opportunities than physics. I wanted to hear from some of y'all since I figure gamers will probably have a lot of technical majors. What are the practical opportunities of a physics major? I am more interested in knowing this than engineering since I am already aware of what I can do with a mech e degree. Especially physics vs engineering. Any help would be awesome, thanks! | ||
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Antedelerium
United States224 Posts
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micronesia
United States24680 Posts
I often hear stories of physics majors being prime candidates for certain types of jobs... but I haven't really seen that myself first hand. | ||
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Myrmidon
United States9452 Posts
If you haven't yet started in college, how do you know that you like physics a lot more than engineering? | ||
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politik
409 Posts
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OrchidThief
Denmark2298 Posts
I also think there's a difference in the personality of who would find one interesting over the other. I have real problems wrapping my head around advanced quantum mechanics for instance, because it's so abstract compared to modelling a the motion of a cantilever for instance. Btw, getting an engineering degree in physics and nanotechnology. =) Edit: Basically what Antedelerium said. | ||
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Mortality
United States4790 Posts
On October 10 2011 05:48 politik wrote: From what I've seen, you should only major in physics if you plan on getting a PhD or at the very least a master's. By the way engineering is like 95% physics, just in a more specialized area. Engineering may utilize a lot of physics, but it is not at all like physics. Unfortunately, double majoring in physics and engineering is not necessarily such an easy thing to do because most schools have very different degree requirements and in many places you have to apply to the school of engineering separately from the school of arts and sciences. Silly, but whatever. You should check out the degree requirements and maybe talk to some faculty members at the university. You can definitely get a bachelors in physics and still get a graduate degree in engineering. The reverse is more difficult. Engineering utilizes physics, but it isn't physics. | ||
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JacobDaKung
Sweden132 Posts
It is a very diverse place where at least my friends started to work, This is probably due to the fact that we learned problem solving methods not how to solve a certain kind of problems. I hope this helped some, gl with college. A bit off topic could someone explain the difference between a major, master and bachelor? | ||
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TexDrum
United States67 Posts
On October 10 2011 05:47 Myrmidon wrote: Worst thing that could happen, supposing that you do reasonably well, is that you need to spend a couple years in graduate school in engineering before finding a job. And that's being cynical. If you haven't yet started in college, how do you know that you like physics a lot more than engineering? I go to a college prep school and I've taken a full year engineering course as well as a physics course, and I got to do an internship with NASA last summer, the physics was the more entertaining part, although I like both. Also, I like the idea of a lot of theoretical physics and stuff like that, but that's just research and all. Btw, getting an engineering degree in physics and nanotechnology. =) Hmm... this is very interesting. Can you expand on whwat exactly you do? Because I like both of those  | ||
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Myrmidon
United States9452 Posts
On October 10 2011 05:56 JacobDaKung wrote: A bit off topic could someone explain the difference between a major, master and bachelor? Major is the area of study, e.g. mechanical engineering, nursing. Bachelor's and master's degrees are the way you describe. An undergraduate majoring in physics will get a bachelor's degree in physics. | ||
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SpiffD
Denmark1264 Posts
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OrchidThief
Denmark2298 Posts
On October 10 2011 05:56 JacobDaKung wrote: A bit off topic could someone explain the difference between a major, master and bachelor? Master and bachelor refers to the stage of your education on a subject, major (and minor) is usually used around the main subject and the secondary subject your degree is on. (For instance english and philosophy, or physics and chemistry). It's used for dual degrees. On October 10 2011 06:00 TexDrum wrote: Hmm... this is very interesting. Can you expand on whwat exactly you do? Because I like both of those Well, the department of engineering physics is split into four: Nanotech, Photonics, Atomic Physics and Biophysics. I'm at the Nanotech department, designing various things within nanotechnology, among other things, microsensors, MEMS, Lab-on-a-chip, as well as stuff like diodes and other silicon technology. At photonics they're doing stuff like Lasers, Optics and such, Atomic Physics is quantum mechanics, surface physics, catalysis, superconductor physics and such, and Biophysics I honestly have no clue about. Think Neurophysics mostly, but no idea really. | ||
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strongandbig
United States4858 Posts
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micronesia
United States24680 Posts
On October 10 2011 06:10 strongandbig wrote: So I'm currently a first-year grad student in physics, and one thing a lot of people don't realize is how common it is for physics majors to go into finance/banking/consulting. For whatever reason, the people in those industries who hire new people out of college believe that a physics major teaches you things like problem-solving and flexible thinking. For undergrad physics majors in the department I went to, there were as many people going into finance etc as there were going to grad school. Yes, this was one of the things I heard... that physics majors often are prime candidates to go into finance due to their mathematical background (among other things like strongandbig said). | ||
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JacobDaKung
Sweden132 Posts
On October 10 2011 06:02 OrchidThief wrote: Master and bachelor refers to the stage of your education on a subject, major (and minor) is usually used around the main subject and the secondary subject your degree is on. (For instance english and philosophy, or physics and chemistry). It's used for dual degrees. On October 10 2011 06:00 TexDrum wrote: Master and bachelor refers to the stage of your education on a subject, major (and minor) is usually used around the main subject and the secondary subject your degree is on. (For instance english and philosophy, or physics and chemistry). It's used for dual degrees. ty ! | ||
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SySLeif
United States123 Posts
If your going for more practicality, like just a bachelors, then go for engineering. It's more career oriented and not as broad ranged. Physics is more of a solid core curriculum for almost any graduate school, though not the most useful by itself. EDIT: Just saw the posts about mathematics and physics. Yes it is VERY useful if you are going into anything that will be highly mathematical. I just finished my second year in college, first year as premed then this year as physics, I had to take 4 calculus classes this year to catch up. Tons and tons of match.. but I like it. | ||
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oPPRoBe
United States199 Posts
I do know that I like the Physics aspect more than the Engineering though. Perhaps I should look into Engineering Physics as OrchidThief is doing. Really interested in this thread  | ||
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Warrior Madness
Canada3791 Posts
What do you want to do? Research? | ||
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TexDrum
United States67 Posts
On October 10 2011 06:02 OrchidThief wrote: Master and bachelor refers to the stage of your education on a subject, major (and minor) is usually used around the main subject and the secondary subject your degree is on. (For instance english and philosophy, or physics and chemistry). It's used for dual degrees. Well, the department of engineering physics is split into four: Nanotech, Photonics, Atomic Physics and Biophysics. I'm at the Nanotech department, designing various things within nanotechnology, among other things, microsensors, MEMS, Lab-on-a-chip, as well as stuff like diodes and other silicon technology. At photonics they're doing stuff like Lasers, Optics and such, Atomic Physics is quantum mechanics, surface physics, catalysis, superconductor physics and such, and Biophysics I honestly have no clue about. Think Neurophysics mostly, but no idea really. That sounds really cool actually. Is the specific major that you are in called Physics and Nanotechnology? I'm curious. I don't think Rice offers much of a nanotechnology major, so would there be any other general options that I could look into if I wanted to do a masters or something more centralized in it? Also, if I chose a general major like mechanical, would I be able to take specialized classes that give me an opportunity to have more of an aerospace etc. centralized resume/degree? | ||
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TexDrum
United States67 Posts
On October 10 2011 06:33 Warrior Madness wrote: Mechanical Engineering is probably the broadest degree you can get. You can end up working at an oil rig or CERN or as a manager in a specialized field if you really wanted to (engineering managers make some serious cash). With a physics degree one of the more practical routes you can take is medical physics. I have a friend who ended up as a medical imaging specialist, 80% of his work is in running and maintaining MRI machines but he still gets to do 20% research work. Some really NEAT imaging and screening research. What do you want to do? Research? I definitely like physics, but it would be nice to have a practical job. I don't want to just work in a lab or something for my job, I think that would be pretty boring, but the opportunity for research would be nice. As far as actual engineering or work, I would like to get somewhere into space/airspace work. Medical isn't really my thing though. If that wasn't clear enough, feel free to reask that question! | ||
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