# viability of degree in physics



## dead_rabbit (Jan 30, 2011)

I am considering physics as the subject of my undergraduate studies. However, I have read a few blog posts on the web which indicate that physics is not a very viable career path in America these days. This has made me wonder if I should switch to engineering. Any information on the practicality of a physics career path would be appreciated. Information on a career in physics in a different country is also welcome.


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## Pushrod (Jan 30, 2011)

I think engineering vs physics in terms of a reliable career path is heavily slanted in favour of engineering. With a physics degree, you can do physics. With an engineering degree, you can do almost anything other than practice medicine or law.

I myself am working on a mechanical engineering degree after wasting three years in IT.


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## caesius (Jan 30, 2011)

I would have to agree with Pushrod, however like him, I am biased (undergrad engineering).

In saying that, I do have a counter-example. I work at a radio communications company and the majority of the technical staff are electrical engineers, but I know at least one guy who graduated in math and physics and then moved into digital signal processing. Now he does the same job as a lot of engineers.

So yeah, it harks back to the advice that what you study is not always what you will end up doing. Although from my story above, physics and elec eng. are kind of related in the scheme of things - I don't think the company employs any zookeepers as engineers for instance.


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## drhowarddrfine (Jan 30, 2011)

I agree with those above with this little note, fwiw. My neighbor's son has a BS in Physics but could never find a job. He got a second degree in something else (Math?) and, as of today, is pursuing a third degree. 

All that may have something to do with which part of the country we live in. Having a physics degree where you live may be like being a ship's captain in Oklahoma.


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## jrm@ (Jan 30, 2011)

In industry you will likely have many more career options with an engineering degree.  If you ended up taking physics and were exceptional and enjoyed it, a career in research/academia is an option.


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## captobvious (Jan 30, 2011)

hedge your bets - if your on scholarship and up to the work, dual in comp sci and your engineering of choice.

I just got my undergrad done in August 2010, BS in Chemistry & Microbiology. At the time of this post, I have applied to 300ish jobs, had 9 interviews and 0 offers.

I am now doing volunteer work for the research lab my fiance works for, writing pattern matching programs for bioinformatics.

Getting back on topic, the degree you get will be meaningless after your 1st job and 90% of the material taught in college is of limited practicality. The degree is a gateway to the 1st entry level job. Best thing to do regardless of your major is to network if your worried about job security. Do volunteer (or paid if they can afford it) research and internships the build up a practical resume. If your full of win, an internship can lead to a job right out of college.

The reason I suggest the engineering/comp sci, is the job market and salary for engineers seems to be better than most of the other options and consistent regardless of economy; the comp science degree makes you very market-able and puts on your resume that you can program.

The suggestion I made is what I would had done if I could, change my degree from Chemistry & Microbiology to Biomed Eng & Comp Sci.

Best of luck!


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## Pushrod (Jan 30, 2011)

captobvious said:
			
		

> Getting back on topic, the degree you get will be meaningless after your 1st job and 90% of the material taught in college is of limited practicality. The degree is a gateway to the 1st entry level job.



In Canada, the only way to become a professional engineer is to have a B.Eng degree. No one can practice actual engineering in Canada without having done this. Your advice is sound for other fields I suppose. Experience certainly matters, but without a driver's license, you can't drive a car.

One other thing to point out would be the definition of "engineering". In Canada, the term is not used lightly. In the US, every living being is an "engineer" it seems. A burger flipper is a "nutritional fulfillment engineer" probably.

Lastly, my university offers a degree called Engineering Physics. You still get an iron ring, but it focuses on physics, or something.


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## roddierod (Jan 30, 2011)

My IT shop:

Myself, Degree in Electrical Engineering - Programmer.

Our Top DBA has a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
The guy that built and designed our current network infrastructure and phone system and now the Director of that department has a degree in Biology.


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## captobvious (Jan 30, 2011)

Pushrod said:
			
		

> Lastly, my university offers a degree called Engineering Physics. You still get an iron ring, but it focuses on physics, or something.



Man all I got was a stupid hat, what does a Canadian engineering ring look like?


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## Pushrod (Jan 31, 2011)




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## sossego (Jan 31, 2011)

A degree does not guarantee you a job anymore than a high IQ guarantees you will be able to solve all of your problems. The degree opens more doors for you and the high IQ helps you make better decisions. You can still become unemployed even with a degree. Your family can leave you. Nothing is guaranteed.


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## kpedersen (Jan 31, 2011)

captobvious said:
			
		

> Man all I got was a stupid hat, what does a Canadian engineering ring look like?



We don't even get to keep our hats 

We have to rent them.


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## drhowarddrfine (Jan 31, 2011)

See. Nobody should live in Canada.


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## dead_rabbit (Jan 31, 2011)

Thank you all very much for your responses! They have all been immensely helpful. I think now that engineering would be a safer career decision than physics. As mingrone said, I will only have a future in physics if I am exceptionally good and if a choose to work in academia. So it looks as though engineering will be a safer, more stable, path of study.


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## Pushrod (Feb 1, 2011)

And with that engineering degree, you can land a job where you do physics all day long anyways.


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## nekoexmachina (Feb 1, 2011)

Big +1 for engineering degree, for *pushrod*. The university is for basic knowledge, not for specialization: you don't exactly know what would you work with in the future, and university just makes a base for you to have you working education faster and smoother.



Also as of myself Im uneducated (e.g.: no papers and huge lack of knowledge in some spheres) dude right now, and have no plans for education for almost five years in the future: work right now takes way too much time to use the left for russian education (that sucks completely, as I see with three years studying in one of Russia's 'best' IT universities). 
In five years later, I want to try to get into USAs IT universities, right now dont know exactly which one and which courses I would want to study.


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## sossego (Feb 1, 2011)

nekoexmachina: Credit hours are overly expensive for non-residents. Transfer costs are at $2500 and more.
The best thing would be to come here to the States and take basic courses in a community college.
Before someone makes a snide remark, most courses are transferable and the cost is much lower. Being in a state that has a good engineering program helps.
What will help- but, again, does not guarantee- you get a job after you earn your degree is applying for jobs in that field before you earn the degree. The process may require you to have a certificate beforehand. Credits are transferable.


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## drhowarddrfine (Feb 1, 2011)

That's exactly what my son did, saving us tens of thousands by going to the community college down the street from home. Equally fortunate was that the state college not much farther away is also top ranked in his field so a win-win compared to my other son who went out of town to a private school which is putting me in the poor house. Fortunately, he graduates this spring while the first graduated last month. I'm moving to Aruba.


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## Bentley (Feb 5, 2011)

sossego said:
			
		

> nekoexmachina: Credit hours are overly expensive for non-residents. Transfer costs are at $2500 and more.
> The best thing would be to come here to the States and take basic courses in a community college.
> Before someone makes a snide remark, most courses are transferable and the cost is much lower.


Correct. Do bear in mind, though, that your GPA will probably _not_ transfer from a community college, just the credits. (I did this, and it was worth it, but it took me by surprise.)

Community college is a good choice at first, both because it is cheap and because the teachers teach fullâ€time. At a university, professors often prefer to do research and only teach when they have to, and it shows. Of course, working with a research professor can be educating in other ways.


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