What types of jobs are available for a BS in Physics?

[dotman]

Would I be an ideal candidate for an engineering job if I did Physics + CS Minor + select electives?

No.

Do you guys think I would be eligible for an entry level Electrical Engineering position with those classes?

Yes.

Seriously, if you want to be an electrical engineer, you should study electrical engineering. If you want to be an ideal candidate, you should study it and intern at a firm a few times during your college career, and receive an offer from them immediately out of school. There are many different kinds of electrical engineers as well-- there are those who design building electrical systems, those who design circuits for electronics, and everything in between. You don't have to know this in advance.

I saw you mention PSU main-- many of my friends went through their branch campus 2+2 programs to get into the main campus, and this was effective. Is this a possibility for you? Another option is to get a four year degree, and go somewhere for a masters in Engineering-- although I'm unsure that will help your salary, it should help your job prospects. There are online programs as well for this kind of thing, especially in Engineering. Check out Georgia Tech, for instance. But the above paragraph would be preferable.

 

[cdotter]

I know some schools offer 3-2 programs, but I haven't see 2-2 programs anywhere.

 

[dotman]

I don't know for sure, didn't go through it. Maybe it's a 3+2 program. That would still be worthwhile IMHO.

Lots of people go for their undergrad degree for five years.

 

[cdotter]

I think I'm just going to go with physics + computer science minor + some electronics electives. According to data at aip.org, a lot of physics undergrads work in either engineering or software. Of course I could just major in EE or CS, but I find the theoretical side more interesting. I know I find physics very interesting, but I'm not sure what I want to do with my physics degree, so I can always 'fall back' on a software job.

 

[Shackleford]

Before I decided to pursue physics, I was going to major in Civil Engineering. After seeing more positive feedback on physics majors doing engineering work, I still might shoot down the CivE route in industry. I would like to go to graduate school for physics as well.

 

[cdotter]

This is a stupid question, but I haven't really found any true answers:

Say I go to graduate school and I do research. Do I get to choose what I want to research? And does the research have to be completely original? I don't understand how I can come up with a completely original idea. What would I be doing on a day to day basis? Spending all day in a laboratory, researching whatever? Does it have to be purely conceptual, or can it be something entirely concrete, such as researching eletromagnetics (building something that utilizes electromagnetics)?

 

[Poop-Loops]

From my limited experience, let me tell you the following:

You decide what you research, mostly. Schools have different research areas, and you get to decide (mostly) what school you will go to. Then when there, you apply to get to the group you want (i.e. the group doing work on gravity, condensed matter, whatever).

When that's done, you're already doing what you want to do, hopefully. But as to the details, the professor you're working for will guide you a long way with it.

Yes, it has to be completely original, that's the whole point. But you won't be expected to make some sort of breakthrough. I think I remember one of the Ph.D. thesiseseses I saw being on mapping some sort of properties of a molecule or something. Something that won't get you in the news, but is just as important to science.

I don't know what you mean by conceptual vs. concrete, though. I mean, some people do theory and work everything out on paper, others go to the lab and try to test it. To test it you'll need machines and stuff. One of the Postdoc's I talked to said that you spend most of your time building your apparatus when you are trying to do an experiment.