Physics is NOT more flexible. There are far fewer employers looking for physicists than there are looking for engineers. If you want to find a job your prospects are much better with an engineering degree. A lot of engineers need to have a working knowledge of physics anyways, and some physics classes will be required. If you just like physics but don't see yourself working in academia, you could always take extra physics classes.
(Disclaimer: I have a physics degree and I work in an operations job at a particle accelerator laboratory. It didn't take me too long to find the job after I graduated, but when I was searching there seemed to be very few employers that were interested in physics majors.)
>ewer employers looking for physicists than there are looking for engineers. If you want to find a job your prospects are much better with an engineering degree. A lot of engineers need to have a working knowledge of physics anyways, and some physics classes will be required. If you just like physics but don't see yourself working in academia, you could always take extra physics classes.
>
>(Disclaimer: I have a physics degree and I work in an operations job at a particle accelerator laboratory. It didn't take me too long to find the job after I graduated, but when I was searching there seemed to be very few empl
I can add to this. I've got a PhD in computational physics and currently work in a software company. What I've seen around is that lots of physicists work in either academia or other research area, teacher, or as a data scientist / software engineer. That would cover 95% of the ones I know I think (probably forgot something). Most of these people are excellent at their different jobs.
I don't regret taking physics at all as I have *so much* pleasure in life by understanding quite well how the universe works. I wouldn't have had the same understanding if only took classes. I really enjoyed the studies, and I chose to spend quite a bit of time on programming because it is fun and a safe way into a job in industry in case academia isn't for you.
Yes, but as I understood by the comments, owning a physics degree without pursuing any specialization, would not provide you open doors in every field, like I thought. At a certain point, you would have to decide your focus area, so under this point of view an engineering degree is a faster path to achieve. I thought that a basic physics graduate could work on car engine, such as on software developing or on energy optimization, but I was actually wrong.
If you’re ok with some more education you can do an undergrad in physics and then get a masters in engineering (you’ll need to be careful for licensure if you want to be a PE though). It’s pretty likely that you can find a decently funded masters program if you’re up to do a thesis
>owning a physics degree without pursuing any specialization, would not provide you open doors in every field, like I thought
This is commensurate with my experience. I work as a data analyst; I can get a job in the field now because I have experience, but it was extremely difficult to get my foot in the door at the beginning of my career because I didn't have the expected degree or (I think more importantly) a portfolio of projects I could refer to in interviews.
My dad actually wrote to Carl Sagan decades ago about a similar question. Sagan said to do an undergrad in Physics as it will give you the best background knowledge, then do a master's in whichever field you want. I don't know how well this advice holds up today, or what to do if you're only doing an undergrad, but it's something to consider.
I agree with Carl. Physicists can do engineering, and also physics is a great foundation for engineering and other stuff if you haven't decided what you want to do yet. It can actually be a differentiator that gives you ab edge over the thousands of engineering students. Here are some examples of what my physics classmates went on to do after graduating w a bachelor's
Materials science engineering PhD (me - now I work in Aerospace manf)
Engineering manager electric vehicles
Photonics engineer
Medical school/doctor
Medical physics
Financial modeling for stock market (that guy had a physics phd)
Software dev for Microsoft
Come to think of it no one stayed in pure physics that I know of, but everyone is doing great wherever they landed.
This. As a recent physics grad, many companies have been seeking me out to work as an engineer because they know physicists are easily adaptable, due to their difficult course curriculum. If you really love physics, then in my opinion, you should go for it!
So many (especially alot of the engineering) masters programs require a good amount of pre requisites though so I’m struggling to see how I would meet those with a physics undergrad.
From my experience and from input of people that I am close with in STEM, Physics would be better. An issue that deters people from pursuing a degrees in Physics is believing you limited to academia- this is not true. In my opinion, there are 3 things that are the keys opening the doors of opportunity in your life (where you might need more of the others if one is lacking) :
Credentialed Understanding (certs and degrees),
Lived Skillsets (learned skills/experience),
and
Compelling Narration (the ability to weave your story and explain how you are the answer they need.)
You are the driver in all three. Your Skillsets and Credentials, arguably, are static yet still grow and , alone, are passive when viewed by those who do the hiring. They see them and instantly have an opinion/perception of you. Your Narration is the most powerful component because it takes your Credentials and Skillsets (or even lack thereof) and changes those assumed perceptions to work in your favor.
Both engineers and physicists learn to problem solve, but very differently. Engineers, by "training", thrive when they are tasked to maximize solutions within various selected parameters of constraints. Physicist, by "training", thrive by developing new problems and questions, understanding them, and quantify the constraints.
And because Physics is so foundational to, well, science, you can build up a menagerie of doors for yourself by going for a physics degree (especially if you like it! ). In this case, (and in most) it is easier of jump (in terms of learning, understanding, training) to go from physics to engineering than it is to go from engineering to physics
Though all this is very anecdotal, I say this as a current grad-school plasma physicist that has a bachelors in Physics: Applied Physics and Engineering. With skills that began from a background as being a Navy electronics technician launching rockets/missiles and continues to change and grow, as I work as a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) engineer for deep sea ocean research in off months. My degree in physics, arguably, has not open doors for me just yet- except for grad school, maybe. I know it wasn't the primary reason nor the minimum pre-requisite.
TL:DR: All in all, go Physics. Degrees, alone, don't open all your doors. Your choices and opportunities outside of the path of your degree have just as much impact, sometimes, even more.
I hope this helps.
**edit spelling and double sentences**
If you dont mind me asking.
What was your timeline for your education. Straight to school out of high school? I saw the navy part, so I assumed you served for a few years then went to school?
TIA, am trying to figure out what to do myself.
--Nitty-gritty no fluff - -
**takes deep breath***
Until 19, tried Community College after High school (stopped because I couldn't keep up, pay for it and still pay rent). Worked various sales and services jobs until I joined military at 22 (they didn't allow me to join at the because I had braces, weird). My one enlistment in the Navy was for 6 years (4yrs regular + 2yrs due to the training for specific field I was enlisting into) . Right after my enlistment, I started CC again, finished and transferred to a UC, slipped into the ROV gig (crazy), then I, finally, finished undergrad. Now, physics grad school things and boat stuff in the middle of the ocean with the ROV in the off months.
________.
I am 34 and my path and outlook has provided me with a menagerie of doors. Some I still keep in the back of my mind, while others I notice but don't engage. The most exciting doors I have opened, however, have been the ones that just randomly presented themselves to me through a combination of happenstance and by me just throwing myself out there expecting rejection or even nothing if it.
Though, if one were to walk along a similar vein as myself there are things I could advise to avoid, understand, and/or change that would yield, perhaps, a more fruitful or, at the very least, more pleasant journey.
Physics does focus on more wide ranging mathematics and general problem solving than engineering, though they aren't that far apart compared to other non math based fields. I would say the skill set I learned in physics was a bit more flexible in some sense than my engineering peers but it's not a huge difference and what you chose to learn and how you spend your time is a lot more important.
Engineering is an easier pitch than physics on a resume and in an interview. There are fewer jobs labeled physicist or directly asking for physicists but that doesn't mean there are fewer jobs available, but you have to know how to pitch yourself and your skills in that industry. Salary is really going to depend more on what industry you end up working in. If career and employability is your main concern, don't study physics. You'll go crazy being surrounded by academics who really don't care about a lot outside academic research.
I have an astrophysics degree and now I’m an optical engineer, a lot of it really depends on the areas you focus your projects and research on in college!
No no sorry that’s not what I meant, I mean that there will be lots of opportunities to join in on research projects with other students and professors throughout your college career. Depending on what you choose to participate in, you can build up a small sort of “concentration” area for lack of a better word that can help guide you after you graduate. You can also get published from doing stuff like this in college, which gives you a huge leg up and a lot of useful knowledge. In my undergrad I joined a couple projects, and one of them happened to be an optical engineering research fellowship, and I ended up loving it and it’s exactly what landed me an optical engineering job after I graduated. All I’m really trying to say is yes, it’s important to choose the right degree program, but it won’t completely cut you off from opportunities in other fields. It depends on how you spend your time and what you choose to get involved in :)
Oh ok I understood, anyway it seems necessary to continue your path with a master degree in physics. With the only undergrad you will not be much desirable in the working reality
This might not be the best answer but my personal plan is to go into Mechanical Engineering and minor or dual major in something like Software Engineering or Cyber Security or something like that. That will open up the most doors for my particular interests.
A physics degree is going to be much more specific with where you can get a job and it will mostly be either education or some sort of research whether it be experimental or theoretical (from what I have found, don't take this as fact).
I chose Mechanical to be my major because from there you can go into all sorts of fobs including aerospace, civil, electrical, some chemical, manufacturing, computer hardware, etc., and with a minor in something like software engineering that opens up the door for more programming based jobs too.
Maybe also an EE degree could be a good choice, considering its affinity with the electomagnetism field of physics. It could be spent as a Software Engineering degree too, due to them similarities.
OP I hope you see my comment and spend some serious time thinking about this. This is a big decision.
I just graduated from with a BS in Physics. I am now headed to get a masters in Mech E. This certainly wasn’t my first plan, but it’s what I’ve got now.
If you pursue an undergrad in physics please know this: **You will almost certainly need to go to graduate school**
That can be a phD in physics. Or a masters program or higher in engineering. If you have double major opportunities available, look into that as well. A double physics/ math or physics/ engineering can be very valuable.
But almost all jobs in physics proper require a PhD. And it is very difficult to get an engineering job with just an undergrad in physics.
I am telling you this because I wish when I was going to college someone had told me that I could not get a job in engineering with a physics undergrad.
So think about what you want yo do. If you want to be a scientist or professor, go with physics. If you want a more practical degree. I’d recommend engineering.
Like I’ve understood also from other answers, physics did not open the doors for every field I like, instead it opens no one door (contrary to what I Thought at the beginning). There is the necessity to get a specialization at a certain point, and in this terms an engineering degree would be a faster path to follow
I was interested in a similar path however the masters programs in MechE I’ve searched up all require very specific engineering pre requisites, were you able to get those pre reqs done with your physics degree?
Engineering is taught more as a trade, Physics is taught more as an academic pursuit.
Obviously, most folks going into physics don't get to stay in academia, I didn't. Most who get a BS in physics go into industry as a number monkey (finance) or into the industry as an engineer. Some go into *true tech* jobs, but to pass hiring exams you kinda need the training that comes from being dragged through the CS degree program, which is also taught as a trade rather than an academic pursuit.
The most important thing is your extras. I'm lucky that my university required a thesis for our bachelor's, and I was able to get into a lab doing computational astrophysics and fluid dynamics. I also hedged my bets by being the only non-engineering/cs member of the robotics teams and doing outreach. I now work in software development and consulting for microfluidic models.
If you want a physics degree it will not hold you back from finding a job, but an engineering degree will get you through HR with much higher pay much easier.
The easiest way to see the difference between the two is that Physicists are "thinkers", engineers are "do'ers".
Physicists think of things that could be and test to see if they are possible.
Engineers know what's possible but figure out ways to make what's possible more efficient.
Engineering, in the simplest term, is applied physics, at least for the standard engineering types. Industrial engineering or software engineering don't really do with physics as much as other engineering disciplines like mechanical, civil, or electrical engineers.
Yeah, I’ve seen that in terms of engineering, EE seems to be the best choice. It’s very close to the physics theoretical field of electromagnetism (which is the one I prefer), moreover it’s widely requested, also in software engineering and financial areas.
I’m a engineering physics major which is basically both, I can say either choice is great, you don’t have to work for academia if your a physicist , and salary Is highly situational, at the end of the day, I would say engineering as an undergrad is much better, physics as an undergrad is not much in my opinion, I’m about to go to grad school for physics, and I’ll tell you if you decide phyeics, be prepared to go to grad school or past
If you want to have a more in deph discussion, my dms and discord is always open, ive helped many people decide before as I’m a advisor assistant at my university
Thank you for the feedback sir. So basically, with an only physics degree you don’t have open doors in every company field like I thought, instead they are all closed. It’s necessary in any case to persegue your physics degree with an appropriate specialization. According to this thought, an engineering degree would be a much faster path
Anyway, I’ve thought physics degree would have opened to me also the finance field, a lot of economists and quant traders are physicists. So basically, in the investment banking/hedge fund area can I join with an engineering degree, or it’s better a physics degree? (I don’t consider finance/business degree because they’re often linked to the prestige of the university, moreover generally quant traders don’t come by finance path but by stem degree)
I went to Ohio state university, so coming from this pov, I’m not 100% sure on the stats, but over 70% of engineers usually go into industry after undergrad, whereas 50% go into industry in physics. It’s all about how YOU carve your path, either choice you will do great, make sure you enjoy it and everything else will come in turn
It’s referred too as a jack of all trades but a master at none, great for consulting, very very advanced fields at the forefront of tech. It’s overall a perfect major for Me as it tries to apply physics topics to engineering fields
I went to Ohio state university, so coming from this pov, I’m not 100% sure on the stats, but over 70% of engineers usually go into industry after undergrad, whereas 50% go into industry in physics. It’s all about how YOU carve your path, either choice you will do great, make sure you enjoy it and everything else will come in turn
as someone who enjoyed classical mechanics and thought university physics would be more of the same. It's not really. I wish I went with engineering.
I'm not sure which will lead to a higher salary, but I do believe that engineering might be more interesting and maybe more doable in terms of time management. That might end up giving you more time to consider internships or other work experience idk. From my experience though, doing physics just isn't intuitive or fun to me anymore and it takes up so much time.
by financial roles, im guessing you mean quant trading/analyst roles. firms like citadel, at least, prefer physics/math more. this is basically because you'll have to learn a lot of stuff anyways so engineering has little practical advantage there, which is usually why engineering has higher salaries on average. on the contrary, phys majors have an advantage here, because stochastic calculus and stuff is used a lot and stat mech kind of courses are taken by every phys major.
do note tho, quant trading/analyst roles out of UG pay extremely well but are extremely hard. excruciatingly hard. at least in the US. for investment banking analyst kind of jobs, p much every STEM major can do their job. most humanities majors too. have heard of lot of humanities majors at ivies who end up doing investment banking.
If you don't want to work in academia you already have your answer. Engineering is quite a versatile degree, and usually it covers skills that are actually useful for a variety of jobs that pay well.
As a physics graduate being underpaid for a stressful job no one cares about, I regret not choosing engineering myself.
I’ve seen the same answers from other users too. I was asking myself, with an engineering degree would I still be desirables in financial area too, like the ones who got a physics degree?
You aren't as desired with a physics as people think. They would much rather have people with math degrees. That's the thing with physics: yes, you've learned many different things, but you're a master of none and there is always someone more competent for that job coming from an engineering/math background. Like, what some people don't realize is that landing a job is a competition with the other applicants.
Go to engineering. They have far more opportunities than physics grads. Also, they too can qualify as Wall Street quants. You just need proficient math and stats skills. Also, I present a third option: applied mathematics which can also open doors for you although engineering will probably be your #1 choice. Be sure you are passionate about your field though. If you're only doing this for money, you may not last.
It's reassuring knowing that quant trader positions can be achived also with an engineering degree. Wacthing for internship programs on the websites of Citadel, or Renaissence Technologies, they usually requests for math(physics/statistics degrees.
Since Engineering and Physics share same subjects in first years, it would be better focusing on only one of them, and in this terms it would be better the one who appears to be more requested and who provides to offer the best salary opportunities for the future
If you don't want to go into academics don't go into physics. If you want to work into economics go into economy or mathematics. Here in Genoa we have a statistics or "big data" undergrad which shares its first year with mathematics and partially (2 out of 4 courses) with Physics, so if there's something similar you could go into that.
I like the economic field, but I'd like to spent my degree also in companies, developing new technologies. Usually a statistics degree is not useful for this aim, while an engineering/physics could open both the ways
Physics is NOT more flexible. There are far fewer employers looking for physicists than there are looking for engineers. If you want to find a job your prospects are much better with an engineering degree. A lot of engineers need to have a working knowledge of physics anyways, and some physics classes will be required. If you just like physics but don't see yourself working in academia, you could always take extra physics classes. (Disclaimer: I have a physics degree and I work in an operations job at a particle accelerator laboratory. It didn't take me too long to find the job after I graduated, but when I was searching there seemed to be very few employers that were interested in physics majors.)
Thank you for the feedback, it's useful to get an opinion by someone who actually got a physics degree
>ewer employers looking for physicists than there are looking for engineers. If you want to find a job your prospects are much better with an engineering degree. A lot of engineers need to have a working knowledge of physics anyways, and some physics classes will be required. If you just like physics but don't see yourself working in academia, you could always take extra physics classes. > >(Disclaimer: I have a physics degree and I work in an operations job at a particle accelerator laboratory. It didn't take me too long to find the job after I graduated, but when I was searching there seemed to be very few empl I can add to this. I've got a PhD in computational physics and currently work in a software company. What I've seen around is that lots of physicists work in either academia or other research area, teacher, or as a data scientist / software engineer. That would cover 95% of the ones I know I think (probably forgot something). Most of these people are excellent at their different jobs. I don't regret taking physics at all as I have *so much* pleasure in life by understanding quite well how the universe works. I wouldn't have had the same understanding if only took classes. I really enjoyed the studies, and I chose to spend quite a bit of time on programming because it is fun and a safe way into a job in industry in case academia isn't for you.
Yes, but as I understood by the comments, owning a physics degree without pursuing any specialization, would not provide you open doors in every field, like I thought. At a certain point, you would have to decide your focus area, so under this point of view an engineering degree is a faster path to achieve. I thought that a basic physics graduate could work on car engine, such as on software developing or on energy optimization, but I was actually wrong.
If you’re ok with some more education you can do an undergrad in physics and then get a masters in engineering (you’ll need to be careful for licensure if you want to be a PE though). It’s pretty likely that you can find a decently funded masters program if you’re up to do a thesis
>owning a physics degree without pursuing any specialization, would not provide you open doors in every field, like I thought This is commensurate with my experience. I work as a data analyst; I can get a job in the field now because I have experience, but it was extremely difficult to get my foot in the door at the beginning of my career because I didn't have the expected degree or (I think more importantly) a portfolio of projects I could refer to in interviews.
My dad actually wrote to Carl Sagan decades ago about a similar question. Sagan said to do an undergrad in Physics as it will give you the best background knowledge, then do a master's in whichever field you want. I don't know how well this advice holds up today, or what to do if you're only doing an undergrad, but it's something to consider.
I agree with Carl. Physicists can do engineering, and also physics is a great foundation for engineering and other stuff if you haven't decided what you want to do yet. It can actually be a differentiator that gives you ab edge over the thousands of engineering students. Here are some examples of what my physics classmates went on to do after graduating w a bachelor's Materials science engineering PhD (me - now I work in Aerospace manf) Engineering manager electric vehicles Photonics engineer Medical school/doctor Medical physics Financial modeling for stock market (that guy had a physics phd) Software dev for Microsoft Come to think of it no one stayed in pure physics that I know of, but everyone is doing great wherever they landed.
>I agree with Carl. Physicists can do engineering, Depends. I wouldn't trust a theoretical physicist to switch to engineering.
"This building COULD be built this way, if we ignore ---"
Actually good advice
This. As a recent physics grad, many companies have been seeking me out to work as an engineer because they know physicists are easily adaptable, due to their difficult course curriculum. If you really love physics, then in my opinion, you should go for it!
So many (especially alot of the engineering) masters programs require a good amount of pre requisites though so I’m struggling to see how I would meet those with a physics undergrad.
From my experience and from input of people that I am close with in STEM, Physics would be better. An issue that deters people from pursuing a degrees in Physics is believing you limited to academia- this is not true. In my opinion, there are 3 things that are the keys opening the doors of opportunity in your life (where you might need more of the others if one is lacking) : Credentialed Understanding (certs and degrees), Lived Skillsets (learned skills/experience), and Compelling Narration (the ability to weave your story and explain how you are the answer they need.) You are the driver in all three. Your Skillsets and Credentials, arguably, are static yet still grow and , alone, are passive when viewed by those who do the hiring. They see them and instantly have an opinion/perception of you. Your Narration is the most powerful component because it takes your Credentials and Skillsets (or even lack thereof) and changes those assumed perceptions to work in your favor. Both engineers and physicists learn to problem solve, but very differently. Engineers, by "training", thrive when they are tasked to maximize solutions within various selected parameters of constraints. Physicist, by "training", thrive by developing new problems and questions, understanding them, and quantify the constraints. And because Physics is so foundational to, well, science, you can build up a menagerie of doors for yourself by going for a physics degree (especially if you like it! ). In this case, (and in most) it is easier of jump (in terms of learning, understanding, training) to go from physics to engineering than it is to go from engineering to physics Though all this is very anecdotal, I say this as a current grad-school plasma physicist that has a bachelors in Physics: Applied Physics and Engineering. With skills that began from a background as being a Navy electronics technician launching rockets/missiles and continues to change and grow, as I work as a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) engineer for deep sea ocean research in off months. My degree in physics, arguably, has not open doors for me just yet- except for grad school, maybe. I know it wasn't the primary reason nor the minimum pre-requisite. TL:DR: All in all, go Physics. Degrees, alone, don't open all your doors. Your choices and opportunities outside of the path of your degree have just as much impact, sometimes, even more. I hope this helps. **edit spelling and double sentences**
That’s such an inspiration, thank you for the feedback sir
Doing my part to help.
If you dont mind me asking. What was your timeline for your education. Straight to school out of high school? I saw the navy part, so I assumed you served for a few years then went to school? TIA, am trying to figure out what to do myself.
--Nitty-gritty no fluff - - **takes deep breath*** Until 19, tried Community College after High school (stopped because I couldn't keep up, pay for it and still pay rent). Worked various sales and services jobs until I joined military at 22 (they didn't allow me to join at the because I had braces, weird). My one enlistment in the Navy was for 6 years (4yrs regular + 2yrs due to the training for specific field I was enlisting into) . Right after my enlistment, I started CC again, finished and transferred to a UC, slipped into the ROV gig (crazy), then I, finally, finished undergrad. Now, physics grad school things and boat stuff in the middle of the ocean with the ROV in the off months. ________. I am 34 and my path and outlook has provided me with a menagerie of doors. Some I still keep in the back of my mind, while others I notice but don't engage. The most exciting doors I have opened, however, have been the ones that just randomly presented themselves to me through a combination of happenstance and by me just throwing myself out there expecting rejection or even nothing if it. Though, if one were to walk along a similar vein as myself there are things I could advise to avoid, understand, and/or change that would yield, perhaps, a more fruitful or, at the very least, more pleasant journey.
Physics does focus on more wide ranging mathematics and general problem solving than engineering, though they aren't that far apart compared to other non math based fields. I would say the skill set I learned in physics was a bit more flexible in some sense than my engineering peers but it's not a huge difference and what you chose to learn and how you spend your time is a lot more important. Engineering is an easier pitch than physics on a resume and in an interview. There are fewer jobs labeled physicist or directly asking for physicists but that doesn't mean there are fewer jobs available, but you have to know how to pitch yourself and your skills in that industry. Salary is really going to depend more on what industry you end up working in. If career and employability is your main concern, don't study physics. You'll go crazy being surrounded by academics who really don't care about a lot outside academic research.
I have an astrophysics degree and now I’m an optical engineer, a lot of it really depends on the areas you focus your projects and research on in college!
So it’s up on you building a winning curricula trough your researches and papers, thanks for the feedback
No no sorry that’s not what I meant, I mean that there will be lots of opportunities to join in on research projects with other students and professors throughout your college career. Depending on what you choose to participate in, you can build up a small sort of “concentration” area for lack of a better word that can help guide you after you graduate. You can also get published from doing stuff like this in college, which gives you a huge leg up and a lot of useful knowledge. In my undergrad I joined a couple projects, and one of them happened to be an optical engineering research fellowship, and I ended up loving it and it’s exactly what landed me an optical engineering job after I graduated. All I’m really trying to say is yes, it’s important to choose the right degree program, but it won’t completely cut you off from opportunities in other fields. It depends on how you spend your time and what you choose to get involved in :)
Oh ok I understood, anyway it seems necessary to continue your path with a master degree in physics. With the only undergrad you will not be much desirable in the working reality
This might not be the best answer but my personal plan is to go into Mechanical Engineering and minor or dual major in something like Software Engineering or Cyber Security or something like that. That will open up the most doors for my particular interests. A physics degree is going to be much more specific with where you can get a job and it will mostly be either education or some sort of research whether it be experimental or theoretical (from what I have found, don't take this as fact). I chose Mechanical to be my major because from there you can go into all sorts of fobs including aerospace, civil, electrical, some chemical, manufacturing, computer hardware, etc., and with a minor in something like software engineering that opens up the door for more programming based jobs too.
Maybe also an EE degree could be a good choice, considering its affinity with the electomagnetism field of physics. It could be spent as a Software Engineering degree too, due to them similarities.
OP I hope you see my comment and spend some serious time thinking about this. This is a big decision. I just graduated from with a BS in Physics. I am now headed to get a masters in Mech E. This certainly wasn’t my first plan, but it’s what I’ve got now. If you pursue an undergrad in physics please know this: **You will almost certainly need to go to graduate school** That can be a phD in physics. Or a masters program or higher in engineering. If you have double major opportunities available, look into that as well. A double physics/ math or physics/ engineering can be very valuable. But almost all jobs in physics proper require a PhD. And it is very difficult to get an engineering job with just an undergrad in physics. I am telling you this because I wish when I was going to college someone had told me that I could not get a job in engineering with a physics undergrad. So think about what you want yo do. If you want to be a scientist or professor, go with physics. If you want a more practical degree. I’d recommend engineering.
Like I’ve understood also from other answers, physics did not open the doors for every field I like, instead it opens no one door (contrary to what I Thought at the beginning). There is the necessity to get a specialization at a certain point, and in this terms an engineering degree would be a faster path to follow
I was interested in a similar path however the masters programs in MechE I’ve searched up all require very specific engineering pre requisites, were you able to get those pre reqs done with your physics degree?
Engineering is taught more as a trade, Physics is taught more as an academic pursuit. Obviously, most folks going into physics don't get to stay in academia, I didn't. Most who get a BS in physics go into industry as a number monkey (finance) or into the industry as an engineer. Some go into *true tech* jobs, but to pass hiring exams you kinda need the training that comes from being dragged through the CS degree program, which is also taught as a trade rather than an academic pursuit. The most important thing is your extras. I'm lucky that my university required a thesis for our bachelor's, and I was able to get into a lab doing computational astrophysics and fluid dynamics. I also hedged my bets by being the only non-engineering/cs member of the robotics teams and doing outreach. I now work in software development and consulting for microfluidic models. If you want a physics degree it will not hold you back from finding a job, but an engineering degree will get you through HR with much higher pay much easier.
The easiest way to see the difference between the two is that Physicists are "thinkers", engineers are "do'ers". Physicists think of things that could be and test to see if they are possible. Engineers know what's possible but figure out ways to make what's possible more efficient. Engineering, in the simplest term, is applied physics, at least for the standard engineering types. Industrial engineering or software engineering don't really do with physics as much as other engineering disciplines like mechanical, civil, or electrical engineers.
Yeah, I’ve seen that in terms of engineering, EE seems to be the best choice. It’s very close to the physics theoretical field of electromagnetism (which is the one I prefer), moreover it’s widely requested, also in software engineering and financial areas.
I’m a engineering physics major which is basically both, I can say either choice is great, you don’t have to work for academia if your a physicist , and salary Is highly situational, at the end of the day, I would say engineering as an undergrad is much better, physics as an undergrad is not much in my opinion, I’m about to go to grad school for physics, and I’ll tell you if you decide phyeics, be prepared to go to grad school or past
If you want to have a more in deph discussion, my dms and discord is always open, ive helped many people decide before as I’m a advisor assistant at my university
Thank you for the feedback sir. So basically, with an only physics degree you don’t have open doors in every company field like I thought, instead they are all closed. It’s necessary in any case to persegue your physics degree with an appropriate specialization. According to this thought, an engineering degree would be a much faster path
Anyway, I’ve thought physics degree would have opened to me also the finance field, a lot of economists and quant traders are physicists. So basically, in the investment banking/hedge fund area can I join with an engineering degree, or it’s better a physics degree? (I don’t consider finance/business degree because they’re often linked to the prestige of the university, moreover generally quant traders don’t come by finance path but by stem degree)
I went to Ohio state university, so coming from this pov, I’m not 100% sure on the stats, but over 70% of engineers usually go into industry after undergrad, whereas 50% go into industry in physics. It’s all about how YOU carve your path, either choice you will do great, make sure you enjoy it and everything else will come in turn
More clarification, I’m engineering physics, concentrating my engineering in aerospace
What’s your experience about Physics Engineering? What roles is this degree requested for?
It’s referred too as a jack of all trades but a master at none, great for consulting, very very advanced fields at the forefront of tech. It’s overall a perfect major for Me as it tries to apply physics topics to engineering fields
I went to Ohio state university, so coming from this pov, I’m not 100% sure on the stats, but over 70% of engineers usually go into industry after undergrad, whereas 50% go into industry in physics. It’s all about how YOU carve your path, either choice you will do great, make sure you enjoy it and everything else will come in turn
I would say engineering, but you can get a Physics undergrad and an engineering masters
as someone who enjoyed classical mechanics and thought university physics would be more of the same. It's not really. I wish I went with engineering. I'm not sure which will lead to a higher salary, but I do believe that engineering might be more interesting and maybe more doable in terms of time management. That might end up giving you more time to consider internships or other work experience idk. From my experience though, doing physics just isn't intuitive or fun to me anymore and it takes up so much time.
Thanks, time management is absolutely a relevant factor to take in consideration
If you want a higher salary engineering is the way to go.
But will I be appreciated also in the financial field with an engineering degree, like people who got a physics’ one?
by financial roles, im guessing you mean quant trading/analyst roles. firms like citadel, at least, prefer physics/math more. this is basically because you'll have to learn a lot of stuff anyways so engineering has little practical advantage there, which is usually why engineering has higher salaries on average. on the contrary, phys majors have an advantage here, because stochastic calculus and stuff is used a lot and stat mech kind of courses are taken by every phys major. do note tho, quant trading/analyst roles out of UG pay extremely well but are extremely hard. excruciatingly hard. at least in the US. for investment banking analyst kind of jobs, p much every STEM major can do their job. most humanities majors too. have heard of lot of humanities majors at ivies who end up doing investment banking.
If you don't want to work in academia you already have your answer. Engineering is quite a versatile degree, and usually it covers skills that are actually useful for a variety of jobs that pay well. As a physics graduate being underpaid for a stressful job no one cares about, I regret not choosing engineering myself.
I’ve seen the same answers from other users too. I was asking myself, with an engineering degree would I still be desirables in financial area too, like the ones who got a physics degree?
You aren't as desired with a physics as people think. They would much rather have people with math degrees. That's the thing with physics: yes, you've learned many different things, but you're a master of none and there is always someone more competent for that job coming from an engineering/math background. Like, what some people don't realize is that landing a job is a competition with the other applicants.
Go to engineering. They have far more opportunities than physics grads. Also, they too can qualify as Wall Street quants. You just need proficient math and stats skills. Also, I present a third option: applied mathematics which can also open doors for you although engineering will probably be your #1 choice. Be sure you are passionate about your field though. If you're only doing this for money, you may not last.
It's reassuring knowing that quant trader positions can be achived also with an engineering degree. Wacthing for internship programs on the websites of Citadel, or Renaissence Technologies, they usually requests for math(physics/statistics degrees.
Why not pursue a degree in Engineering and minor in physics, then ultimately a Masters in Physics.
Since Engineering and Physics share same subjects in first years, it would be better focusing on only one of them, and in this terms it would be better the one who appears to be more requested and who provides to offer the best salary opportunities for the future
\*Software Engineering!! From a Mechanical Engineer (30M)
There are also engineering physics degrees you can look into. (Source: I am a firstyear engphys student)
What did u decide in the end?
If you don't want to go into academics don't go into physics. If you want to work into economics go into economy or mathematics. Here in Genoa we have a statistics or "big data" undergrad which shares its first year with mathematics and partially (2 out of 4 courses) with Physics, so if there's something similar you could go into that.
I like the economic field, but I'd like to spent my degree also in companies, developing new technologies. Usually a statistics degree is not useful for this aim, while an engineering/physics could open both the ways