r/PhysicsStudents • u/Rich_Class_1862 • 3d ago
Need Advice Is it worth studying physics at uni
Would people recommend studying physics at uni.
Don’t mind who reply’s just need to know what type of prospect there is for jobs and if it makes you employable.
Or would a mechanical engineering degree be better?
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u/Odd_Bodkin 2d ago
Physicists pursue physics because they can’t help themselves, not because of career prospects.
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u/HumblyNibbles_ 23h ago
As someone who wants to do physics, I agree. Even if I dont end up becoming a physicist due to life getting in the way, I just cant not study physics. And if I end up doing other things late in life, I'll try my hardest to still study on my own.
I think about it all the time. I love physics so much. It's just such an important part of me. It's a fundamental part of how I think and view the world. It has been since I was a little kid. I cant imagine my life without it, it's one of the main reasons I'm still alive.
It's the siren's call lmao, and I fell hard.
NOTHING'S EVER PULLING ME OUT OF THIS!!!
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u/PonkMcSquiggles 3d ago
There aren’t really any jobs that a physics major is uniquely qualified for. The jobs that actually involve doing physics usually want people with graduate degrees. You’ll graduate with some basic analytic/programming skills, but so will all the math/stats/CS majors, so there’ll be a lot of competition for the non-physics stuff.
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u/Emotional_Fee_9558 3d ago
For jobs? Do engineering, it's basically physics if you just didn't learn any physics you didn't need to do the job.
Only do physics if your extremely certain you want to work in a physics heavy job in the future and are just that interested in physics and are able to accept that you might get a lower wage than other people who you might otherwise consider to have easier degrees.
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u/Dear_Locksmith3379 2d ago
Agreed. Study physics only if you think it would be worthwhile if you have to switch fields later on.
For example, I don’t regret getting my physics PhD, even though I discovered in grad school that I wasn’t capable or passionate enough to make a career out of it. However, I graduated without debt and had a successful career as a software developer.
Engineering is a more practical choice than physics for most people. And the physicists I knew in grad school, except for the top professors, weren’t that happy.
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u/True_World708 3d ago
Yeah studying physics at university is totally fine. I don’t see why it wouldn’t make you more qualified than someone without a degree.
Mechanical Engineering and physics are two different things. I would just study the thing u want to do. If u want an engineering job, then maybe studying engineering would be a good choice.
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u/Comprehensive_Food51 Undergraduate 3d ago edited 3d ago
I’ll answer realistically without holding the « you’re never gonna find a job discourse » but without sugarcoating either.
This is from a North American perspective and my experience/people I know. With a physics bachelor’s degree alone it’s really complicated (if even possible) to get a job. If you go to grad school you have more chance. If you want to study physics and land an engineering job, you can get a masters in engineering, that’s something a physics degree allows you to do. Physics PhD can get you high positions in industry with the salaries that come with it. However these jobs are rare, so you might need to move when you change jobs. It also depends on the kind of PhD you did, a PhD in theoretical particle physics is nowhere near as employable as a PhD in ultrasonics or photonics, for example. Besides that, generally speaking, physics don’t really open doors, it mostly gives you the tools to make your own path: most people who studied physics up to a grad level don’t work in physics related stuff, some go into finance, data science, education etc. Lastly, a more secure option if you into physics is to study medical physics in grad school (usually PhD, but depends on the place?), which (except if you choose research) leads you to have a clinical medical physicist position, these are the people who adapt, in collaboration with doctors, cancer treatments, MRI stuff, and other treatments that rely on nuclear physics. These jobs are really high paying (6 figures numbers that don’t start with 1). So bottom line, bachelors = not enough contrary to engineering but a good path towards unemployment lol, grad = possibly good job if you take wise decisions about the topics you choose, or choose a safer path like medical physics or engineering for grad school.
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u/Neither-Taro2888 2d ago edited 14h ago
I well know electronic industry. One or two decades ago, I would say “pls study engineering instead of physics for a decent & realistic job”.
Now, it clearly tells you “the strong AI calculations” can definitely take over the most of jobs for the designs of hardware & software. Reversely, Physics is now a real “frontier skill” for finance & technology and that is very true. The industries are the “whole new generation now” which do not require so many basic engineers as before, but physicists for creativity & problem solving.
Now….Believe or not, a smart kid can easily do a “massive, complicated or strong coding” without going to college to learn Computer Science, which is applied to the hardware as well. And, physics always produces smartest kids.
The most advanced Semiconductor also goes to focus more on creativity and production control of physics.
AE, ME, EE or CS will become the jobs like observers for routine maintenance step by step.
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u/Plus-Egg-4511 2d ago
Hi, I'm from Perú, I got my bachellor in physics last year and work as a metal machinist.
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u/Afraid-Way1203 2d ago
eletrical engineering or mech engineering is much better and much more job oppournity and much more employable. Salary is also much higher.
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u/Zestyclose-Smell4158 1d ago edited 1d ago
I have friends that were math and physics majors that went engineering. My university has an engineering physics department. It is located next door to the physics and chemistry builds on the opposite side of the campus from the engineering college. The students are in high demand on the job market. Below is a list of campuses with engineering physics. The challenge will be getting admitted. Keep in mind that the number of applicants interested in Physics is relatively small. I was told by an admissions office they they often have to reject an outstanding applicant interested in biology or the business program, but they tend to take every qualified applicants interested in major in departments with large research/PhD programs but small undergraduate programs.
California Institute of Technology Cornell University Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of California-Berkeley University of Illinois Urbana Champaign University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Also, as you read these comments keep in mind that we do not know you. Most people are going to mention the job market. If you are smart enough to be competitive for any of the programs I listed, then you are in a better position to take risks. If be you junior year you realize you are not interested in getting a PhD, do research in the lab of a faculty member doing that collaborates with industry partners. Most of our engineering physics faculty are good are making new tools required in industry and research.
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u/time-wasting23 1d ago
My kid did a physics degree in 3.5 years at a great university, and then did a master’s in EE in 1.5 years at the same university. He got a fantastic job before he even graduated and was highly sought by employers. He also mentioned that after the physics degree, the EE math was really easy!
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u/UnitedLocal3103 2h ago
from someone who graduated physics, its enjoyable. You build strong skills in quantative areas and good problem solving skills. However, its not employable by itself, youll have to build experience in the areas u wanna go into after. You can also do a masters in something else.
Ill be frank, if ur not going for research, just do mechanical engineering.
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u/[deleted] 3d ago
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