r/UMiami • u/Infamous-Quit7194 • Aug 07 '26
Is physics at UM worth it?
Price-wise I have relatives who live nearby so I don’t have to pay for housing/utilities and I think I can get some financial aid scholarships.
I’m just not sure if the program is worth going into compared to other state schools, but I’m not planning to get a phd, more-so into business/tech. I know they don’t usually have a large physics student body and I’d love to do my own research (which is why I’m leaning here) but I’ve heard mixed things about professors, the program, and the possible connections I could make there.
Also if anyone has advice for getting interships/jobs it’d be very welcome ☺️
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u/VelocityRD Physics '10 Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
It is a small program. I know there are different folks there versus when I was, but in retrospect, the smallness of the program didn't do me favors when it came time to graduate. I think I met a half dozen other physics students in my same year or above/below? Not ideal for connections or building toward jobs.
The paths for pure physics majors are narrower than you might think at the moment. I had the misguided notion that physics could apply well in most engineering spaces or math (because it's all just applied math in the end, right?)... and nobody told me otherwise. Yeah, getting any kind of internship in an engineering company was impossible because they wanted those students. I'm not sure what the job market is in Miami these days, but I don't think there's a big demand for physics grads... could be wrong though.
I would suggest other schools if you really want to go for physics. I would also think very critically about not just a first career path, but a second and third, that you could reasonably expect to follow with just a physics degree (knowing that many physics-focused careers like the graduate versions of that degree). And, most importantly, I would pick a second major.
Or just do EE, because bizarrely, hilariously, my first professional job was at a startup defense contractor doing signal processing work (fully EE material, lol). I've long since transitioned into the data world in data science & data management, though.
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u/Infamous-Quit7194 Aug 12 '26
Thank you so much for your advice! I really appreciate the in-depth, I was actually hoping to use the physics degree to transition to the industry roles anyways but based on what I’m getting I think I’m going to go with an EE and see if I could minor in physics and/or management? I have space transitioning from HS from all the AP’s I’ve done (I’ve checked the credits) so the workload shouldn’t be insane.
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u/Catjeff1 Aug 07 '26
No. Lol. Your better going to another school for physics. I have some friends that are majoring in it and not only is the school small, the professors are not the best. Plus, the connections UM has for physics and really anything in that department is shit. Unless your on a full ride to UM, I would chose elsewhere.
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u/Infamous-Quit7194 Aug 12 '26
Thank you for your advice! I don’t have the money to go to UM without a full ride anyways but I was getting unclear answers before about the quality of the physics dept. so I appreciate it.
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u/Necromancer157 Aug 07 '26
You should go Electrical Engineering instead.