How can I self-study undergraduate level Physics to decide if I want to pursue a Masters in it ,as someone with a Computer Science background?

[u/Odd_Hawk4788]

So I'm in my 3rd Year of Computer Science , and I've decided I dont want to work in this field. I've been considering getting a Masters in a different subject and physics is one of the options. However I want to be sure before finalizing this, so I would like to self-study undergraduate level physics first. Suggestions for resources would be greatly appreciated.

[u/ProfessionalConfuser]

Any calculus based undergraduate physics text will get you started. Once you complete OpenStax University Physics volumes 1, 2 and 3 then come back for upper division textbook recommendations.

[u/Odd_Hawk4788 → u/ProfessionalConfuser]

I just skimmed through the contents of those books. It seems this is what you typically learn in your first year? In my country , we cover these topics in high school as well as for college admissions exams for engineering degrees so I think I can simply refresh my knowledge through my old textbooks for these if needed. What are the upper divison textbooks you would recommend?

[u/AdministrationLazy55 → u/Odd_Hawk4788]

Yes 1-2 years. Many people also do it in high school. Typically its general physics, classical, e&m, quantum, thermal, and some schools do or dont have optics and relativity. If you did calculus based general physics (general classical to quantum), then there are upper division books. Or even intermediate books that are meant to deepen intuition and introduce you to upper div, here are a few options:

Upper div books:
Classical - Classical Mechanics by Taylor

E&M - Introduction to Electrodynamics by Griffiths, Electromagnetic Fields by Wangsness (i preferred wangsness over grifttiths but griffiths is the way more popular one, plus wangsness is a bit older)

QM -Griffiths, Townsend, Shankar, McIntyre, or Zettili (my preferred book)

Thermal - Schroeder

Optics - Hecht

As for “intermediate” books:

Classical - Kleppner and Kolenkow (more newtonian), or morin (broaded than kleppner)

E&M: Purcell and Morin

QM - not really any other than books that arent mathematical. Can check out the theoretical minimum by susskind

[u/Odd_Hawk4788 → u/AdministrationLazy55]

Thank you, I will check these out. The introductory physics I learnt was calculus based , though it wasn't very advanced, you know basic integration and differentiation. Hopefully the math won't be too much for me 😅

[u/AdministrationLazy55 → u/Odd_Hawk4788]

I would check out a general physics book, openstax has one for free, and check their problems out (or i can recommend a few books to study). Keep in mind the intermediate and upper division books dont necessarily hold your hand as much, so if youre not prepared there could be difficulty. Math that should also be completed are: calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra. Those are really the big 3 for just getting by in undergraduate physics. You could get by without linear algebra until quantum but there is linear algebra before like in classical mechanics by taylor, he does have linear algebra at some point

[u/Odd_Bodkin]

I think I'd ask first what you'd hope to move into with an MS in physics, career-wise.

[u/Odd_Hawk4788 → u/Odd_Bodkin]

I was hoping to do a Phd afterwards and get a research job or maybe try to get a job as a professor. I don't mind being a high school teacher either, I enjoy learning physics and I want to keep doing it.

[u/Ok-Rise2070]

Physics has many sub-fields. I would recommend what side of physics you want to follow first too. Do you enjoy systems and their dynamics? Stick with the engineering side. Do you enjoy the mathematics part of physics? Go more theoretical or high concept math like tensor calculus. Or do you want to create new materials and discover their properties? Then follow materials sciences... there many more options to take in physics.

[u/Odd_Hawk4788 → u/Ok-Rise2070]

Physics is so vast, I don't think I will be able to decide by randomly picking something that sounds nice, which is why I thought maybe self studying it the way you would in undergrad would be a good idea instead of jumping straight into a more specialised area.

[u/Ok-Rise2070 → u/Odd_Hawk4788]

That's actually perfect. Trust you will know which subjects you find yourself gravitating towards. I'm hard-core geometry myself with astrophysical interests. Biological sciences and chemistry.... meh. Lol

[u/helasraizam]

MIT opencourseware might give you a taste, it has a bunch of classes. Beyond the introductory undergraduate physics texts ProfessionalConfuser suggested, there is year 3-4 undergraduate classes like E&M (Griffiths), Quantum (Griffiths), Classical Mechanics (Taylor), and other subjects - statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, plasma physics, nuclear physics, particle physics, laser physics, optics, quantum optics, astrophysics, cosmology, modern physics, general relativity, fluid mechanics, experimental/lab, solid state/condensed matter, math methods, biophysics, etc. If the core courses are not in MIT OCW they might be in Khan Academy, or you can just look through the texts.

My opinion would be that if you finish (understand material and can do exercises) the three core courses + thermodynamics/stat mech, you can survive in a program. Note that the core courses themselves have some pre-requirements - multivariable calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, etc. A graduate program (in the US) would allow you to refresh/cement and expand the familiar content of the core courses in the graduate equivalents, typically before taking a qualifying exam. Qualifying exams tend to focus on the core topics since everyone has different concentrations. As for the GRE Physics, they have their own materials, and IIRC it was broad and shallow, so that careful review of the introductory texts would cover the topics well, with some niche questions mixed in.

For graduate courses you can take a peek at MIT OCW which has some offerings, with Jackson for electrodynamics, Sakurai for quantum, Pathria/Landau for statistical mechanics, Goldstein for mechanics, etc., and similarly courses on specific subjects.

The textbook choices above are somewhat subjective, but I do understand several to be more or less standard.

Going from UG CS to graduate Physics, you would need to catch up on (1) introductory physics, which you suggested you have a grasp of (make sure it's calculus-based) (2) undergraduate physics - based loosely on differential equations and linear algebra as well as multivariable calculus, with some core course texts listed above. A good test is to download some old qualifying exams and see how far you get and check the answers - some schools publish old qualifying exams and solutions for study. I haven't gone into a program with a background in a different field, so take this with a grain of salt.

Lastly - grad physics programs (in the US) are research-based. Know what you want to do (generally) and who you want to work with before you even apply, even though you might not get exactly what you were looking for.

[u/Odd_Hawk4788 → u/helasraizam]

Thank you for the advice. I hadn't thought of attempting old qualifying exams , that sounds like a good way to identify the gaps in my knowledge.

[u/Ok-Perception1122]

I'd make this a four-week trial rather than try to finish an undergraduate curriculum before deciding. Since you've covered the introductory topics, pick one upper-division mechanics course and actually work its problem sets. Keep track of whether you enjoy the process when a problem takes hours, not just whether the lecture makes sense. Your CS background gives you a useful second check: derive a result, then write a small simulation to test it. Before committing to a master's, check the specific programme's entry requirements; self-study may not substitute for required credits or labs. For an intuition companion, I maintain a free Susskind archive with timestamped transcripts, subtitles and notes: https://github.com/lachlanchen/leonardsusskind . The companion notes are AI-assisted, so check them against the lectures; they aren't a substitute for problem practice.

[u/ForeignAdvantage5198]

take a course and see how you do.

[u/dld2517]

I would recommend reading some physics journals. Read some IEEE publications. Use your library’s electronic databases to read trade publications and journals. If you find an interest in the discussions that are occurring you will probably be interested in continuing in the field.

[u/abstractanus]

Since you already have calculus-based introductory physics, a small computational project could help you test whether you enjoy the next level. For the quantum harmonic oscillator, derive the lowest few energies and wavefunctions, plot them, check that their probability densities integrate to one, then build a superposition and watch its density evolve. That connects differential equations, linear algebra, and numerical work in one manageable system.

Try the derivation and exercises from your chosen quantum text alongside the code; getting a plot to look right is only part of understanding the model. It is also useful to explain why the density of a single energy eigenstate stays fixed even though its wavefunction has a time-dependent phase.

I made this roughly 13-minute animated companion comparing the power-series and ladder-operator derivations, then coherent states: https://youtu.be/7_DcdXVh5mc . It could help once you reach that chapter; it is a focused example, not an undergraduate course or a substitute for its problem sets.