Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

A physics master’s degree opens doors to myriad careers

physicstoday.scitation.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 169 posts

Re: A physics master’s degree opens doors to myriad careers

#31

Post by otras »

cjhanks wrote: post #11
throwaway2019Z wrote: post #7

From my experience both interviewing and hiring, a physics degree absolutely will not help you in tech. You will have more credibility than any non-STEM graduate, but employers will constantly wonder if you've bridged the gap created by your lack of a CS degree.

I guess my experience has been the opposite. On every software R&D team I have been on, there has been about an even mix of computer science, physics, and mathematics with a few sprinkles of data science from the biology fields. Especially by year 5 or so - who can tell the difference between a computer scientist that knows physics and a physicist who knows computer science? The only skills a person needs to learn co…

I would say GP's claim applies best for the first job, where that question of the gap is most visible.

I studied physics and later entered tech. The first proper development job was the hardest to get, because it was an uphill battle to prove competency.

Re: A physics master’s degree opens doors to myriad careers

#32

Post by BenMorganIO »

jakeinspace wrote: post #29

Does anybody have experience going from a CS/engineering undergrad to a physics MSc? I graduated last year with a CE/EE degree (so, some relevant background in mathematics and electromagnetism, not much quantum). I'm looking at programs which would let me leverage CS/software skills to make up for my lack of physics education, and of course I'm reading textbooks in my free time to try to catch up a bit. I don't have…

I have met a physicist at Perimeter Institute who went all the way to Engineering at Master level and pivoted to Physics PhD. If he could do that, I'm sure you can. I do not remember his name, just his face.

Re: A physics master’s degree opens doors to myriad careers

#33

Post by ConfusedDog »

BenMorganIO wrote: post #32
jakeinspace wrote: post #29

Does anybody have experience going from a CS/engineering undergrad to a physics MSc? I graduated last year with a CE/EE degree (so, some relevant background in mathematics and electromagnetism, not much quantum). I'm looking at programs which would let me leverage CS/software skills to make up for my lack of physics education, and of course I'm reading textbooks in my free time to try to catch up a bit. I don't have…

I have met a physicist at Perimeter Institute who went all the way to Engineering at Master level and pivoted to Physics PhD. If he could do that, I'm sure you can. I do not remember his name, just his face.

I know a person who can do that - Howard Wolowitz.

Re: A physics master’s degree opens doors to myriad careers

#34

Post by maxxxxx »

cjhanks wrote: post #11
throwaway2019Z wrote: post #7

From my experience both interviewing and hiring, a physics degree absolutely will not help you in tech. You will have more credibility than any non-STEM graduate, but employers will constantly wonder if you've bridged the gap created by your lack of a CS degree.

I guess my experience has been the opposite. On every software R&D team I have been on, there has been about an even mix of computer science, physics, and mathematics with a few sprinkles of data science from the biology fields. Especially by year 5 or so - who can tell the difference between a computer scientist that knows physics and a physicist who knows computer science? The only skills a person needs to learn co…

I have worked with physicists. The ones that had respect for software engineering and learned it were excellent. I loved their math skills and they often provided interesting insights. there were others that kept writing crappy research code and didn't want to learn SW engineering practices. That didn't work too well.

Re: A physics master’s degree opens doors to myriad careers

#35

Post by alkonaut »

human wrote: post #15
alkonaut wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What does “tech” mean in this context?

Very good question. By tech does he mean designing quantum computers or does he mean coding UI at Facebook. Very different.

Yeah I mean to me “tech” means technology, and I’d put Tesla and SpaceX as more “technology”-companies than Facebook.

Re: A physics master’s degree opens doors to myriad careers

#37

Post by no_one_ever »

nikomen wrote: post #8
no_one_ever wrote: post #6

Please please please do not pursue a PhD or MSc in Physics on the sole expectation it will open a door to a career that you believe would otherwise be closed. You will not enjoy it.

So I assume it would acceptable to pursue a degree if you enjoy physics and hope to use the knowledge and degree to advance your career. Are the job prospects for advanced degrees in physics that poor?

Yes, the first conditional of your question is mandatory to successfully follow through and complete an academic career in Physics.

I really loved Physics growing up as a student. I was really good at it and enjoyed the problem-solving.

Finished the degree at university, but knew I wasn't married to the idea of doing it for the rest of my career/life. So I touch computers now (got a degree for that too). It pays more, plus it pays 'now'.

Re: A physics master’s degree opens doors to myriad careers

#38

Post by msvan »

I've spent a lot of time getting an MA in mathematics, but I sometimes feel that I should've just gone straight for computer science. I never intended to do pure math research. My CS friends know more about databases and distributed systems than I do, even if I know more about representation theory. Still, if you subscribe to the signaling theory of education, what does it matter.

Re: A physics master’s degree opens doors to myriad careers

#39

Post by mjfl »

muvek wrote: post #27

I have an MS in physics and I disagree with this. If you want opened doors, go for software engineering. You have so many things you can do with software, seriously. I have finished my master's in November, and I have been looking for a job. I have not been very lucky so far. I am looking for data-science related stuff. If you have any suggestions, please, I am all ears. (I am in Europe) There was a time when, if you…

why data science and not something where physics degrees confer more of a comparative advantage? Something like telecommunications engineering or something of that sort?

Re: A physics master’s degree opens doors to myriad careers

#40

Post by f3r3nc »

msvan wrote: post #38

I've spent a lot of time getting an MA in mathematics, but I sometimes feel that I should've just gone straight for computer science. I never intended to do pure math research. My CS friends know more about databases and distributed systems than I do, even if I know more about representation theory. Still, if you subscribe to the signaling theory of education, what does it matter.

in a few years much of the current technologies gets obsolete not the mathematical foundations
Post reply on HN