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A physics master’s degree opens doors to myriad careers

physicstoday.scitation.org

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

#51

Post by kwoff »

oneepic wrote: post #41

I've also heard the opposite, that it leads to absolutely nothing and you are kind of treated like a PhD dropout, at least in the US. Just be careful, I guess, and get plenty of advice from real people who took that path (successfully or not). Oh, and a bachelor's in engineering physics seems to lead to nothing as well. Have had quite a few friends go to career fairs and every company rep lost interest as soon as the…

When I was an undergrad, a classmate told me a Master's in Physics was a "kiss of death". I did stop with a Master's (didn't even go to the graduation ceremony, since it felt like dropping out), though financially I'm good since I went into the web world (started around the bubble's peak). I kinda buy that it helped develop my analytical thinking skills, though in the long run I'm not sure that mattered. Recently I'm also feeling something else that I was warned about: what I'm doing isn't fulfilling. So, it's kinda cliche, but I'd say do what you like doing, not what you think will make you money.

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

#52

Post by klrr »

oneepic wrote: post #41

I've also heard the opposite, that it leads to absolutely nothing and you are kind of treated like a PhD dropout, at least in the US. Just be careful, I guess, and get plenty of advice from real people who took that path (successfully or not). Oh, and a bachelor's in engineering physics seems to lead to nothing as well. Have had quite a few friends go to career fairs and every company rep lost interest as soon as the…

Interesting, in Scandinavia Engineering Physics is quite prestigious and many graduates end up as SWEs. In fact many researchers across Sweden hold Engineering Physics degrees in CS and other disciplines outside physics.

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

#53

Post by superqd »

I have worked in the software world for 20 years, and started coding while in grad school studying for my master's in astrophysics. I initially was building websites on the side to make extra money, but then decided to go full time. My physics background never seemed to matter to anyone. It neither seemed to help or hurt, so long as I could do the work, they seemed content to believe I could learn anything else I'd need to know. Which was true. I bought books on various languages, patterns and computation theory (one of my favorite textbooks).

Other than having co-workers find out I have a physics degree and thinking I'm the nerd as a result, there really hasn't been upside or downside to having studied physics.

Though, I totally went into physics not for the career but because I really wanted to learn physics.

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

#54

Post by muvek »

MockObject wrote: post #50
muvek wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My MS was in astroparticle physics (applied). That means I am better suited for data science than for engineering stuff. Weirdly enough, if I knew optics but no coding I would be in a better place than the one I am in right now, which is: I know (a little bit of) coding but no optics.

Applied?

Well, it's more experimental than applied, bad word I guess. It could've been theorical, but it was experimental.

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

#55

Post by nikk1 »

noetic_techy wrote: post #47

Not my experience and I have a Engineering-Physics degree, which is essentially a full physics degree with additionaly courses gears towards training us as systems engineers and luckily that's how I landed a job afterwards. I tell all prospective physics majors to dual major in CS or EE or some other engineering useful discipline if you truly want to do something good. You have a much better chance of landing a job a…

I'm a recent graduate with a BS in Engineering Physics (EP) as well. I chose the field because I love mathematics and because of the "infinite career possibilities" that the Physics department advertised (just like in this article) which was actually very misleading. I had a really hard time getting started right out of college (your description of HR's view of EP majors is spot on) and started to pursue my Master's at the same University in EP. I dropped out of my Master's program after about a year because I realized I hated doing academic research. A lot of the courses that I took were also very similar to my undergraduate courses... So I didn't feel like I was gaining any added value from my MS.

Most of us graduates in EP either went to pursue graduate work or became Systems Engineers. Now I'm working as a Systems Engineer really only because it felt like the only alternative. I'm planning on getting my Master's in CS so I can get myself on track to the career that I really want. I don't regret studying physics - but I wish I had done a double major instead.

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

#56

Post by andbberger »

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.

I'll second this. You don't do academia for career stuff, or because you think that's the path to becoming a professor. You do it because it's fun, full-time science for a couple years.

There was a thread the other day where the top-comment was some guy who quit his PhD as soon as he realized professorship wasn't an option. Personally, I find this staggeringly backwards and have trouble relating...

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

#58

Post by ShepherdKing »

As someone who obtained their Master's in Physics, I have to agree with the article. The breadth and depth of my scientific training has made me a much more capable data scientist (and engineer) than most of my peers who went the CS path. I only wished that I could have double majored in biology. I would say that my study in physics has taught me how to better see the "bigger picture" and to try to account for all possible outcomes in a given scenario.

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

#59

Post by wyattjoh »

Interesting!

Personally, I started with an B.Sc. Astrophysics, finished that. Realized that it may take a while before I could get in a job related to an area that I'm interested in. I went back and completed an B.Sc. Computer Sciences.

I've typically justified the two degrees by explaining that physics taught me how to learn, how to break apart a problem, and computer sciences provided the foundational basics as to how to associate abstract concepts into software. It was certainly an experience!

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

#60

Post by kirRoyale »

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…

One might even say - "The only skills a person needs to learn is the desire to learn."
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