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What are some of the careers in physics?
I am a junior in High School, interested in physics and baseball, and I am looking to start my search for colleges. #physics #college
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Charese’s Answer
Hello!
There are many subfields within physics such as Astronomy and Astrophysics, Biophysics, Engineering Physics, etc. so it also depends on what field you are interested in. Regardless, with a physics degree, you can become a business analyst, engineer, physicist, programmer, work in a research lab, professor, and more. You can even go to secondary schooling to further your knowledge if needed too. I hope this helps!
There are many subfields within physics such as Astronomy and Astrophysics, Biophysics, Engineering Physics, etc. so it also depends on what field you are interested in. Regardless, with a physics degree, you can become a business analyst, engineer, physicist, programmer, work in a research lab, professor, and more. You can even go to secondary schooling to further your knowledge if needed too. I hope this helps!
Good advice.
John Kriegel
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Andrew’s Answer
There is a wide range of career paths with a degree in physics. The main reason for this assessment is that physics is a discipline in the nurturing of analytical, mathematical/logical, and problem-solving skill, besides the training in the science of physics.
An undergraduate student majoring in physics may continue his/her study in graduate school, finishing up with a master’s degree and a Ph.D. degree. These students may end up in academia or research institutions, as many would expect. However, because of the analytical, mathematical/logical, and problem-solving skill they have acquired in their degree program, their talent will be valued by many manufacturing and business sectors. Such skill appreciation also applies to graduate with a bachelor’s and master’s degree.
Let me tell you a little bit about my own experience……
I got my bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in physics, and my Ph.D. in earth and space science. Anyway, I worked on a problem in solid-state physics, applied to a mineral, for my dissertation. It is a theoretical/mathematical exercise in which a computer program in finite -element analysis had to be written from scratch. Basically, my dissertation was a combination of mathematics, physics, and computer programming exercise.
As a young Ph.D. then, I spent a year as a postdoctoral fellow in a research institution waiting for an academic appointment. Such appointment was hard to come by, and I would have been transferred to another research institution or university to bid my time. I decided to leave academia.
I landed on a job as a research scientist working for a large corporation consulting NASA on space-borne geophysics, geodynamics, and space geodesy for about two decades. Everything I learned during my degree programs were useful to my career.
Then, by some luck, I was offered an academic appointment as Professor of Mathematics and Statistics in a large university. I stayed in that position for fourteen years before my retirement.
Finally, how would baseball fit into your interest in physics? Well, it is not easy to pursue a career in science and baseball. You must make a tough choice. As a physicist, you can study the physics of baseball. It should be an interesting pastime…..
An undergraduate student majoring in physics may continue his/her study in graduate school, finishing up with a master’s degree and a Ph.D. degree. These students may end up in academia or research institutions, as many would expect. However, because of the analytical, mathematical/logical, and problem-solving skill they have acquired in their degree program, their talent will be valued by many manufacturing and business sectors. Such skill appreciation also applies to graduate with a bachelor’s and master’s degree.
Let me tell you a little bit about my own experience……
I got my bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in physics, and my Ph.D. in earth and space science. Anyway, I worked on a problem in solid-state physics, applied to a mineral, for my dissertation. It is a theoretical/mathematical exercise in which a computer program in finite -element analysis had to be written from scratch. Basically, my dissertation was a combination of mathematics, physics, and computer programming exercise.
As a young Ph.D. then, I spent a year as a postdoctoral fellow in a research institution waiting for an academic appointment. Such appointment was hard to come by, and I would have been transferred to another research institution or university to bid my time. I decided to leave academia.
I landed on a job as a research scientist working for a large corporation consulting NASA on space-borne geophysics, geodynamics, and space geodesy for about two decades. Everything I learned during my degree programs were useful to my career.
Then, by some luck, I was offered an academic appointment as Professor of Mathematics and Statistics in a large university. I stayed in that position for fourteen years before my retirement.
Finally, how would baseball fit into your interest in physics? Well, it is not easy to pursue a career in science and baseball. You must make a tough choice. As a physicist, you can study the physics of baseball. It should be an interesting pastime…..
Updated
John’s Answer
My gut answer is to keep your options somewhat open. Physics is a great field. To maximize its value you want to cultivate a decent interest in math (including calculus). And for fun you might want to combine your interests - physics can be used to explain some key elements of baseball, including how the human body works (or doesn't work). Not sure what to recommend about schools. Obviously schools like MIT and CalTech are wonderful, but there are so many. Smaller schools that can let you have more personal attention are good as well, especially for the first couple of years.
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Lauren’s Answer
Business analyst, Data analyst, Engineer, Patent attorney, Physicist, Physics researcher, Physics teacher or professor, Programmer, Project manager, Scientist
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Will’s Answer
The first two years of my journey towards an industrial engineering degree involved purely math, physics, and chemistry courses with a variety of other engineering (mechanical, biomedical, industrial, aeronautical, ... you name it) , math, and physics majors. I'd keep an open mind towards engineering as physics and other core areas of study are at the heart of engineering. As a civil engineer, for instance, you might specialize in statics, dynamics, and maybe some material science. As a mechanical engineer, you might focus heavily upon fluid and thermal dynamics. The sky is the limit with a knowledge in physics.