<p>How would one apply to a physics graduate program when they have a BA in Romance Languages? Are prerequisites specific to each school? I assume a GRE is required for all schools. What is the best way to search for a program? Any advice along these lines is greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>You would most likely need to complete some form of post bac program, whether unofficial or official, to make up for the classes a physics major would have completed. Pre-reqs may vary by school, so I suggest that you find some areas of research you find interesting/some specific topics you would be interested in pursuing, figure out which schools have researchers studying those things, and then looking at the pre-reqs for those schools</p>
<p>And seek out some research internships, too!</p>
<p>Supposing a graduate program in physics requires a BS in physics, what would the least expensive way to meet the course requirements. The prospective student lives in Brooklyn. </p>
<p>You could do a second BS at a CUNY school, which is probably the most affordable. Alternately, many programs do not require that you have a BS in physics so long as you have completed the equivalent courses, so you can probably take just the classes you need as a part time student at a CUNY before you apply. </p>
<p>This is copy-pasted from NYU’s physics grad FAQ: It is important for students to have a strong background in Physics before entering the graduate program. However, it is not a requirement to hold an undergraduate degree in Physics. The department decides on a case-by-case basis whether an applicant is likely to succeed in required core courses based on prior preparation… A successful candidate must demonstrate an understanding of subjects such as Classical Mechanics, Electricity & Magnetism, Quantum Mechanics, Statistical Physics, and Dynamics. Your Physics GRE score would help us in determining aptitude in these subjects, but it is only one of many factors used in determining eligibility for admission.</p>
<p>I am looking into Stony Brook’s second degree program. I wonder if other schools have second degree programs.</p>
<p>We have taken student into our physics program at Illinois Tech without degrees in physics but there are prerequisites that we require and they are sort of a bare minimum for a B.A. in physics.</p>
<p>Calculus I, II, II
Differential Equations
General Physics I, II, II
Modern Physics
Classical Mechanics (minimum 1 semester, Junior level course)
Electrodynamics (minimum 1 semester, Junior/Senior level course)
Quantum Mechanics (minimum 1 semester, Junior/Senior level course)</p>
<p>The last 3 are preferably full year courses and a course in Statistical Physics is a good one to have too.</p>
<p>These are a significant number of courses for someone with a B.A. in Romance Languages so a second degree is probably warranted. The first three or 4 lines can be taken at a Community College but the rest need to be taken at a 4 year school. It may be possible (we do this) to be admitted as a non-degree student to complete the prerequisites before joining the program.</p>
<p>This begs the question: if u want to pursue a graduate degree in physics, why didn’t u get an undergrad degree in something even remotely related?</p>
<p>Just genuinely wondering, what makes you think that you even want to pursue a grad degree in physics? Do you have prior experience that you’ve based this on?</p>
<p>You will likely need to go back to undergrad and get a degree in physics or chem, or pursue a series of related courses at the very least (however, not speaking from experience really, as I am a prospective chem grad student myself- coming from chem major). SUNY seems fine. My advice from my undergrad experience in the physical sciences would be to pursue research as early as possible, and try and obtain an industrial internship. I didn’t know I wanted to do chem, and had very little emotional confidence to declare my major until sophomore year, due to having been personally degraded and humiliated by my chem teacher in high school. As a result, I was only able to begin research during the beginning of my junior year. In retrospect, I wish I’d gathered up confidence earlier and been less deterred by my bad experiences- because I feel quite behind with only 2 years of research experience and 1 year of Undergrad UTA position…and no internships under my belt (though I tried to pursue quite a few of them). Perhaps try to get an internship earlier in the game…i.e. before you’ve gathered significant research experience. I was turned down from Bayer because they wanted someone who was more ‘mold-able’, and they were very close to choosing a girl in my class who had absolutely no research experience. I suppose it depends on the company though.</p>
<p>Best of luck in your career path.</p>