The interdisciplinary major, chemical physics, is my desired major. however, only a few school in the country offer these major. Among these are Michigan State, Centre College, Reed college, Brown University, Bowdoin, Wooster, and Hendrix.
Does anyone have any experience/reviews on these programs/schools? Thanks!
What happens if you decide to focus on either chemistry or physics? You’re chasing a rare major and will possibly choose a school that doesn’t fit. Double major or minor in one of the subjects and your list of potential schools will expand immensely.
UC Davis and UCSD has a Chemical Physics Major
Why not just major in physics and take additional chemistry courses of interest?
You could add Swarthmore, Hamilton and Rice.
Regarding the chemical physics major itself, it allows a student to take five or six courses in each department, rather than requiring a full concentration in one or the other.
What is your post-graduation goal?
If it is to go into academic research, check what is expected preparation for PhD programs you are interested in.
If it is jobs in industry, also consider the chemical engineering major, as it is based on physics and chemistry.
Would you be interested in physical chemistry? A lot of schools have that.
“Regarding the chemical physics major itself, it allows a student to take five or six courses in each department, rather than requiring a full concentration in one or the other.”
That’s why it is so appealing. I really like chemistry and I really like physics but I’m not sure that I would like to straight major in either. As for my eventual plans, I want to go to medical school after college.
I am aware that other college offer it than the ones I listed. Does anyway have any first or second-hand experience with the major at any of these schools?
If you say it’s rare, then I don’t think many people have experienced it.
Chemical Physics is a rare major. It’s not popping all over the places in multiple schools like biochemistry is. You’ll probably have to either double major or major in one and minor in the other if you really want that interdisciplinary aspect in your academics. Chemical Engineering is a great alternative if you can’t find Chemical Physics.
OP, chemical physics is more frequently available as a major than you think. Often, it’s not separately listed among the majors that a school offers because it’s offered a specialty track within a physics or chemistry major. I’ll leave you to do your own Google search on this, but I’m sure it’ll turn up many more schools that offer this major than you listed in your post.
Having said that, I think you should focus your college search on schools that are the best overall fit (in terms of admissibility, affordability, size, location, etc.) for you, rather than on a specific interdisciplinary major. There are numerous schools with both strong physics and chemistry departments. Many chemistry departments will allow a major to substitute certain physics courses for an advanced elective in chemistry, and vice versa. If not, you can still major in one field and take relevant free electives in the other.
I don’t think chemical engineering is a great alternative for someone who’s into pure physics/chemistry. It involves physics, it involves chemistry, but it’s really about designing pipelines for like paper pulp or petroleum or whatever - very different from what OP seems to be after. Also it’s a GPA killer, and OP wants med school.
Didn’t see that OP wanted medical school. Major in chemistry. Minor in physics if you want.
Why would chemical engineering be more of a GPA killer than chemistry or physics?
http://www.gradeinflation.com/tcr2010grading.pdf (figure 3) indicates that science grading is lower than engineering grading.
Rice has a chemical physics major, and some other schools (Carnegie Mellon is one example) offer a chemical physics “track” within a physics major.
Thank you for your help!