<p>I am currently an undergraduate student majoring in chemistry, which I enjoy a lot. However, I am thoroughly interested in nuclear chemistry and particle physics and have goals of pursuing grad school. I was wondering if I should continue on my path of chemistry or switch to physics? I know physics contains many other subjects that do not particularly fall under nuclear chemistry. </p>
<p>Or</p>
<p>Would it be a viable option to continue working in chemistry then specialize in a nuclear direction in graduate study?</p>
<p>What about majoring in chemistry while taking only the advanced physics courses that interest you? Or being a physics major and taking only the chemistry classes that appeal to you most?</p>
<p>One route u could look at is getting a chemical engineering degree. The chemical part obviously has the chemistry, and the Engineering has it chock full of physics. I do believe as long as your degree is similar to grad field you are going into and u have the grades you will be fine. I am a biochemistry major and with good grades i can get into a huge variety of Grad programs, ranging from biochem, immunology virolgy, organic chm, ect. so i assume with say a physical chemistry degree you would be fine</p>
<p>If you are planning on a graduate program in physics, then a chemistry degree will be lacking some important basic courses that physicists are expected to understand. These are classical mechanics and electrodynamics. You will also have a limited background in quantum mechanics from the point of view of a physics. I would say this is even more the case for chemical engineering. Conversely, a physics major has very little idea of organic and inorganic chemistry and so is deficient for a chemistry graduate program.</p>
<p>All that being said, these deficiencies can be made up in graduate school if you are determined enough. </p>
<p>You say that you are interested in nuclear chemistry and particle physics. These are extremely different areas. In fact nuclear physics and particle physics are considered quite different as well. If you want to hedge your bets, you could stay with the chemistry degree and take your elective courses in physics, primarily the subjects I mentioned above. While a physics major might take full year sequences of classical mechanics and electrodynamics, you could take one semester each of these and have a fairly good preparation for a graduate program in physics. WE have had chemistry majors in our physics program at Illinois Institute of Technology and once they have taken the undergraduate mechanics and electrodynamics sequences, they are fine.</p>
<p>I think that a good reason to do physics is that it makes it relatively to transition to other fields. I know many people who did physics in undergrad and then went on to graduate school in fields like nuclear engineering, chemistry, materials science, and bioengineering. Another option which is available at my school for example is to do a physics major with a concentration in chemical principles which requires you to take four semesters of chemistry.</p>