<p>How would one go about attaining a dual doctorate in math and physics? Would I be able to do both at the same time? Do people usually go for the doctorate after bachelors?</p>
<p>What colleges would offer such a program? </p>
<p>thanks.</p>
<p>What would you be able to do with those two doctorates that you couldn’t do with just one?</p>
<p>I mean, I’m very interested in both fields, and they are related yet very distinct as well. It’s not as much a matter of what I can do with it, I just see I can learn much more about both fields if I do both. In the end, I aspire to be both a mathematician and a physicist, and well versed in both areas. Which colleges would offer such an option whether in the US or internationally? I see that some colleges like Harvard or Caltech only grant one.</p>
<p>Because there isn’t much point in offering a dual degree such as you’re describing.</p>
<p>Go back to Physics Forums! Haha ;)</p>
<p>Yes, people usually get a doctorate after a bachelor’s. There is a separate admissions process for the doctoral degree, so worry about the bachelor’s first. Double-majoring at the bachelor’s level is fairly easy (too much so IMHO) so you can experiment with the combination there. By a year or two in, it will probably become clear why the dual doctorate is seldom offered.</p>
<p>How do people work as both a mathematician and a physicist then? I can see a lot of prospect in combining both fields given that one has extensive knowledge in both areas. For example, a physicist would usually not know much about number theory or algebra.</p>
<p>People collaborate. People who know enough to cross lines between disciplines just cross lines. One of my own professors in college, for example, had a Ph.D. in geology, but taught geology, biology and history of science. </p>
<p>It doesn’t make sense to write two doctoral dissertations.</p>
<p>If you haven’t started taking upper level math and physics classes, I don’t think you can really say if you would be interested in both math and physics. Nevertheless, among theoretical physicists, there is a huge range in mathematical style. Some are incredibly mathematical (think Ed Witten, Xiao-Gang Wen, Alexei Kitaev), others are more physically oriented (although they still may use a lot of math, just not as formally). In particular, for many field of theoretical physics, these use things from algebraic topology, differential geometry, complex analysis, partial and ordinary differential equations among other areas.</p>
<p>I’ve already started taking upper level math and physics classes.
And aren’t there people that can work in many different fields? For example, Terence Tao basically has extensive knowledge of a wide area of math.</p>
<p>By the way, what does it take to be a top mathematician/physicist anyways?</p>
<p>Take lots of math and physics courses, and do well in them.</p>
<p>Read math and physics books outside of class.</p>
<p>Also, ask your professors - once you have professors - what good routes for doctoral study are.</p>
<p>I mean there are some theorists who work in multiple fields like cosmology, QCD and condensed matter (Frank Wilczek, Dan T. Son), and many who do mathematical physics, but you would not need two doctorates for this. Theorists can make transitions between fields a lot more often than you would expect. Xiao-Gang Wen started in string theory and now does condensed matter. Kitaev and Witten originally started in math. To be a successful theorist you need to be able to learn things on your own.</p>
<p>Extremely unnecessary. All a PhD does is show that you have the propensity to carry out and are capable of completing academic research in a field to a degree that contributes to the benefit of the subject at large. Prominent scientists have self studied interdisciplinary topics to supplement their research for muchhhhhhhhhhh more time than they have defended a dissertation. </p>
<p>All the great physicists studied mathematics on their own to bolster their physics. They didn’t need a PhD for it. You’d probably get denied to a PhD program if you already have one, the admissions faculty would think you’re senile.</p>
<p>Getting two PhDs isn’t a thing. If you get a physics PhD you’ll learn any extra math you need on your own, and vice versa.</p>
<p>People can work as both a mathematician and a physicist because you do not need a piece of paper with your name on it to tell you what to research. If you have a degree in physics, you most likely had to take 7 or 8 math courses. So, physicists know math.</p>
<p>If you are interested in both fields of study, do physics. There is more math in the physics curriculum that there is physics in the math curriculum.</p>
<p>I don’t really see there being much point in doing a dual PhD in physics and math. I can definitely see the merit in double majoring in physics and math as an undergrad, which is actually what I’m currently doing. Writing doctoral dissertations in both math and physics at the same time would be a pretty tremendous undertaking. Very few people would have what it takes to do that, and even fewer schools would even be willing to allow a student to do that.</p>
<p>A doctoral program is about specialization, and in depth study of a specific field. A physics major is going have to learn a lot of different kinds of mathematics either way. A big aspect of the doctoral program is demonstrating your ability to learn and research on your own…a big part of which involves picking up new skills and abilities that you need to utilize for your research. </p>
<p>There are a a handful of schools that may let you do a PhD minor in mathematics while enrolled in a physics doctoral program, but approval to complete the minor is by no means guaranteed. Stanford is one of these schools. I can’t say that I know any schools offhand that offer a double PhD in physics and math.</p>
<p>Graduate school is not like undergrad. Undergrad is a time to explore subjects and fields, so double majors and dual degrees are common. Graduate school is for the time for specialization. This doesn’t mean you are limited to a single school; plenty of JD-MBA programs. But if you want a PhD, those tend to be in a single field.</p>
<p>Have you talked to any professors in either the math or physics department? It seems that would be the best way of finding out what other people did when faced with similar choices and why. I would bet many were double math-physics majors (my brother, math PhD, did). It is possible that one professor in either department will know of a good graduate program for you.</p>
<p>I think the best thing for you would be to go to grad school for physics, but pick a field that is going to be a lot heavier in mathematics than other fields. Some branches of physics use quite significantly more, and higher level mathematics than other branches. A lot of fields are going to necessitate self studying new math topics anyway. Part of grad school is being able to teach yourself this material though, rather than relying on a traditional classroom setting.</p>
<p>Ummm…</p>
<p>There IS a sub-area called “Mathematical Physics”. All you need is EITHER a PhD in Math OR a PhD in Applied Mathematics with an emphasis in Mathematical Physics. </p>
<p>No need for both degrees.</p>