<p>So I want to be an engineer when I am older, and get a job somewhere in that field. However, two schools that I like a lot, Creighton and Xavier, do not have engineering programs within themselves. Xavier offers applied physics, which many students have used to go on to good engineering graduate schools. </p>
<p>While Creighton does not offer this same option, I was wondering if majoring in physics and getting my bachelor's in Physics, then trying to get my Master's in engineering, is a good idea. Should I just ignore these two schools, or would it not make a difference? </p>
<p>Also, is applied physics different than physics?</p>
<p>There are people who do that all the time, but it’s basically never a good idea if you already know you want to be an engineer.</p>
<p>If what you’re looking for is a Catholic school with a good engineering program, there are plenty! Check out the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities site - they have listings of schools by majors.</p>
<p>Speaking as a physics professor at an engineering school, if you want to be an engineer, study engineering. You have better opportunities for graduate school and you have a degree which can more easily get you the job you like.</p>
<p>We also have an Applied Physics program at [Illinois</a> Institute of Technology](<a href=“http://www.iit.edu%5DIllinois”>http://www.iit.edu) and it is pretty much a double major program between engineering and physics. It is really more of an Engineering Physics program without the name because our physics department is not in the College of Engineering. This is a reasonable choice if you are interested in physics but want to have more practical courses for employment purposes without sacrificing the more modern aspects of physics, such as quantum mechanics.</p>