<p>Hello everyone,
Next year I'll be over with my B.Eng Mechanical Engineering. I want to go for further studies and I am confused between Theoretical Physics and Aerospace Engg. I want to take up Theoretical Physics but frankly speaking I can't afford top notch universities for Physics.. Moreover, I don't think I've studied the level of math required for TP during my bachelors degree! So, I thought to take up further masters course in any one of the engineering branches.. (I'm interested in Aerospace) ..earn some good money working for few years..and then go back to university...and then take up Theoretical Physics from the very beginning i.e. from Bachelors to Masters to Ph.D level! Will it be a wise decision to make? And if it's the right decision which engineering branch should I take up for my masters which can best relate to Theoretical Physics and which will help me earn lots of money! Please guide</p>
<p>No, no, no! Don’t start from a Bachelor’s in physics. You might want to take a M.S. in physics and make sure you make up the missing base courses. At my university, we regularly get engineering students and we work with them to make up the missing coursework. It does not take too much extra to do so. Alternatively, see if you can get into a M. Eng. program that lets you take some physics electives to get up to speed.</p>
<p>With a ME degree, you have a reasonable amount of Math and certainly enough mechanics. You are probably short on electrodynamics, quantum mechanics, and statistical physics. Since you have one more year in your B.S. studies, can you take some physics courses as electives?</p>
<p>Now, as to your desire to do theoretical physics. That is a very long and hard road if you want to make a career of it. If you are serious, you probably want to get started as soon as possible to see if you have the ability to be successful. I would say that the majority of physics majors who go to graduate school want to be theoretical physicists but many of us find out relatively quickly that our aptitude is not in that direction.</p>
<p>“Theoretical physics” isn’t a major. First you pick a field, i.e. condensed matter, optics, astro, gravity, high energy, nuclear, superconductivity, the list is long and varies from school to school.</p>
<p>Then you decide theory or experiment <em>in that field.</em> And if you’re fortunate you actually get accepted into a research group based on your most preferred specialization.</p>
<p>I skipped over the fact that “nobody” gets a Masters in physics in America, they get a PhD because then they don’t pay tuition.</p>
<p>I also chuckle at the idea that aerospace engineering is somehow easy on someone who isn’t confident in their math skills. It is one of the more math intensive engineering fields.</p>
<p>Theoretical physics is a totally different animal from any engineering field. The math complexity and difficulty required for TP PhD work is likely very similar to that of an AE PhD, however, the concepts and theory behind any TP area may be an order of magnitude more difficult to grasp… </p>
<p>Getting any STEM PhD is no walk in the park. However, it really takes someone with a specially wired brain to fully understand and push forward in a field like theoretical physics.</p>
<p>I’m not to dissaude you from your dreams here, but you need to be realistic with yourself and make sure you are aware of the challenges ahead. If you are sure, push full steam ahead after getting your BS and step right into an MS physics program, then into a PhD program - skip working in the real world between BS and MS. Don’t go back for a BS in physics… just start at the Masters level and take the required pre-reqs.</p>
<p>University of Chicago has some interesting information on their website regarding TP research areas you might want to check out… [Theoretical</a> Particle Physics | Department of Physics](<a href=“http://physics.uchicago.edu/research/areas/particle_t.html]Theoretical”>http://physics.uchicago.edu/research/areas/particle_t.html)</p>