<p>Hi, my son is going to be attending UMD in the Fall. He was accepted into the BioEngineering program, and is also going to participate in Gemstone honors.</p>
<p>Recently he has come to me and told me he thinks instead he would want to do a physics major, with possible a dual in mathematics.</p>
<p>I am looking for general opinions related to BioEng vs Physics major. I am concerned about the job market, because I am of the opinion that engineering puts him in a better position to be employed vs physics degree. I also believe that going the physics route means he will need to continue school all the way through a PhD. That's not necessarily a bad thing as long as somewhere along the way you get some organization to pick up the bill while you go to school, but I don't know what the likelihood of that is.</p>
<p>I know you can't predict what things are going to look like 4-8 years down the road, but I would love to hear others' viewpoints on this type of choice, or maybe even here from someone who has walked this path before, especially at UMD.</p>
<p>I agree that an engineering degree probably puts him in a better position to be employed, and a bachelors degree in physics probably isn’t sufficient. That said, D1, a UMD grad and 1st yr grad student (Ph.D. program) in Astrophysics (not at UMD) loves the pure science of it and could never imagine herself as an engineer. Bottom line though, is what subject material inspires and motivates the student.</p>
<p>Because of the LEP part of Engineering, I would recommend that he not change his major (yet)…He should plan to take the math courses that would satisfy either area, sign up for classes that meet his core requirements, and spend some time talking to upperclass people and profs in both areas once he is on campus. It’s really hard as a high school senior to really know what classes will really “click”. He can probably better figure it out once he’s there.</p>
<p>While engineering provides a more direct path to a career immediately after the B.S. degree, it is not necessary to get a Ph.D. if one studies physics. Physics majors can compete for engineering, software development and many other jobs. The important thing is what summer experiences you have and how you present yourself.</p>
<p>A viable option might be an "Engineering Physics " or “Applied Physics” program. These provide both physics and engineering training. In any case, no need to change immediately, get the basic Math and Physics out of the way and then decide.</p>