<p>Is there a big difference between majoring in engineering or physics in undergrad? My uncle majored physics in Taiwan and came to USC for electrical engineering and my cousin told me there isn't too much difference except Physics is more theoretical while engineering is much more hands on. </p>
<p>I've heard many unpleasant stories/ratings about doing engineering in college. So that kind of turns me away from wanting to major in engineering even though I'm pretty interested in it. </p>
<p>It is an interesting dilema because many universitys have an engineering college and a science college (physics). So when you apply to the school you will have to choose which "school or college" in the university you will apply to. This is a very difficult decision to make for someone like yourself.</p>
<p>Some universitys (but not all) have a physics engineering program which seems perfect and is usually in the college of engineering.</p>
<p>Some physics programs have a special arrangement with the engineering college for their physcis majors to be allowed to take engineering courses.</p>
<p>Some colleges will not let people transfer into the engineering program if they decide to change majors calling engineering a closed major.</p>
<p>Never found out if you could apply to both colleges within the university at the time of application. This would be interesting to find out at different schools. If you get admitted to both then you could choose in May.</p>
<p>Funny, when you look at pay scales for physics majors with a B.S. it's around $35,000. Engineering B.S. majors $55,000. So if you think you might not go on to grad school this is something to think about.</p>
<p>So no real answers for you...just some info.</p>
<p>Sorry, I just completely forgot to ask my original question.</p>
<p>Your answer was more about the college admission process. I want to know more about the actual difference between Physics and Engineering. Do the materials differ a lot? How about the social life? Is Physics as "brutal" as engineering? I have also heard that majoring in Physics prepares you for anything. A Physics major is trained to think, but just aren't trained professionally yet.</p>
<p>UPenn not so much. Cornell is awesome in physics engineering. Princeton excellent in physics. Don't know as much about the other schools but I assume they are excellent.</p>
<p>Yes, physics is usually in art and sciences or just sciences. Engineering is almost always separate.</p>
<p>Majoring in physics will allow you to get deeper into the different areas of physics such as optics, electronics, and astronomy so that you can get a better idea what you are really interested in or what gets you most excited. Some of the research will be interdisciplinary with other colleges like engineering or material science. Most schools will pay for you to get your phd. if you are an accomplished undergrad.</p>
<p>Can't say which one is harder. I think it depends on what your strenghts are.</p>
<p>Do not forget about UIUC...definitely above Michigan...</p>
<p>What it comes down to is what do you want to do? I'm assuming you are leaning towards EE, yes?</p>
<p>Physics is like the jack of all trades for engineering. It will literally let you do all of them, if you should so chose to CONTINUE school. You more than likely aren't going to beat a graduating engineer for a job. Later down the road you could easily change, but after college it's a long shot.</p>
<p>As for the department, depends on the school. At my school, UIUC, they have physics in both the Arts college and Engineering. It's your choice as to which school you would like, the only difference being Gen. Eds. (in the engineering college they have less to satisfy) and transfering. It makes it extremely easy for someone like you to say, "Hey, I would like to get more concentrated in EE, rather than just touch it in physics." I am in the Arts college because I am pretty sure I never want to go into engineering, and I like the fact that I have a chance to continue language courses.</p>
<p>Overall, you sound really hesitant about engineering. And again, it really comes to what you want to do later on. Physics will open a research career, whether that be in experimenting or theory (if you continue in physics. You can get a job pretty much anywhere with a physics degree, let alone an engineering degree). Engineering is going to lead to hands on projects and usually management. Just what do you see yourself doing later on in life? </p>
<p>The safest bet would be to go to a school where physics is in the engineering college. Major in physics, take some intro engineering courses (believe me, 100 level engineering courses will give you a perfect glance as to how hard engineering may or may not be for you) and if you want to transfer, it only takes a piece of paper and a signature.</p>
<p>It depends on what kind of engineering. Engineering is a very broad field so certain disciplines within engineering have more overlap with pure physics than others. </p>
<p>For example, if you wanted to go into electronic materials, pure physics would actually put you in a pretty good place because you'd have a lot of background in solid state physics. Likewise, if you wanted to go into optics/photonics, physics would be excellent preparation, perhaps even better than EE, depending on the specific program. (Note that in both cases it would be best to go to grad school.)</p>
<p>But if you wanted to go into steel structure design, a pure physics program would not be very good preparation because Analytic Mechanics (physics department) is very different from Mechanics of Materials and Structural Engineering. Similarly, if you wanted to go into process engineering, pure physics would not be good because physicists don't learn material that is substantially related to process engineering. </p>
<p>The point I'm making is that certain engineering disciplines require specialized knowledge that physics majors learn, while other engineering disciplines require specialized knowledge that physics majors don't learn. A a rule of thumb is that disciplines of engineering that deal with big and visible things (e.g., buildings, water treatment plants, mines) will not have a lot of overlap with pure physics, while disciplines that deal with small or invisible things (e.g., electronic materials, optics/photonics, maybe combustion?) will have a fair degree of overlap.</p>
<p>As for all this talk of engineering being really hard, I think you'll find that physics classes are about as hard as engineering classes. I personally have found physics classes to be conceptually harder because they are more abstract and mathematical, but that engineering classes (well, design classes) take more time and work. </p>
<p>Also, engineers make more money than physicists.</p>
<p>Science (physics) explains what happens and why
Engineering creates what never was</p>
<p>that's the difference, you learn more theories in physics but you don't have the 'design' for new things written in your head. In engineering, they try to put a stamp there.</p>
<p>I think I'm interested in both "dealing with big and visible things". For example, I love watching how a construction site works and I've always liked buildings or other structures. </p>
<p>But I'm also very interested in the abstract things like how and why things happen in our world. </p>
<p>So it seems that if I major in Physics, I'll have more option as to what I can do after college(I'm pretty sure I'm gonna go to grad school)?</p>
<p>For you, either one will be fine. If you plan on continuing down the traditional physics career, you will require more school. So, no matter which way that you look at it, either option will turn out just fine. You could major in engineering and decide that it's for you and head into the professional world. Or you could major in engineering and decide that quantum physics is the way for you, and then go to grad school.</p>
<p>Physics will be almost exactly the same, but as mrniphty so justly pointed out, certain areas of engineering will require some more extensive education.</p>
<p>From what you've stated from your previous post, you seem to be more curious rather than career prospective on civil engineering. But if this is not the case, CONSIDER civil engineering or architecture (architects design, engineers make it possible). You seem mind-set on attending grad school and that could be an indication that you would like academia and the theory over applied concepts.</p>
<p>It comes down to your choice, but I think your best bet will to find a school where physics is in the engineering school.</p>
<p>I came to the conclusion about myself that I wasn't going to school to do a particular job, just to learn advanced mathematics and physics. So, I'm going to major in Physics not Civil Engineering anymore.</p>
<p>keep in mind in various colleges, the college/school/department of arts and sciences (where physics major usually is) normally MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH easier to get into than the engineering school within the same university.</p>
<p>For example, it's easier to get into CAS than CoE in Cornell. While one could get in Cornell for CAS, he might get rejected from CoE and go to U Mich for engineering (not that U Mich isn't good, just not as hard to get into).</p>
<p>Honestly I'm a bit nervous about how qualified I am. I mean I'm pretty good at Calc and Physics. I just took the Calc AP today...and I thought I did terrible, probably a 3. However I think I understand the material pretty well. It's always like the dumb mistakes and the technical stuff that I forget. </p>
<p>I'm pretty decent at Physics. I mean I'm not the kind of person who understands everything and answers the questions in class, but I get decent grades.</p>
<p>Picking a major is not about how good you are in it (somewhat). You pick a major that you want to learn about in college. Totally different than highschool. </p>
<p>It's not like you are going to hop into multi-variable kinematics or whatnot, they will teach you lol.</p>