<p>I'm a senior in high school, and one of the biggest difficulties for me right now is whether I tell colleges I want to major Physics at the arts and sciences school or that I want to major in some sort of engineering at the applied science/engineering school. I've had trouble making this decision with colleges like WUSTL and Northwestern. I think I would enjoy a physics major at the arts and sciences school more, but engineering degrees seem safer and more likely to get me a job. I plan on attending grad school either way. How important is my decision at this point? Is it difficult to switch if I decide I don't like the one I choose? Am I going to be taking a lot of the same classes in one major as the other?</p>
<p>Moat private schools let you switch schools relatively easily, but not all. Engineering is usually an entirely separate school, with separate admissions and separate core classes. If you’re not sure, I would advise applying into the Engineering Schools, as it is typically easier to go Engineering => Physics than to go Physics => Engineering. It would be frustrating to decide on Engineering, only to have it be an impossibility.</p>
<p>^^ Agree. The only school my S applied to that did not have an engineering major was the one he ultimately (sigh) attended. He ended up a physics major with a math minor.</p>
<p>Freshman and sophomore engineering and physics majors generally take the same math and physics courses, but the engineering majors may also take introductory engineering courses, usually in their sophomore year (e.g. statics, materials, electronics, computer science). Some engineering majors also take chemistry and/or biology (e.g. for chemical engineering or bioengineering).</p>
<p>If you start as an engineering major, switching to physics and/or math in sophomore year should not mean any delay, since you will have been taking the needed physics and math courses anyway.</p>
<p>In some schools, engineering is a separate division from the arts and science division that physics and math are in. It is sometimes harder administratively to switch in one direction than the other (usually harder to switch into engineering than to switch out at the more selective schools); this often goes with different levels of selectivity in freshman admissions as well.</p>
<p>As far as jobs go, you can check the <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/internships-careers-employment/1121619-university-graduate-career-surveys.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/internships-careers-employment/1121619-university-graduate-career-surveys.html</a> (Berkeley, Virginia Tech, and Cal Poly SLO have particularly detailed surveys). Note that while many physics majors do not end up working on pure physics, they often end up in decent paying jobs in those engineering area where a PE license is not required, or in computer software, or in finance.</p>
<p>hippiejack,</p>
<p>I am a Ph.D. physicist who works with semiconductors, a field that overlaps both physics and engineering. I would like to address the differences you will find between an engineering major and a physics major.</p>
<p>As mentioned above engineering students have to take several math and physics courses in their first and second years in college, so there is some overlap between the two majors. An engineering major, however, is a professional training program that includes theory, design, and “best practices.” Most engineering programs leading to an ABET approved B.S. have many technical requirements, leaving little time for electives in the humanities or social sciences. A B.S. in engineering prepares you for entry-level employment in industry.</p>
<p>A good physics major will go beyond the physics courses required of engineering undergraduates. The emphasis is on the experimental evidence and the theories that describe our physical world. Through the study of physics you hone analytic problem solving skills, acquire mathematical skills, and learn experimental technique. While a B.A. or B.S. in physics does not aim to prepare you for a specific job, the skills you develop studying physics are valuable in a number of careers, including science, technology, education, business, law, and medicine. Unemployment is low among those with undergraduate degrees in physics.</p>
<p>My advice would be to choose whichever major – physics or engineering – that fits your preferences better. Do well in either major and you will have good prospects after college.</p>
<p>You mentioned that you might be interested in eventually pursuing a Ph.D. At that level it can be hard to distinguish between physics and engineering, because both emphasize research. Research in my field, semiconductors, takes place both in physics departments and in electrical engineering departments. In any event, make sure that you get involved in research as an undergraduate, so as to become an attractive candidate for graduate school.</p>
<p>Very well put Fifty, glad to hear your informative comments. (My father worked in semiconductor industry early on.)</p>
<p>I’d just like to add that there are some private engineering schools that include a liberal arts component or minor to the program, such as Olin and Harvey Mudd. Because of you handle, HippieJack, you might especially be interested. Mudd has a Physics dept as well and I’m not sure if you have to choose one or the other in the first year. Worth checking out. </p>
<p>My daughter wanted to do Physics but changed after sophmore year to math/CS as many do at her school and is in a CS PhD program. I’ve also met quite a few Physics majors who were working in the computer industry and in banking and other areas where you do mathemetical modeling.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone, all this advice is very helpful.</p>
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<p>All ABET accredited engineering degree programs include substantial liberal arts, including humanities and social studies for breadth as well as math and science as prerequisites for engineering courses. (Even Brown includes humanities and social studies requirements for its ABET accredited engineering majors, while it has no breadth requirements for other majors.)</p>
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<p>Agreed. Typically a B.S. in engineering will require a student to take about 20% of his or her coursework in humanities and social sciences. By contrast humanities and social sciences might account for as much as 50% of the coursework for a physics major. Specific requirements vary from college to college, but generally speaking engineering requires more technical courses than a physics major does. A B.S. in engineering is a focused professional training program, while a physics major has broader educational goals. One is not better than the other. They are just different. Choose whichever one suits your interests and goals. Both can lead to satisfying careers.</p>
<p>Many colleges will let you double major. It is possible if you choose a closely related focus ( elec engineering and a similiar focus in Physics) Some classes will count for both degrees. </p>
<p>Then if you don’t immediately go to grad school you can get a great job and great pay while you decide.</p>