<p>Over the past couple of weeks, I have been really conflicted of whether I should work for a Ph.D in physics or a BS in some field of engineering. I am currently a freshman in college right now & my primary concern with a physics Ph.D is ending up with so much debt after finishing it & not being able to find work in my field. I'm doing well in my calc 2 class right now & Physics (which I will take as a sophomore in college next year (fall 2013/spring 2014)) really fascinates me, but should I consider a field of engineering or another natural science? If so, what fields should I take into consideration?</p>
<p>Help would definitely be appreciated. I also asked this question on Y! Answers & no one really replies to these questions on there. :/</p>
<p>Are you a sophomore in high school or college? Either way, the two paths you are talking about are unbelievably different. Especially if you are a sophomore in high school, a PhD should be about the last thing on your mind. Only do that if you end up deciding you want to do research as a career. Even then, focus on making it through the first few years of your BS first and then figure out if you want to take it further. That goes for both engineering and physics.</p>
<p>Your first task, then, should be deciding on getting a BS in engineering or in physics first. Both use physics heavily, after all engineering is essentially applied physics. It’s just a matter of what your end goal is. Take a look at what the typical job entails after getting both types of degrees and figure out where you feel you would best fit, then work to achieve that.</p>
<p>Hey boneh3ad, I have graduated HS last year (class of '12), so this is my freshman year of college & started in fall 2012. I will be of college sophomore status in fall 2013/spring 2014, I apologize if my message was confusing or unclear to you or anyone else.</p>
<p>You have to think about what in physics interests you, then find an engineering field that can try to apply it. You’re a little out of luck if you’re into string theory or cosmology, but a lot of physics is really just begging to be applied by applied physicists and engineers.</p>
<p>All that said, provided you get into a reputable program for your PhD in either physics or engineering it should be fully funded, and you’ll also be paid a stipend while you’re there. So no worries about extra loans from grad school.</p>
<p>If you go into Physics a PhD is just about a “must have” for your career. Not so in Engineering.</p>
<p>My son is a HS senior and he is also struggling between engineering and physics. We took a look at the curriculum for each for the school he will attend this fall. It seems if he majored in “engineering physics” it will fairly easy to change course or add a physics degree. If he goes straight through physics, he will miss significant design courses, making it more difficult to get the engineering degree.</p>
<p>I suggest you do the same investigation into your school’s curriculum.</p>
<p>You might consider asking this question on Quora, since this type of issue is discussed and debated there. You might also consider reading the various articles on phds.org about careers in the pure sciences.</p>
<p>That said, if you really want to be a physics professor and/or pure researcher, you should plan on getting undergraduate and graduate degrees in physics. It’s certainly possible to get a BS in an engineering major, and a PhD afterwards, but you’d have to make up the physics courses that the other grad students have already taken (unless you take the physics classes as electives). Prepare to apply for lots of scholarship money if you can’t get funding as a PhD student. (It will prepare you for applying for research grants.) Accept the fact that you probably won’t make as much money as engineers, unless you get a tenured position at one of the top universities, research centers, or companies that hire physicists.</p>
<p>It is certainly possible to find a good job with a B.S. in physics, however, you will NOT be doing physics in that job. I have had a number of my advisees graduae and go into jobs in the software and engineering fields. The problem-solving and analytical skills learned in physics are attractive to employers.</p>
<p>That being said, an Engineering Physics or Applied Physics degree will provide you with easier access to engineering-oriented jobs. Neither of these majors will preclude you getting into a graduate program in physics.</p>