Which way to go with a Double Major?

College Majors Science Majors
1

<p>OK, so I know I want to double major Physics and CS, and I know I want to get a Ph.D. in Physics.</p>

<p>My question is, should I do some sort of 5-year MS-BS program, and if so, should I get a Masters in Phys or CS? I know PhD programs are often funded by the school, the professor, or someone else, while the MS would be more expensive, esp if I got the Masters degree in physics and went on to get a PhD anyway.</p>

<p>OTOH, would it be more difficult to get into a graduate program for physics if I had the Masters in CS and only a BS in the other, because it looked like I was more interested in CS?</p>

<p>I'm kind of rambling here, but I want to get this straight so I can choose a reasonable list of schools.</p>

<p>I have, as I see it, 3 options:</p>

<p>1: Double Major, BS in Physics, BS in CS; later PhD in Physics
2: 5-year MS,BS, MS in Physics, BS in CS; then PhD in Physics (waste of money on MS?)
3: 5-year MS,BS, BS in Physics, MS in CS; then PhD in Physics (looks bad to Physics dept.?)</p>

<p>If there are other options, or I missed an important detail about one of these, please, PLEASE let me know.</p>

<p>I need all the help I can get.</p>

2

<p>If you have not yet started college or just a freshman/sophomore, just wait until after your sophomore year and assess what you want to do. Trying to map out all the way to a PhD does not make a lot of sense right now. Take the courses in both areas first. Your first 2 years of college would be the same if you were a Physics major, a CS major or both.</p>

<p>Having said all of that, you may want to look at the “Engineering Physics” program, especially in grad school since many M.S./M.Eng Engineering Physics programs are very interdisciplinary and allow an “area of expertise”…which can be CS.</p>

3

<p>If you are planning to get a Ph.D. in physics, a Masters is not necessary. In fact, a double major that costs you an extra year of time, is not necessarily a plus. If you have a lot of AP credit, then it makes sense though. The idea of and Engineering Physics program is a good one as it can be done in 4 years and is basically a double major.</p>

<p>The important thing for entering graduate school in physics is to get research experience, either at your undergraduate institution or in summer REU programs, or both. This will let you see if the commitment of a Ph.D. is the right thing for you.</p>

<p>@GLOBALTRAVELER is correct, start with your first year courses, talk to faculty and other students and then make your choices in your second year. The courses you take in the first year will all be the same anyway.</p>

4

<p>Do not double major, do not double major, do not double major. As xraymancs said, the double major may not actually help you, especially if you are going on to graduate school anyways. The double major may only put you back a year or two, or worse yet prevent you from getting needed undergrad research experience if you are going onto get a PhD in Physics.</p>

<p>If you decide to go for a PhD in Physics (and don’t think that you will for sure), then don’t bother with the MS, it’s a waste of time if you’re getting the PhD.</p>

<p>Also, you need to seriously consider what you are going to do with a PhD in Physics. I understand the allure of understanding the universe, and the search for knowledge, but seriously you will eventually graduate, and you will have to find some kind of job. Whether it’s a position as a postdoc, a research position, or a position in industry you will have to do something eventually. Don’t count on getting a job in academia. The Physics job market for academics is so glutted that there is basically no chance whatsoever of you getting a faculty position. Conversely, you may find that your PhD will allow you some flexibility in industry, but you may also find that many (most) of those positions could be obtained with only a Masters degree. The big question: are you OK with potentially throwing three-five years of your life away in the pursuit of a PhD, where the only tangible benefit from the PhD may be the three letters besides your name? Think about that long and hard before you go down that road.</p>

5

<p>Ok, so I’m a homeschooled HS junior, which means I still have time to “figure it out,” but, due to screwing up my schoolwork the first two years, i won’t get a chance to do AP tests this year, and I can only do so many next year (will that do any good?). I want a job in physics research (hence, PhD) , but I thought the CS background would help. Maybe not.</p>

<p>So, with that in mind (going into research, w/ little to no AP credit), is there any reason TO double major? I thought there was. C’est la vie.</p>

6

<p>Take as many AP classes as you can, and get the credit for them. It will make your undergrad experience just a little easier, but everything helps. You might think you want a job in research, but many people find out that a career in research is very different from what they think a career in research to be like. There’s only one way to find out though: do some research! Make sure you get a decent undergrad research experience to decide what you really want to do in regards to the PhD. Just know, that there is a very high likelihood that you will not wind up working in industry on the types of research problems that most physicists dream about, if you pursue a career as a researcher.</p>

<p>There really is no reason to double major. No one is ever going to care that you double majored, especially if you take most of the classes that you would take for the double major anyways, which is the smart way to do it.</p>

7

<p>I would be wary about a double major in computer science because it will distract you from more important coursework in physics and mathematics. Graduate programs in physics expect you to go beyond the minimum requirements for a physics major; more so the more selective the program. The students I know who got accepted to the tippy top PhD programs took several graduate courses in both physics and math as undergraduates.</p>

<p>You are right that a few computer science courses may be a valuable addition to your undergraduate education; but a full-blown CS major probably won’t.</p>