I'm having trouble distinguishing these majors, help? (Engineering/Physics/Applied)

[Gizmo j]

Note: This is not a immediate plan, I may attempt this 4+ years from now.


I'm interested in many different engineering fields and a while ago I was thinking I should try to obtain multiple different engineering degrees such as Electrical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering.

But doing some research I heard that if you have a Ph.D in Physics you are often qualified for many different engineering fields so I thought I should try to pursue that.

But when I was browsing through other majors from different Universities I noticed that they were many different majors that sounded very similar to Physics and I'm not sure which one to pick.....such as:

Applied Physics
Engineering Physics
Engineering Science and Mechanics
Engineering Math and Statistics
Master of Engineering in Engineering
Applied Mathematics
Applied Science and Technology

So as of now I'm not sure which major I should try to pursue for a Ph.D......any advice?

 

[MongGrel]

Well, at least you're trying to think ahead.

Is there a school associated with a FIRST Robotic team in your area ?

I'd recommend getting involved in that if you're going into engineering in any form.


For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_Inspiration_and_Recognition_of_Science_and_Technology

I'm a former Mentor myself, just getting old here.

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/9-12/features/first-robotics-index.html#.VYUyquI3QWw

 

[Murloc]

applied/engineering physics is definitely closer to engineering than pure physics.

But be aware that by the time you start a PhD, you'll already be specialized in a single thing.

You can't do everything, you have to choose a path, in the first year of university you can still change flexibly though, even in the second year although you'd have to take courses you missed out on.

Still, if you choose courses in semiconductor physics and your PhD is about semiconductor lasers, that's what you will do afterwards, you will NOT be qualified to be a mechanical or civil engineer and you will not even know much about them.
Fact is, mechanical and civil engineering don't usually require advanced physics (they benefit from new materials but they don't need to know about the physical reasons that make the young's modulus of a material different from another, it's not their job and it's not their specialization), so if you do physics (applied or not) you will go in the opposite direction.

You don't need quantum physics to learn about structural mechanics. And quantum physicists don't need to learn about structural mechanics.

You have to do some digging and find out what you really like because these fields are different from each other and you may hate one and love another one. Math is what they all have in common.

 

[Aluvus]

I'm interested in over 9000 different engineering fields and a while ago I was thinking I should try to obtain multiple different engineering degrees such as Electrical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering.

How old are you? I'm guessing high school or earlier? It's certainly possible to get a bachelor's in multiple different engineering fields, but it's significantly harder than just picking one and the pay-off tends to be limited. And having a whole slew can backfire, as people handling hiring can view it negatively. Having 2 complementary majors can be an asset (e.g. electrical + mechanical if you want to do controls), but other combinations may cause people to look at you funny.

In general, it's pretty easy to move between STEM majors through freshman and sometimes sophomore year, and easy enough to move between engineering majors through all of sophomore year. That gives you a fair amount of time before you actually need to commit to anything. I think it takes most engineers a while before they're really sure which direction they want to go.

You can also take the approach of getting a bachelor's in one field and then a master's in a different but complementary field.

But doing some research I heard that if you have a Ph.D in Physics you are often qualified for many different engineering fields so I thought I should try to pursue that.

If you have a bachelor's or master's in physics, you can compete for some (but not all) of the jobs that an engineer with a bachelor's or master's could. But by the time you have a PhD, you are generally pigeon-holed into a specific topic.

 

[DCal430]

My you really do aim high for someone who doesn't have a high school diploma. Good luck though.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

over 9000

You didn't need to give away that you were trolling so early.

 

[IronWing]

When you settle on an area of interest figure out if a PE is needed to practice or advance in that field and find out if an engineering degree is generally required to obtain a PE (it will vary by state).

 

[Gizmo j]

How old are you? I'm guessing high school or earlier?

My you really do aim high for someone who doesn't have a high school diploma. Good luck though.

I'm 20 and I have my GED.

In a few months I will attend Community College to study Computer Science then transfer to a University for a bachelors.

I plan on studying Engineering or Physics in a Graduate School which is why earlier I said "This is not a immediate plan, I may attempt this 4+ years from now".

You didn't need to give away that you were trolling so early.

I'm not trolling.

I just made that joke to express how many different fields I'm interested in but I realized it was misleading so I deleted that comment

 

[Obsy]

It's good that you've decided to go to a CC. Get your applications in RIGHT NOW if you haven't already; I've already signed up for my Fall courses and new students will begin to sign up in a bit over a week, albeit my CC has registration much earlier than the norm.

Don't stress over what graduate degree you want right now, as the four or so years you spend in undergrad will immensely narrow down what you're interested in. Hell, you don't even know if undergrad engineering or comp sci is your true calling yet.

Right now what you should be thinking about is which CC will allow you to grow, and what programs you NEED to do (eg Honors) to transfer into a top-tier university.

 

[CountZero]

Why do CS undergrad and then engineering or physics only in grad? Not saying it is wrong, just curious as to why you want to do that.

Something to keep in mind when doing undergrad is that if you are applying for grad school as a PhD you need to know what you want to do at that point. Even better if you have talked with a professor doing similar research to what you want to do. When I was in grad school somebody had already talked with my advisor and when he applied the head of the dept asked if my advisor had funding, which he did, so the guy just got in. Didn't matter his grades/test scores aside form meeting the minimum. We weren't even accepting people of that specialization but since he had an inside track it didn't matter.

The other things to consider is what is your end goal here? Work in industry, start a company, work in academia, etc.

Also, as others stated, going through schooling is a matter of narrowing your focus.

BS - Broad overview of the field with a few classes of specialization
MS - Narrow focus in classes with a few outside of specialization maybe. Fairly narrow research project.
PhD - Extremely narrow focus research, a few classes maybe, really only if they help with your research and really at this point you could probably just work with someone to get up to speed.

 

[deadlyapp]

I'm 20 and I have my GED.

In a few months I will attend Community College to study Computer Science then transfer to a University for a bachelors.

I plan on studying Engineering or Physics in a Graduate School which is why earlier I said "This is not a immediate plan, I may attempt this 4+ years from now".


I'm not trolling.

I just made that joke to express how many different fields I'm interested in but I realized it was misleading so I deleted that comment

You seem to post a lot of threads about what to do so it's hard to determine if you're not just always trolling or seem to shoot very high for no reason.

Anyways - you've got a very low chance of getting into an engineering post-grad program with a computer science bachelors. There is a lot of very intro-level engineering courses you'll have no exposure to in computer science (statics, dynamics, mechanics of materials, drafting, etc) in which case you basically would have to start from nothing to get an engineering bachelors. Your better option would be to get a bachelors in one of the top few engineering studies (mechanical, civil, electrical, etc) which usually gets you pretty far up the math ladder and gives you almost all of the engineering building blocks. Then try to minor in computer science, or even double major in computer science or mathematics.

Again - as I said in your previous thread, you appear to have a lot of mental drive, but based on your past seem to have no actual ability to follow through and your education doesn't seem like it is setting you up for success in what you think you should be doing. You're 20 now. Maybe you complete community college at 22-23 years old. Maybe you get into an engineering bachelors program right away as a transfer, so you graduate maybe at 26 years old (if you're lucky). You want to get a masters? Tack on another two years in most cases. A PhD I have no idea - I know lots of professors who don't even have their PhDs. Frankly speaking, your likelihood of success is very low.

 

[CountZero]

You seem to post a lot of threads about what to do so it's hard to determine if you're not just always trolling or seem to shoot very high for no reason.

Anyways - you've got a very low chance of getting into an engineering post-grad program with a computer science bachelors. There is a lot of very intro-level engineering courses you'll have no exposure to in computer science (statics, dynamics, mechanics of materials, drafting, etc) in which case you basically would have to start from nothing to get an engineering bachelors. Your better option would be to get a bachelors in one of the top few engineering studies (mechanical, civil, electrical, etc) which usually gets you pretty far up the math ladder and gives you almost all of the engineering building blocks. Then try to minor in computer science, or even double major in computer science or mathematics.

Again - as I said in your previous thread, you appear to have a lot of mental drive, but based on your past seem to have no actual ability to follow through and your education doesn't seem like it is setting you up for success in what you think you should be doing. You're 20 now. Maybe you complete community college at 22-23 years old. Maybe you get into an engineering bachelors program right away as a transfer, so you graduate maybe at 26 years old (if you're lucky). You want to get a masters? Tack on another two years in most cases. A PhD I have no idea - I know lots of professors who don't even have their PhDs. Frankly speaking, your likelihood of success is very low.

I don't know that I'd go that far. While CS probably has little overlap with ME it can overlap well with EE signal processing (my computer vision CS classes were all EE profs). On the flip side CS has no overlap to power, any kind of analog design, RF, etc. On the flip side getting an EE degree I took a lot of CS classes. I didn't take any statics, dynamics, mechanics of materials or drafting. But in general you are correct doing one undergrad degree with the express hope of doing a different grad degree is setting yourself up for failure.

Also I think your years a bit screwy unless he is going part time. 2 years associate, 2 years bachelors at best, maybe 3. If you are doing PhD then you are just doing a coursework masters while you go through which is basically everything before you do quals which is usually 1-1.5 years. Most PhDs will be 4-6 years inclusive of your pre-quals time unless you screw up in some way or your advisor is absolute crap. So 8 years with a lot of luck (unlikely) 11 years probably reasonable. I mean at 20 he's only two years behind a typical student and IME many people going after PhDs were people with industry experience so they were older than he would be in a PhD program.

I've never heard of a professor without a PhD, a lecturer maybe but never a professor. You have to publish to be a professor and if you are generating enough research to consistently publish there is no reason you wouldn't have a PhD. Not saying that isn't what you experienced but in EE that wouldn't exist.

 

[Obsy]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think his reasoning for CS undergrad is that it'll allow him to get a job to work from his dorm (telecommuting programmer) while he's doing graduate engineering/physics.

Most engineering majors I know here spend 3 years in a CC. Since they're applying to multiple schools, they have to make sure that they meet the transfer requirements at each one, which can equate to lots more lower-div work than what is generally done at a university. There's also the problem of actually being able to enroll in the courses you need to transfer -- some CCs are extremely impacted.

 

[Man I Suck]

a immediate

Perhaps you should consider a major in English instead. :twisted:

 

[Obsy]

Perhaps you should consider a major in English instead. :twisted:

Please don't give him the idea of triple majoring in CS, Poli. Sci., and English.

He needs to focus on not fucking up CS undergrad and transferring as a Math major, and becoming the next Trident.

 

[OverVolt]

You really only need a bachelors for engineering, IMO.

Physics is much more academia focused. More... writing grants, researching, and getting a masters/Phd. You could easily waste a decade doing that, unless you like it. Then its fun.

Engineering I think will help you land a job fastest.

Engineering will be much more rigorous in math.

Computer science "Learning to code and maths good" is probably the most skills-focused degree in that you will have a marketable skill upon graduation.

 

[Gizmo j]

The other things to consider is what is your end goal here? Work in industry, start a company, work in academia, etc.

There is a ton of things I want to do that are pretty unorthodox, I want to be a political activist that deals with things such as child abuse, economics, philosophy and other issues. I also want to travel to poor parts of the world and help build things such as buildings and power plants. But if I ever need a stable job I wish to obtain a manager position in a company that works with computers.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think his reasoning for CS undergrad is that it'll allow him to get a job to work from his dorm (telecommuting programmer) while he's doing graduate engineering/physics.

Correct.

It does not seem possible for me to go to a prestigious school without obtaining a well paying job that I can work in my dorm at night, but it does not have to be a programmer it could be something such as a Computer Support Specialist or a Customer Service Representative.

I don't have any family members that would financially support me to go to college, I'm sure if I was in danger they would give me money for food and allow me to sleep on their couch or something, but that pretty much it...:\

 

[OverVolt]

There is a ton of things I want to do that are pretty unorthodox, I want to be a political activist that deals with things such as child abuse, economics, philosophy and other issues. I also want to travel to poor parts of the world and help build things such as buildings and power plants. But if I ever need a stable job I wish to obtain a manager position in a company that works with computers.


Correct.

It does not seem possible for me to go to a prestigious school without obtaining a well paying job that I can work in my dorm at night, but it does not have to be a programmer it could be something such as a Computer Support Specialist or a Customer Service Representative.

I don't have any family members that would financially support me to go to college, I'm sure if I was in danger they would give me money for food and allow me to sleep on their couch or something, but that pretty much it...:\

There is only one of you.

Maybe just join the Coast Guard.

http://www.gocoastguard.com/active-duty-careers/enlisted-opportunities/advance-through-training

Upon digging through their website... wish I did that as a teen.

 

[Gizmo j]

There is only one of you.

Maybe just join Coast Guard.

I HATE the U.S Military.

And I'm not saying I will do all of this by myself, I was thinking I could join the peace corps or maybe become a social worker or possibly foster parent.

 

[OverVolt]

I HATE the U.S Military.

And I'm not saying I will do all of this by myself, I was thinking I could join the peace corps or maybe become a social worker or possibly foster parent.

Well at least we narrowed it down a little bit

 

[Obsy]

There is a ton of things I want to do that are pretty unorthodox

Focus on one thing at a time. Right now it's your undergrad education.

I don't have any family members that would financially support me to go to college, I'm sure if I was in danger they would give me money for food and allow me to sleep on their couch or something, but that pretty much it...:\

If you're going to be working full time to support yourself then begin your first semester with only one class or two. Preferably just one, because I'm going to assume that you'll test into Precalculus and take that or a programming course.

Sorry if I'm acting like your older ATOT brother, but I was in your position not so long ago.

 

[Cheesemoo]

if you want to be an Electrical, Mechanical, or Civil Engineer go get a degree in Engineering. PERIOD. If you ever want to become a Licensed Engineer and put that "P.E." behind your name the Licensing Boards may not accept your PHD in another field. They are picky about all that. Check with your states Engineering Board to see what they accept. Working in some lab somewhere or at an industrial plant you may not need your license and that PHD might work but you would not be a Professional Engineer. It is against the law in most states to call yourself an engineer without passing the P.E. exam and getting your license. In my state it is up to a $5,000 fine with up to 5 years in prison.

I am a Licensed Professional Engineer and would not hire a phyics PHD over an engineering graduate. I look for applicants that can eventually get their own P.E. so I can stop signing and sealing plans

 

[Belegost]

First, I agree with several others here, mixing and matching degrees in different areas is unlikely to work out well.

Second, for graduate school you shouldn't be working some CSR job at night, you won't make enough to cover the tuition + housing/food/etc, and you'll be taking a lot of focus away from your primary goals. The key to grad school is to get a teaching/research assistant position, or a fellowship - those pay your tuition plus small stipend for living expenses.

This means you need to focus on being top of your class coming out of your BS, and go into grad school focused on the same core area. It helps to have made progress as an undergrad to distinguish yourself, most programs have the option of honor's projects, or publishing work through an internship with a research group. Be looking for opportunities as you move through your undergrad work to get involved in these extra things, I'm quite positive that the conference papers I got published during my senior year as an undergrad made a big difference in my prospects for grad school.

Further, a prestigious grad school is nice, but unnecessary, I work as a systems engineer at a major tech company (one of the top 10 semiconductor companies) and the guys with PhDs from good state schools do just as well here as the ones from stanford, berkeley, USC, etc. So be willing to shop around grad schools to find one that offers you more (my grad school gave me a 2 year fellowship, plus guaranteed TA/RA placement for a further 2 years for my PhD program, Berkeley was only willing to offer a 1 year fellowship with no further guarantees) The prestige of the school is tertiary, primary is the quality of your published work, and secondary is the quality of work for the group(s) you work with.

Next, pick a rough direction and be flexible as you go along. I started as an undergrad thinking I would go into semiconductor design - I hated it, and moved into machine intelligence pursued that through grad school, and my job now is in systems design of DSPs for communications.

However, this does not mean to be flopping around in 3-4 disparate fields. Yes, many of the engineering fields are multi-disciplinary; I've worked with neuroscientists, automotive engineers, financial analysts, and linguists - I'm not any one those things, and spending time studying those things in college would have been a mistake. You pick up the parts of the fields you work in as you go, learning through joint effort with a team, but you focus on being an expert at your portion of the team first.

From what you've said in multiple threads, I would say your best direction would be EE, the fundamental work you start in CC will be essentially the same for the major branches of engineering and physics (math, physics, math, chem, math, english, and don't forget math) At transfer time you'll probably need to select your focus in EE, but it can change, and most of the first couple semesters of work will be the same for all anyways.The fun of EE is that most programs require that you get at least a lower-division course in each of the major areas of focus, so you can use those to target the areas you're most interested in. And even if after the first semester post-transfer you decide to move into MechEng, or AppPhys, you'll only be a semester or two delayed.

 

[cabri]

I HATE the U.S Military.

And I'm not saying I will do all of this by myself, I was thinking I could join the peace corps or maybe become a social worker or possibly foster parent.

Coast Guard is not the military.

Social worker will require some type of degree in that field.
Peace corp will get you training in helping people - no income though from it.

I do not think that a single person (male/female) of your age/background will be qualified as a foster parent.

 

[CountZero]

There is a ton of things I want to do that are pretty unorthodox, I want to be a political activist that deals with things such as child abuse, economics, philosophy and other issues. I also want to travel to poor parts of the world and help build things such as buildings and power plants. But if I ever need a stable job I wish to obtain a manager position in a company that works with computers.


Correct.

It does not seem possible for me to go to a prestigious school without obtaining a well paying job that I can work in my dorm at night, but it does not have to be a programmer it could be something such as a Computer Support Specialist or a Customer Service Representative.

I don't have any family members that would financially support me to go to college, I'm sure if I was in danger they would give me money for food and allow me to sleep on their couch or something, but that pretty much it...:\

If you are getting a PhD you shouldn't be working at a second unrelated job. You should be working as a RA (research assistant) or TA (teaching assistant). At my school every PhD student was guaranteed to have funding for the first two years, you didn't get in if they couldn't fund you for two years. After the first two years you should be able to continue as a RA or if you are targetting academia more TA experience or you can apply for your own grant money.

Basically you want your undergrad to line up with grad school for numerous reasons. It is easier to get in that way. It is easier to get funding (can't really be a TA if you haven't taken similar classes yourself). You will know what you want to do with a PhD.

To be perfectly honest your goals such as they are don't line up with the effort of getting a PhD. Your view of grad school is pretty far off base as well. Aside from people doing a coursework masters, grad school is very different than undergrad.