Engineering Vs physics degree
I am currently in y12 and do maths fm physics and geography.
I am currently debating between a physics or engineering (likely mech or civil)
Would job prospects be better for one or the other? And would one be easier degree wise than the other? I really like physics but im not sure if ill enjoy it as much for degree, while engineering should be more applied.
I am currently debating between a physics or engineering (likely mech or civil)
Would job prospects be better for one or the other? And would one be easier degree wise than the other? I really like physics but im not sure if ill enjoy it as much for degree, while engineering should be more applied.
Original post by jos126
I am currently in y12 and do maths fm physics and geography.
I am currently debating between a physics or engineering (likely mech or civil)
Would job prospects be better for one or the other? And would one be easier degree wise than the other? I really like physics but im not sure if ill enjoy it as much for degree, while engineering should be more applied.
I am currently debating between a physics or engineering (likely mech or civil)
Would job prospects be better for one or the other? And would one be easier degree wise than the other? I really like physics but im not sure if ill enjoy it as much for degree, while engineering should be more applied.
Are you looking for, or at least open to, a career in engineering after graduation? Engineering has better prospects within engineering (appreciate that may sound obvious), but outside of engineering there probably isn't much difference. Physics may even have a slight edge within highly quantitative careers, because at degree level it is generally a fair bit more mathematical.
Original post by Joinedup
Physics opens a lot of doors - it's quite common for physics graduates to go into IT jobs and coding for instance... You're not tramlined into being a research physicist by doing a physics undergtad as the last comment seems to suggest.
My point was an undergraduate Physics degree generally isn't enough to start a career in Physics. A BEng will get you an Engineering job. If you want a career in IT then a Computer Science course would be the sensible option.
A bachelors in physics opens lots of doors, just not so much in physics itself where you typically need a PhD. I definitely agree though that if you want to go into programming/tech then computer science is a better choice.
Op didn't ask about computer science... But that's not necessarily as good as it looks either, most years CS has one of the worst dropout rated of all subjects and the worst unemployment of the stem subjects. More CS grads with jobs have low paid and non graduate jobs than other stem subjects.
It was standing out so much they comissioned a review to look at what was going wrong with CS (Shadbolt review)
Of course stats are not predictive of what will happen to you as an individual if you enrol on CS - lots of people do CS and get a happy outcome.
It was standing out so much they comissioned a review to look at what was going wrong with CS (Shadbolt review)
Of course stats are not predictive of what will happen to you as an individual if you enrol on CS - lots of people do CS and get a happy outcome.
Original post by jos126
I am currently in y12 and do maths fm physics and geography.
I am currently debating between a physics or engineering (likely mech or civil)
Would job prospects be better for one or the other? And would one be easier degree wise than the other? I really like physics but im not sure if ill enjoy it as much for degree, while engineering should be more applied.
I am currently debating between a physics or engineering (likely mech or civil)
Would job prospects be better for one or the other? And would one be easier degree wise than the other? I really like physics but im not sure if ill enjoy it as much for degree, while engineering should be more applied.
Hi there,
Choosing a degree is always a tricky choice - you want to pick something with great prospects however that you will enjoy.
In general engineering has many opportunities currently - however this is very broad. Is there a discipline of engineering you were thinking of ? Civil and mechanical for example would have lots of options to pursue, however something such as aeronautical would have smaller prospects in its specific field. However, you would also not be so confined by the degree as lots of skills are transferable across the engineering disciplines so after studying civil you could possibly switch into mechanical.
However, you also want to pursue something you would enjoy. If you are not interested in engineering but would really love to study physics then this would be a better choice. It is hard to stay motivated in something that you are not enjoying. You also shouldn't discourage yourself straight away if physics is what you really want to do - There are always opportunities and if you work hard you can pursue whichever field calls to you. There are lots of transferable skills again in a physics degree and therefore many fields you can go into following graduation.
Good luck with your decision,
Sophie
Original post by jos126
I am currently in y12 and do maths fm physics and geography.
I am currently debating between a physics or engineering (likely mech or civil)
Would job prospects be better for one or the other? And would one be easier degree wise than the other? I really like physics but im not sure if ill enjoy it as much for degree, while engineering should be more applied.
I am currently debating between a physics or engineering (likely mech or civil)
Would job prospects be better for one or the other? And would one be easier degree wise than the other? I really like physics but im not sure if ill enjoy it as much for degree, while engineering should be more applied.
Are you dead set on what you want to do?
I would say that physics is more flexible, opening up more doors for specalisation at the postgraduate level as well as job opportunities in sectors outside of physics. To progress in physics you will need to do postgrad education.
You could always do an engineering postgrad after a physics undergrad.
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