Job prospects with theoretical physics degree

larkin1993 · 10-05-2010 10:53PM #1

I'm between doing engineering or theoretical physics but the main thing holding me back on theoretical physics is what kind of job I will be able to get. Obviously I could take the trying to become a lecturer route but are there any job opportunities other than that? Also what kind of pay can be expected?

phlegms · 10-05-2010 11:55PM

Don't go into college looking to get a job out if it, go into college looking for a chance to study something you genuinely enjoy.

Col Man · 11-05-2010 08:37AM

Check out this site:

http://www.maths.tcd.ie/undergraduate/prospectus/index.php?file=careers

Ok, a bit old... Hmm... And while it does say maths, you might be aware that maths and theoretical physics are both part of the school of maths, hence why this page is essentially as relevant to you as most maths students.

(I do hope that you know that theoretical physics involves a lot of maths! Good fun...)

As it explains, you have 3 main "categories" of work:

1. Careers directly related to theoretical physics (it says maths, the terms are for practical purposed interchangable)
i.e. all teaching and academic work, and all work in industry/civil service that involves the skills you've acquired, mathematical, statistical, (theoretical) physical, and computational (computer science).

2. Work involving logical/analytical skills, or probably more succinctly, what it says is "Those [jobs] that involve thinking logically and quantitatively. Typically these include actuarial, accountancy, banking, etc."

3. Careers that are open to graduates of many areas.
Think about this, what job does a philosophy degree get you? Basically your theoretical physics degree should give you the same "qualifications" as loads of degrees in Trinity or elsewhere, almost more so.

That's about all I've got, good luck. To make your decision, I gather it's clear that you enjoy physics, necessary for both degrees, but then in TP you'll be complementing that with loads (and loads, from what I hear....) of maths, while in engineering it'll be a decent amount of maths, but also of course lots of non-maths stuff, borderline architecture and stuff? I don't really know, don't take my word for any of this stuff. You seem more knowledgeable about engineering that TP anyway, so I guess I don't need to tell you anything about what it is (I don't really know anyway!). Also (obviously) cool stuff like special and general relativity will be studied in TP.

Hope this helps

Col Man · 11-05-2010 08:42AM

Oh sorry and forgot to add, regarding pay:

I read a stat once saying that maths is the second highest earning degree in trinity after medicine (median salary I think). Could be an old stat, but wahey! (I'm fairly sure TP would have almost identical job prospects).

A rather hilariously "old" reference in that link:

"The 1988 U.S. publication, `Jobs Rated Almanac', rates 250 jobs according to the following criteria: income, outlook, physical demands, security, stress, and work environment. Using these six components of job quality the top five in descending order were actuary, computer programmer, computer systems analyst, mathematician, statistician; all of these careers are open to our graduates."

(Graduates being both maths and TP graduates)

Happy days!

PurpleFistMixer · 11-05-2010 09:14AM

Col Man wrote: »

I read a stat once saying that maths is the second highest earning degree in trinity after medicine (median salary I think). Could be an old stat, but wahey! (I'm fairly sure TP would have almost identical job prospects).

I would guess that's due to the mathematicians who go into finance, etc. Or academia pays really well. I can hope for the latter.

dyl10 · 11-05-2010 10:26AM

Good physics, maths etc. graduates are generally sought after.
If I were you, I wouldn't worry too much about job prospects assuming you work hard.

larkin1993 · 11-05-2010 06:08PM

Thanks for all the replys.

All the answers make it seem a much better option then I thought. I was just afraid it was a course that you would come out of with extremely specialised skills and no jobs in that area. I would just say to the first poster it is not more important to think ahead and spend the rest of your life doing a job you enjoy rather than just thinking of the 4 years in college.

claire h · 11-05-2010 06:27PM

larkin1993 wrote: »

it is not more important to think ahead and spend the rest of your life doing a job you enjoy rather than just thinking of the 4 years in college.

Yeah, absolutely! Be miserable for 4 years, sure it's only 4 years, not the rest of your life, it'll fly by! I mean, it's not like the traditional idea of getting a job immediately after you get your degree and staying there for life hasn't become considerably less common, or anything like that.... And it's really a great idea to base your decision on what the job market is like now, instead of what it might be like when you graduate. And sure if you want to get a job in the field you're doing your degree in, better it be one you're not super-enthusiastic about, so that you probably won't be as motivated and do as well in, rather than picking a subject you're really passionate about, so that you'll work hard, and come out with a better class of degree, which will make you much more employable in that field as well as a range of others. Yeah! :rolleyes:

larkin1993 · 11-05-2010 06:50PM

I am in fact super enthusiastic about engineering and theoretical physics, so I was just saying that it is silly to do a course that could have zero job opportunities when you could do one you would enjoy just as much and where there would be lots of job opportunities

brownacid · 11-05-2010 09:41PM

It depends on what branch of engineering you want to go into, at the moment teh mechs and the civils have very little job prospects. this can be seen even from teh amunt of emails we get saying that there is placement work for computers/electronics. however as you haven't even started college yet, I'm presuming you are in 6th year and going to start nect year, that gives you four years, at least till you graduate. Everyone is shouting that the big R will be over in 2015 which means when you finish you will be coming out into a recovering economy where jobs will be generated or and allready recovered economy where jobs will, hopefully be plentiful.

Bear in mind aswell that the engineering degree has been changed as of this year in tcd. Starting with this years first years the graduates no longer come out with a BAI but a masters instead meaning its a five year course.

Groinshot · 11-05-2010 10:51PM

brownacid wrote: »

Bear in mind aswell that the engineering degree has been changed as of this year in tcd. Starting with this years first years the graduates no longer come out with a BAI but a masters instead meaning its a five year course.

When you say this years firsties, do you mean 09/10, or 10/11?

Sorry for off-topic.

OP, dont pick it on job prospects. if push comes to shove, with eitgher of them you can be a maths teacher

phlegms · 11-05-2010 11:24PM

larkin1993 wrote: »

I would just say to the first poster it is not more important to think ahead and spend the rest of your life doing a job you enjoy rather than just thinking of the 4 years in college.

Why would you want to get a Job based on a degree you didn't enjoy getting?

just-joe · 11-05-2010 11:59PM

I know a TP going to Guatemala to teach English when he finishes, but I don't know any engineers doing that. => Theoretical physicists have better job opprtunities in Guatemala. Hope it helps!

Plus FYI engineering is full of blokes.

Col Man · 12-05-2010 12:19AM

just-joe wrote: »

Plus FYI engineering is full of blokes.

And TP isn't....?

(somehow maths isn't actually... but TP seems to be...)

myfatherrsson · 12-05-2010 12:44AM

I actually went through this exact dilemma last year! I chose TP and im delighted I did! A few of my friends in cork did Civil Eng and I sat in on a few lectures to see what its like and I was just so relieved to have made the right decision (for ME that is!)

If you go into Engineering, chances are you'll come out of college and become and engineer, its sorta the point! But with TP you can come out and more options are available, you'll find you can delve into a fair number of careers on just one degree, that is one of the reasons I chose TP. I had no idea what I wanted to be, I STILL dont, I've only finished first year exams I'm just going to see where my interests are later down the line and follow that route.

I would reall not worry about what job you are going to get when choosing a course, if you are good at what you do there is a job somewhere for you! If you love your course, you'll more than likely be good at it!

From what I saw, Civil was much more practical and applicable to everyday sorta things, its a course you're going to learn how to 'make and do' basically. Which is great! I would have loved that but TP grabbed me because its such a more in depth course into the fundamentals of science. It's not applicable to everyday sorta stuff but already im looking at things more analytically and can put some modest skills to use that ive learnt this year. I think its fair to assume TP is much more challenging than Eng, alot of things we learnt defy common sense and you're not just taught concepts, you're taught how they were derived! (such as that integration wasnt necessarily the opposite of differentiation it just happened to be like that! Blew my mind!!)

Theoretical Physics is the spearhead of all modern science, has been and will always be. The TPs who research modern physics are decades ahead of modern technology, they're the ones who figure it out first before it becomes an applicable technology (thanks to the engineers!)

Well thats my 2 cents on the subject , hope it helps, best of luck in the decision, don't be afraid to go for broke! Let us know what you decide!:)

Mark200 · 12-05-2010 09:34AM

phlegms wrote: »

Why would you want to get a Job based on a degree you didn't enjoy getting?

Are you serious?

larkin1993 wrote: »

I am in fact super enthusiastic about engineering and theoretical physics, so I was just saying that it is silly to do a course that could have zero job opportunities when you could do one you would enjoy just as much and where there would be lots of job opportunities

Not only that, it was pretty obvious from his first post that he/she liked them both anyway.

Also, did you all really completely ignore the concept of getting a job after your 4 years in college or something?

Groinshot · 12-05-2010 10:37AM

Mark200 wrote: »

Also, did you all really completely ignore the concept of getting a job after your 4 years in college or something?

Not exactly, but if I wasnt concerned about getting a job after college I'd be doing philosophy and greek or something that I'd love to study for the sake of reading it, but I chose engineering instead.....

brownacid · 12-05-2010 07:11PM

Groinshot wrote: »

When you say this years firsties, do you mean 09/10, or 10/11?

Sorry for off-topic.

OP, dont pick it on job prospects. if push comes to shove, with eitgher of them you can be a maths teacher

As far as I can remember its 09/10, I was only half listening when they were talking about at it to us. If I'm right they said we effectively have two years before we are competing for jobs against people who have masters and that this years first will come out with a masters and thats why teh format in first year has changed so much.

It could well be the incoming first years though!

Groinshot · 12-05-2010 08:38PM

Hrmm..... Id heard about it too, but didnt know if it was us or next year..... I'll drop an email, and post here, seeing as I know I only signed up for a B.A.I.

EDIT:

found the prospectus from this year (applying in september) and found this under engineering, its copypasta from the prospectus.
Cant remember exactly what page, but deffo there, under engineering.

Change of requirements for professional
accreditation (from B.A.I. to M.A.I.)
After the 2011-12 academic year, in accordance with
the Bologna Declaration, only 5-year Level 9 Engineering
programmes will receive accreditation from Engineers Ireland,
the professional body responsible for approving all engineering
courses in the country. Therefore, students graduating in 2013
(i.e. commencing their engineering education in 2009) will have
to complete a fi fth year that will entitle them to an M.A.I. – this
will fulfi l the educational requirements for full accreditation and
Chartered status with Engineers Ireland. Entry to the fi fth year
will require a specifi c standard at the fourth year Engineering
examinations.
Students who leave the course after successfully completing
four years (with a B.A.I. honors degree) from 2013 onwards will
require additional qualifi cations to be eligible for professional
accreditation with Engineers Ireland.

kozak · 27-02-2015 01:53PM

Hello

Employment prospects with math / theoretical physics degree – any updates from graduates or senior year students?
What vacancies are available?
If possible please compare with Electronic Engineering.

Thanks

Job prospects with theoretical physics degree

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