Expert: Daniel Mazur - 11/27/2009

Question
Dear Daniel,

Next fall I will begin my B.S. in either physics or in engineering physics. I am having a hard time deciding between the two.

I am in love with physics and with inventing technologies. Although I cannot say for certain, I think I am more likely to go for some kind of M.S. in engineering instead of physics after my B.S. This is because I think that I will be able to use my abilities better to come up with new technologies instead of new physical laws.

The eng. physics curriculum has the same level of maths as a physics curriculum, but trades depth and breath in physics for a variety of engineering and design courses. Given my dreams for the future, it sounds like eng. physics would be the way to go.

However, I get a feeling that a B.S. in physics will make me better at problem solving than the engineering degree, and that it might also give me more tools in order to develop new technologies.

I am aware that if I get a physics b.s. and later apply for an engineering M.S. then I will probably have to take some intro. eng. courses. are these doable in under a year?? I strongly consider the physics b.s because of my love for physics and for the relative shallowness of physics in the eng. physics program.

Do you think getting the more depth in the physics program is worth having to take an extra year of beginning eng. classes in order to do what I want in the future?? and do you think that the B.S. in physics will be more beneficial to me in the future to develop and research new technologies???

Thank you very much for your advice, I greatly appreciate it.

Sincerely,
Enrique L.
Israel

Answer
Dear Enrique,
I have a feeling that you know, what professional life you'd like to lead after the school and think that the engineering Bc. is much more suited for you. I don't think it will make you deficient in the problem-solving area, not at all. I would say that this is more a question of choosing a good school (it's more or less luck, we never now enough about a program's quality compared to the same at a different university before we start studying), which offers both programs and which will allow you to add some more in-depth physics courses to your engineering program, should you find yourself underemployed with the engineering coursework.
Pure physics degrees are best for people who MAINLY desire to explore the laws of Nature big and small and who are not concerned about the direct usefulness of the results of their work to the general public. It is engineers, who invent for people, not scientists... Another way to put it is that inventing is something we do "by the way" in science, our inventions' primary purpose is to serve only us in our work.... And occasionally we recognize a more general value of our invention and we do a lot more work (or let an engineer do it) to adjust the invention for the needs of the market. As an engineer you design, that is what you do, you know what the product is meant to do, you push the limits of technology for the benefit of clients (a million at once or one at a time), while USING the laws of nature, not inventing them. In order to become a successful engineer, you will need to keep up to date with the new scientific and technical discoveries, just like when you want to be a successful scientist.
Good luck to you!
Daniel