Maths or Physics MSci: Who is More Employable?

[brandon26]

Say a Maths (MSci) and Physics (MSci) go to a job interview and the Mananger needs to decide between the two by their qualification.
Who would he chose?

 

[LeonhardEuler]

I don't have much experience with this, but I think the question is too vauge to be answered. It depends on the job.

 

[inha]

Definetly job dependent.

 

[brandon26]

Say the job is "Bank Manager".

 

[inha]

In that case it's going to boil down to something else than education.

 

[brandon26]

In that case it's going to boil down to something else than education.

Are you saying that Maths and Physics graduates have acadamically the same qualities?

 

[inha]

Same qualities in the way that both are good at approaching problems in a systematic and logical manner. Naturally the fields of first hand knowledge vary (even interdisciplinary).

 

[TD]

For the great majority of all jobs, the degree of either math or physics wouldn't be as important as possible other factors since they are *in broad lines* very alike (again, for most non-scientific jobs).

When you'd want to apply at an insurance office, mathematics (and statistics/probability in specific) would be better while physics would be better for a technical job at a company which designs lasers (these are merely examples...)

There really is no telling *in general* here.

 

[brandon26]

Do you guys know abou joint courses. For example, I am thinking about doing a Maths AND Physics degree. Does this mean I have to work more at Univeristy?

Say I just finished my first year, would I have learned what a single Physics and Maths students learned, or is it 50% of each subject?

 

[TD]

Although this probably differs from university to university, I expect it will be in between.
You will have more to do, but not double since many courses overlap.

 

[Poop-Loops]

It also depends on the interview. Unless you somehow turn into a robot when you get your B.S. degree, you'll still have your old habits. If you look confident and give a better presentation of yourself, you have a better chance of getting hired.

Neither math or physics is really applicable in a bank situation, right? I mean, you'll see numbers, but it's not the stuff you spent the last 4 years doing. It should be up to your personality and other experiences.

PL

 

[brandon26]

That is a good point. I was just trying to find out which qualification is more valuable?

 

[Poop-Loops]

Neither. I talked to a guy who used to teach math at some Uni in California. He told me that with a degree that demands a lot of math (physics, math), you can get a job in any technical field pretty easily. They're not going to look at your resume and say "hrm... the math major knows advanced multivariable calculus (or some other high level math)... but the physics major knows quantum theory. Clearly, the physics major is a better choice" You won't use either in the job, yet both require similar skills.

PL