Engineering Physics: Questions About Cornell Program & Availability

[jmcgraw]

I was looking at Cornell's website describing its engineering physics program, and it appealed to me A LOT. I've had a hard time choosing an engineering field, and this seems like it's for me. I also would love to study the more advanced mathematics which EP requires. It also seems to give me the option of going a more theoretical route in graduate school later, if I so choose.

Does anyone know much about this field? I don't want to go solely by what the Cornell site says, since they will obviously put their best foot forward. For example, the Cornell site says that EP majors earn amounts on the high end of the pay-scale when they find jobs. (??)

One more thing... Why is it that relatively few schools offer this major? I see that MIT, Stanford, Cal tech, all don't offer it for example.

Thanks.

 

[ZapperZ]

There are a number of schools that offer something similar, and they may not call it by the same name. Look at the University of Wisconsin-Madison under a program called "AMEP", for Appllied Mathematics, Engineering, and Physics degree. As for Stanford, have you looked at their Applied Physics department?

Zz.

 

[physmurf]

In order to add to what was just said, I went to Brigham Young University (BYU), and they also have many ways to cater your physics major. I chose to become a high school physics teacher, and instead of getting the standard BA in Physics Teaching, I got a BS in Applied Physics. This degree allowed me to substitute some of my upper division classed for education classes.

This applied option is good for many different areas of emphasis. I had a friend who had his emphasis in Mechanical Engineering. Another guy did it in Bio-Engineering. There are plenty of options when customizing the applied physics degree.

I would guess that there are many other shools that do similar things too.

Good Luck.

 

[moose]

http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/majors/Schools.asp?majorID=439
Here is a list of schools offering this major.

 

[jmcgraw]

As for Stanford, have you looked at their Applied Physics department?
Zz.

Yeah, from their website: "The Applied Physics Department does not offer an undergraduate major."

So, in general, is an applied physics degree pretty much the same as an "engineering physics" degree?

 

[ZapperZ]

Yeah, from their website: "The Applied Physics Department does not offer an undergraduate major."

So, in general, is an applied physics degree pretty much the same as an "engineering physics" degree?

Not necessarily. The stanford's applied physics degree (at least at the graduate level) has more in common with physics than engineering. It is just that it is concentrates on areas of physics that has a clear application, such as condensed matter, atomic/molecular, etc. You won't find, for example, people doing string theory or cosmology in there.

Zz.