Centaur said:
Can you please state from experience what type of subjects you needed most to become a [theoretical] physicist? What is your experience of the programmes in Mathematical Sciences, or is this a new study programme?
Also, just for curiousity, what type of work does a mathematician exactly do, or are they usually just mathematicasters? Do they work out new theories of how the omniniverse works, or do they just solve insolvable math problems?
Thank you for all your advice.
To become a Theoretical physicist, most people will get a degree in Physics. You generally won't be able to specialize much in undergrad and will have the option of a physics major or perhaps some kind of astronomy major.
I too am hoping to attend a PhD program in Theoretical physics. If it helps to see my path, I have a previous degree in Kinesiology from a reputable liberal arts college.
I am currently working on a second Bachelor's with an Applied Mathematics major and Astronomy minor (I will earn a physics minor in the process of earning the Astronomy minor).
Upon applying to graduate schools, I will have the following courses on my transcript:
Mathematics:
Calculus II
Calculus III
Linear Algebra
Differential Equations
Mathematical proofs
Numerical Analysis
Vector Calculus and Complex Variables
Modern Algebra
Mathematical Modeling
Advanced Calculus I
Advanced Calculus II
Differential Geometry of Curves and Surfaces
Advanced Linear Algebra
Advanced Differential Equations (mostly PDEs)
Physics:
Stars and Galaxies (with lab)
Sun and Solar System (with lab)
Physics I (with lab)
Physics II (with lab)
Intro to Astrophysics (with lab)
Modern Physics (with lab)
Quantum Mechanics
Special problems (I've spoken with the dept. and will most likely be able to "cover" some undergraduate E&M and other Physics I've missed in a independent study/special problems course)
I will also likely need to take an upper level physics course or two upon entry in the graduate program. (I've been lucky enough to have fairly frequent discussions with the graduate advisor at the university I wish to attend about what to do with the missed physics courses)
That is the route I'm taking in the hopes of becoming a theoretical physicist. I'd say that my self-study has been at least as intensive as my official coursework. I've done well in school, and I'm sure the self study has been a part of that, but Math and Physics is very competitive and you can be confident that the top students in all of your classes is doing more than just the recommended studies for that class. The Mathematics and Physics programs invites intelligent students by its very nature. On top of that, there isn't the financial certainty of medicine or engineering, so the students in these fields are not only intelligent...but interested and motivated in the material beyond financial gain.
A few things I can add:
Don't expect to major in "quantum mechanics," "particle physics," or anything exciting like that in undegrad...you won't see specialized majors like that.
Also, there seems to be some underlying desire to make physics "boring" your first few years. I'm sure that it stems partly from the frustration that professors get from students with no physics background wanting to study quantum mechanics or General relativity and partly from wanting to weed out the students majoring in physics because they think it will be fun to "be the next Einstein."
Perhaps it isn't this way at every University, but it seems that professors really want to make you push through the muck to get to the fun stuff in order to weed out the people not willing to work through it.
