Math 27year old math major going into physics

[planethunter]

Hello all,

I want to know your opinions on my situation.

I am 27 years old. I graduated from Cal State Long Beach in 2005 with a B.S. in pure mathematics. My gpa was not that great (3.0) and started the masters in applied math program the following year but got an F and then a C in a course (complex analysis and pde, resp). I think I just wasn’t passionate about math anymore. My passion has always been astronomy and physics, and I wanted to get a good foundation in math so that is why I majored in math. I keep up to date with physics news as well as study it on my own. I took undergraduate mechanics my freshman year and got a B in the course, but I have not taken anymore physics since then.

I would like to be able to study physics/astronomy at the PHD level but given the standards of admission for any school in California, and given the sh$%ty economy here, I think I might have to go out of state to get into a program.

Before and since I graduate, I have worked as a civil engineer and currently work in the accounting field. I know that these are not my passions and ultimately I want to become a physics professor/researcher. I have a 1 year old daughter with my wife, and I feel that I want to show her that anything is possible and not to settle for the sure thing career like medicine, law, etc. But to follow your passions.

What does everyone think? Given my 3.0 gpa and my limited physics, are there any programs in the US that would take a chance on me? I do plan in the next year to take at least 2 graduate physics courses at a local university here in CA.

Thank you all in advance!

 

[Choppy]

In all honesty, I think you may have some difficulty getting into a physics graduate program without having taken a physics course beyond first year. Likely you will have to take at least a few senior-level courses at the undergraduate level to get in. Doing this and doing it well will help to offset a not-so-great performance in graduate school.