Anyone wanna answer a couple questions?

[firefly609q]

Hey everyone. I want to take a Bsc in physics or a Beng.

1. If I take engineering can I do a graduate degree in physics? Or is that dependent on which engineering degree I get eg. Chemical eng vs physics engineering?

2. If I start with a BSc in physics can I switch to a Bachelor’s of engineering after the first year? Are any of the courses transferable? And are first year BSc and Beng courses the same?

3. If I complete a BSc in physics and then decide to do a BEng, how long would that take me to complete?

4. Does a BSc in physics offer any specialization or co-op or internships?

And lastly,

5. Which would you recommend? I know job outlooks for a Bsc aren't that good.

Thanks for your time everyone.

 

[micromass]

1. If I take engineering can I do a graduate degree in physics? Or is that dependent on which engineering degree I get eg. Chemical eng vs physics engineering?

I have never understood questions like these honestly. If you want to do grad school in physics, then the smartest thing is to major in physics.
Anyway, read this: https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=64966

 

[jtbell]

3. If I complete a BSc in physics and then decide to do a BEng, how long would that take me to complete?

In the US it's fairly common for students to get a bachelor's degree in physics and then a master's (not another bachelor's) in some engineering field. It usually takes 1.5 to 2 years to do the master's.

I'm guessing you're not in the US, though, because we don't call our degrees "BSc" and "BEng". So "your mileage may vary."

 

[firefly609q]

But how practical is a BSc in physics? If I quit uni, how good is that 4yr degree that I'm sitting with?

 

[seaofghosts]

A BS in physics would be good for teaching HS (depending on the state, if you're in the US, because some require extra training, no idea what it's like in England) and jobs that use related skills, like programming. To do anything really physics related, you're expected to have a phD. At least according to all the job openings I've looked at in industry.

You're expected to do research during your undergrad years. Depending on your school, they might offer official internships or require it in your senior year (mine does not, so I'm on my own to do any REUs by applying elsewhere and asking professors). For grad school, they're going to want to see some research on your application.

If you want to switch to engineering after the first year, it shouldn't be difficult. A lot of the initial courses overlap, like physics for scientists/engineers and the calculus series. You won't get a good idea of whether or not you want to DO physics just from intro courses, though. It would probably be another 2 years or so if you switch, assuming you're going full time. But like someone else said, you can do a grad degree in engineering if you get a physics BS. If you're unsure where you want to go in grad school, I'd say go for physics.