Applying for Physics Grad School without Physics Major?

[valair]

I've always wanted to be a Physicist and become a researcher. I'm particularly interested in particle physics and quantum computing. I have BS Computer Engineering and MS Computer Science degrees and have been working as a programmer for more than 5 years. How should I go towards a Physics career path given my situation? Will scoring high on Physics GRE be enough to be considered as a potential MS or PhD candidate?

 

[kuruman]

Before you embark on this course of study, you will need more than good GRE scores. You will need, at the very minimum, the backbone of the undergraduate physics education which is intermediate-level courses in Classical Mechanics (1), E&M (1 or 2), Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics (1) and Quantum Mechanics (1). Some schools in the U.S. might admit you but not to candidacy. This means that you will be allowed to take courses there without being a degree candidate until you prove yourself.

 

[Choppy]

This thread might be of some help:
https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...if-my-bachelors-degree-isnt-in-physics.64966/

 

[valair]

I did 2 semesters of Physics during my undergrad covering Newtonian mechanics, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, wave/acoustics, optics, and basic relativity. I got a minimum of A on all those classes. I also took Calculus, Linear Algebra, and Differential Equations and got good grades on those. However I believe these won't weigh heavily enough to get through admissions; I'm already at a huge disadvantage competing with people whose majors lie in the Physical sciences.

I'm planning grad school somewhere in Europe–likely in Germany–due to much lower tuition fees. I'm from a developing Asian country working in a multi-national company on another Asian country. Skimming through the thread from Choppy's reply, it seems I can further strengthen my position by taking additional Physics coursework. Are there schools in Europe where I can enroll for extra Physics credit? Bonus if I can earn "Europe-recognized" Physics credit from outside Europe or even online. I'm reluctant to take a BS degree again because it will take a lot of time.