Can I Get My Bachelor's in Physics as an Adult?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the challenges and possibilities of obtaining a Bachelor's degree in physics as an adult with existing personal and professional commitments. Participants share their experiences and suggestions regarding course availability, scheduling, and the feasibility of balancing work and study.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses concern about balancing a full-time job with the demands of a physics degree, particularly regarding class and study time.
  • Suggestions include starting with night courses at community colleges to complete the first two years before transferring to a university.
  • Another participant notes the potential need to retake physics courses depending on the time elapsed since they were taken and the specific requirements of the school.
  • Some participants mention the possibility of distance learning options, such as those offered by the Open University in the UK and other institutions in Canada.
  • Concerns are raised about the limited availability of upper-level classes and the necessity of attending in-person labs, which may complicate scheduling.
  • One participant shares their strategy of taking only one or two classes at a time to manage workload and stress.
  • Another participant emphasizes the importance of researching course transferability to ensure that credits will count towards the final degree.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the challenges of pursuing a physics degree while managing other life responsibilities. However, there are multiple competing views on the best approach to take, including the balance of course load and the feasibility of distance learning versus traditional classes.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the importance of flexibility in work schedules and the need for careful planning regarding course selection and transferability. The discussion does not resolve the complexities involved in balancing education with existing commitments.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for adults considering a return to education in physics while managing family and work responsibilities, as well as those exploring flexible learning options.

pesto
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Hi! I've read the links posted by MathGangsta in the "too late to be a physicist" thread, but I'm wondering if someone could comment on just getting the Bachelor's degree. I'm 30 with the wife/mortgage/kid package, and I already have a career. I think a career change to physics is a bit out of reach, but nonetheless I'd like to get my Bachelor's in physics. Has anyone even heard of a program that would work for people like me? I can't take off of work for classes, and I'm also a bit worried about research/lab requirements.

I'm not really concerned with the amount of time it would take me to finish the degree (moving towards it is the important part).
 
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You might want to start out taking a few night courses at a local community college. First year physics courses are popular enough that it shouldn't be too hard to find. In fact you could probably do the first two years towards the degree like that - then transfer to a full university to finish. It's rare for an entire undergraduate physics degree to be available through night school and/or correspondence, but not completely unheard of.
 
Choppy said:
You might want to start out taking a few night courses at a local community college. First year physics courses are popular enough that it shouldn't be too hard to find. In fact you could probably do the first two years towards the degree like that - then transfer to a full university to finish. It's rare for an entire undergraduate physics degree to be available through night school and/or correspondence, but not completely unheard of.

Thanks for the response. I somehow forgot to mention that I just finished my Associate's degree, and took physics along the way. I guess the first step is to get a catalog and see what's available and what I can take, but I'm very afraid of something changing midway through and running into a class that just isn't doable.
 
You may have to retake the physics courses depending on your school & how long ago it was. Are there programs that will work with you? Maybe at the lower levels, but at the higher levels most of the time only one class is available. So yeah, you'd pretty much be stuck at taking the class whenever its schedule. So if your job is flexible then yeah, if not, it might be pretty tough.
 
kuahji said:
You may have to retake the physics courses depending on your school & how long ago it was. Are there programs that will work with you? Maybe at the lower levels, but at the higher levels most of the time only one class is available. So yeah, you'd pretty much be stuck at taking the class whenever its schedule. So if your job is flexible then yeah, if not, it might be pretty tough.

Thanks very much. I'm afraid you're right.
 
It might be worthwhile googling the "open university".They are based in the UK but I don't know if they stretch further afield.If not there may be something similar where you live.
 
hi. I've got the family/ mortgage/ job thing going on, too. I've found that my public state university has many upper level evening math/ physics classes. if you can't take time off your work, per se, would it be possible to move around your schedule? for example, you can take a Tues/ Thurs evening class and just come in a couple hours early every Tues/ Thurs morning to work so you'll be out in time for class. i don't know if your managers could work with this, but it'd be worth asking.

best of luck. due to my schedule and the limited availability of classes, I'm only able to take 2-3 classes a semester. i think any education, even if it takes awhile, is worth it, though.
 
Working full time and taking 2 classes per semester seems too time consuming. Study-time will be difficult to manage. Think: 40 hours normal job work + ~8 class hours + ~16 study hours = at least 64 hours busy per week - more likely MORE than that! Would you be studying hard classes? All this would be hell. One course per term would be tough, but easier. Some people might be good enough to handle 2 or 3 course while working so if you are one of them, then don't feel discouraged; it's not for everyone.
 
Thanks for all of the wonderful replies. I'm not planning on taking more than 2 classes at a time, and I plan on starting out with 1. I'm not in a big hurry. I have started going through course catalogs and then schedules seeing if anything would work for me. If I must wind up getting a BSBA, then at least I could say I tried to study something that actually interests me!
 
  • #10
I am 38 with Family, with a previous degree, and returning to school as well. I am lucky that my work schedule is very flexible but, being in a remote area for now, I have found distance courses are my way to go.

Living in BC (Canada), I have been doing my math courses through Thompson Rivers University:
http://www.tru.ca/distance/

I understand that Athabasca in Alberta is decent as well:
http://www.athabascau.ca/

The Open University in the UK (mentioned above) is the grand-daddy of Distance programs. Unfortunately they are not really set up for people outside Europe.
http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/

As you will need to make sure that the courses will transfer to the school you will ultimately finish the degree at, you have to do some reaseach...

If you have good study skills and the discipline to find other sources (video lectures, etc.) it can work ok. However, for anything requiring a lab, you are stuck going to a physical school. I am hoping to be able to move closer to a decent school once I finish Calc III this winter.
 
  • #11
Sankaku said:
I am 38 with Family, with a previous degree, and returning to school as well. I am lucky that my work schedule is very flexible but, being in a remote area for now, I have found distance courses are my way to go.

Living in BC (Canada), I have been doing my math courses through Thompson Rivers University:
http://www.tru.ca/distance/

I understand that Athabasca in Alberta is decent as well:
http://www.athabascau.ca/

The Open University in the UK (mentioned above) is the grand-daddy of Distance programs. Unfortunately they are not really set up for people outside Europe.
http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/

As you will need to make sure that the courses will transfer to the school you will ultimately finish the degree at, you have to do some reaseach...

If you have good study skills and the discipline to find other sources (video lectures, etc.) it can work ok. However, for anything requiring a lab, you are stuck going to a physical school. I am hoping to be able to move closer to a decent school once I finish Calc III this winter.

Best of luck and thanks for the input.
 

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