Engineering Can you get an engineering job with an Applied Physics degree?

[Ryuk1990]

How likely is it for someone with a Bachelor's in Applied Physics to land a job as an electrical or mechanical engineer?

 

[fss]

About as likely as anyone else applying for a job that at face value they are probably not qualified for.

 

[timsea81]

With a Physics degree right out of school your chances of getting a job as an engineer are about 0%. Technically, you're not supposed to call yourself an engineer unless you have your Professional Engineer (PE) license. The requirements for this vary from state to state. In most states you need an ABET accredited engineering degree plus 4 years of experience. An some states (not many) you can get your license with a degree in a science related to engineering (such as Physics or Math) plus 8-9 years of experience. In most states, with a Physics degree you will fall into the same category as someone with no college degree and will need 12-20 years of experience before you can get your PE. In practice in many states people with engineering degrees who don't yet have their PE do hold positions called "engineer", but since you're 12-20 years away from the PE instead of 4, you shouldn't expect an interview for any of those positions. You could do what I did and start out as a CAD designer (I have a Math degree), but I wouldn't recommend it. Speaking from experience, you are much better off either switching or doing a double major in engineering. After 3 years of working in the industry I decided to go back to school for the engineering degree.