Careers in Physics: Job Options After MSc

[aakash123456]

what all job options are ther after one does his msc physics

 

[BenTheMan]

In principle, there are lots of options, however, I have heard of people having trouble getting a job with a master's degree in America. You have many more options if you complete a PhD---from what I've seen and what I've heard, many people see a master's degree in a technical discipline as a ``consolation prize'' for those who couldn't hack the Ph.D. I'm not saying this is true, but it does seem to be how the degree is perceived, to some extent. If you do choose to do a Master's, I'd take 2 years tops to finish it.

Anyway, there seem to be some jobs in Finance if you have a master's degree. You will benefit from having a strong background in programming, as you will for most jobs.

Other places, like government labs/consultancies also hire master's grads (cna, rand, mitre, etc.) You can also find jobs in Dept. of State and Dept. of Energy---there are a few fellowships for people with technical degrees. If you're interested in working for government, alternative energy and nuclear non-proliferation (in America, at least) are/will be biggies.

 

[Mathnomalous]

I thought master's degrees were terminal degrees for engineers. Well, engineering is considered a technical discipline, no?

 

[BenTheMan]

I thought master's degrees were terminal degrees for engineers. Well, engineering is considered a technical discipline, no?

For engineers, this is correct.

But a lot of M.S. degrees in physics are awarded to students who passed their classes and then either couldn't find an advisor, or couldn't pass the qualifying exams. I have a friend who planned on getting a M.S. from the start, wrote his Thesis, and now can't find a job (after roughly a year of looking). I had another friend who couldn't find an advisor, left with an M.S., and then couldn't find a real job---he was delivering pizzas last year, before he moved home.

I don't know how typical these experiences are, but I have heard more negative things about getting a job with an M.S. in physics than positive things.

 

[Mathnomalous]

I can see a physics master's degree holder struggling to find a job in academia or research but I would imagine those individuals have enough skills to find a job in industry.

 

[BenTheMan]

I can see a physics master's degree holder struggling to find a job in academia or research but I would imagine those individuals have enough skills to find a job in industry.

I don't know. Tell that to my buddies who have been looking for jobs in industry for the past year.

 

[fasterthanjoao]

I don't know. Tell that to my buddies who have been looking for jobs in industry for the past year.

That doesn't mean that most, or even any, of the candidates selected ahead of your friends had PhDs. For me, a PhD is complete overkill for the majority of industry jobs. A lot of companies with graduate programmes are designed specifically to take students out of pre-PhD university and mould them the way they want.

In the UK, A BSc is sufficient for industry positions.


for the OP: there are hundreds of jobs. http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Options_with_your_subject/Your_degree_in_physics/Job_options/p!eklipag

 

[BenTheMan]

That doesn't mean that most, or even any, of the candidates selected ahead of your friends had PhDs

No, most candidates probably only had a B.S. in Physics, as per your second statement:

In the UK, A BSc is sufficient for industry positions.

I'm not saying these experiences are typical, but I would be at least a little surprised if they weren't. The point is, exactly as you say, most jobs in industry can be obtained with a B.S. degree. Why would an employer hire someone with a Master's degree (who commands a higher salary) when someone with a Bachelor's degree is just as qualified? And, given that the Master's degree is often awarded/seen as a "consolation prize", of sorts, do industry employers really want someone who didn't succede in their last job?

Anyway, take it or leave it: this has been my experience in the U.S., coming from an upper second tier grad program.

 

[Andy Resnick]

what all job options are ther after one does his msc physics

I am wondering if you have it backwards: what job/career do you want to have?

 

[Locrian]

I don't know how typical these experiences are, but I have heard more negative things about getting a job with an M.S. in physics than positive things.

Some of this could be timing - as far as I can tell, there's less hiring now in industry and the tech sector (with a few specific counter examples) than there was when I looked last, around 2006.

At that time I had several interviews with a masters and felt like I could get a job. However, I was deeply disenchanted with what I would be doing at those jobs and changed careers. It's possible that those interviews weren't going to lead to jobs, but I think I'd have found something. We'll never know for sure.

I guess I'm suggesting you have a very small, select sample.

 

[medphys]

Ph.D. is also an overkill for medical physics field!

That doesn't mean that most, or even any, of the candidates selected ahead of your friends had PhDs. For me, a PhD is complete overkill for the majority of industry jobs. A lot of companies with graduate programmes are designed specifically to take students out of pre-PhD university and mould them the way they want.

In the UK, A BSc is sufficient for industry positions.


for the OP: there are hundreds of jobs. http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Options_with_your_subject/Your_degree_in_physics/Job_options/p!eklipag

 

[tjoanna]

Can i ask how physics can be applied to managing a business?

 

[Vanadium 50]

I thought master's degrees were terminal degrees for engineers.

No. There are two degrees above a MSME (picking one at random). One is a PhD, and the other is something called a Mech. Eng. The latter is not a research degree, but encompasses coursework beyond the MSME.