Chem. Engineering Undergrad, Physics Grad Possibility

[jayeffarr]

I am currently a junior in the chemical engineering program at my school and have now started debating possible paths I can take after I graduate. What I'm interested in are what type of possibilities are out there for engineers who choose to Master in Physics and not in their respective undergrad subject?

 

[tmyer2107]

if you choose to go to grad school for physics you will probably have to go through a qualifying year in which you would have to take a lot of the physics courses you didn't take in your undergrad. I am also a chemical engineer and the only required physics for me was 3 basic classes so I am assuming your curriculum is similar. I thought of doing the same thing at one point but decided on going to grad school for nuclear engineering rather than physics. although I will likely have to do the same qualifying year since most of the classes are different.

If you got a masters in physics it woud certainly open some doors into other careers, a Phd would be a lot better, especially if you are looking to get into theory and research. Are you still looking to work as a chemical engineer or want to get a job in the physics field after your masters?

 

[jayeffarr]

Both fields of study fascinate me, though I may change my mind as time goes on. I would almost prefer to stay somewhere connected with chemical engineering since it would be my undergrad study.

At the same time I also yearn to doing research within physics.
I'm just not sure what way a Master's in Physics would lead me, as far as career choices with a chem.E. Bachelor's. Even a possible PhD in physics for the hell of it.

 

[tmyer2107]

I'm not exactly sure how the physics degree would help you as a chem e. Perhaps someone with more experience in the physics field would be able to answer that for you. But if you want to do research within physics then obviously getting a graduate degree in physics is the way to go. I am also interested in both paths and decided nuclear engineering was kind of a middleground that involved a little of both fields. In my opinion, you should try make a definite decision on what you want to do. If you want to work solely as a chemical engineer I don't see the physics degree helping very much and getting a graduate degree in it might be a waste of time if you end up working as a chem e in the end. However, as I stated before, this could be wrong and someone with more knowledge of physics careers might be able to offer better advice. Maybe someone knows of another field, other than nuclear e, that you will have to utilize everything from both a physics and chem e degree.