Schools Chemist ISO Grad school advice: Applied physics? International vs. US?

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The discussion centers on a chemist considering graduate school options after facing challenges with student loans for a Master's program in Applied Physics at the University of Granada (UGR) in Spain. The chemist is now contemplating pursuing a PhD instead, as advised by their UGR advisor, to secure grant funding. Key concerns include the relevance and reputation of an Applied Physics degree compared to PhDs in Physical or Analytical Chemistry, Bioengineering, or Materials Science from prestigious US institutions like UC Berkeley, Stanford, and others. The research focus would be on chemical and topographical analysis of engineered surfaces and protein biophysics for biosensor development. The individual seeks insights on the comparative value of a PhD from UGR versus those from top US schools and the appropriateness of pursuing an Applied Physics degree given their chemistry background.
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Hello all. I am a currently working as a chemist (University of Delaware B.Sc. Chemistry 2010) in the US and have been sorting through my options for graduate school. My original plan was to work toward a M.Sc. in Applied Physics at the University of Granada (UGR) in Spain, and to follow that with a chemistry related PhD in the states. A wrench was thrown into my plans when I realized obtaining a student loan for such a venture was just short of impossible. Upon notifying my advisor at UGR, I was told my only option would be to pursue a PhD so I can obtain grant money to support myself. I am very excited at the prospect, but I do have some concerns. My concerns regard the usefulness of an Applied Physics degree (as opposed to, say, a PhD in Physical or Analytical Chemistry, Bioengineering, or Materials Science) and the reputation of the program compared to similar programs in the US. The program itself would lead toward a PhD in Colloid and Interface Science and Technology, which is technically an Applied Physics degree, whereas any PhD I would pursue in the US would be one of the four fields mentioned above (I'm awful at narrowing down my options). The schools I have been looking at in the US include UCBerkeley, Stanford, UWashington, UColorado, and UNC Chapel Hill as well a couple others. Basically I want to know how a PhD from UGR would compare to one from one of the other schools (I know it’s an odd comparison considering the degrees are different), and whether it would be a good idea at all to pursue an Applied Physics degree as a chemist.

As a note I guess I should mention the research would involve chemical and topographical analysis of engineered surfaces and protein biophysics in relation to development of biosensors.
 
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