Considering doing physics as 2nd major

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the potential benefits and challenges of pursuing a second major in physics alongside a primary major in computer science. Participants explore the implications of this combination for career opportunities and personal interest in the subjects.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a belief that a second major in physics may be necessary to engage in meaningful work related to engineering or computers, questioning the practical application of theoretical physics.
  • Another participant suggests that if the individual enjoys physics, the additional workload may be worthwhile, indicating that passion for the subject can lead to beneficial outcomes.
  • A participant notes that computer science is a common second major for physics students, highlighting that software-related jobs are often available to physics graduates, which could support the individual's career goals.
  • One reply mentions the existence of alternative programs, such as applied mathematics, which might also align with the individual's interests and career aspirations.
  • Another participant reinforces the idea that the combination of computer science and physics is favorable, citing demand for physics graduates in the tech industry.
  • A suggestion is made to consider computational physics as a potential career path, indicating a specific area where the two fields may intersect.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that a combination of computer science and physics can be beneficial, but there are differing opinions on the necessity and practicality of pursuing a second major in physics. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the overall value of this combination.

Contextual Notes

Some participants emphasize personal interest and enjoyment in physics as a key factor in deciding whether to pursue the second major, while others focus on career implications and market demand for skills in both fields.

Nick R
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I am currently a computer science major, I am taking 300 level courses in that so I am fairly far along in it. I have recently come to believe I may need a second major in physics to do anything of interest with it (not just working on a business software application that keeps track of a bunch of meaningless numbers). With a degree in physics and in computer science I figured I should be able to do just about anything that might interest me related to engineering or computers.

I am at the point where I need to commit one way or the other because I am currently finishing up the last course in the "general physics" series of courses which touch on lots of issues without going into lots of detail (course 1 was mostly Newtonian physics, 2 was mostly classical EM, 3 so far has been mostly been propagation of light).

I read several posts on this board in which people were saying theoretical physics is often very difficult to apply, and I draw from that maybe a degree in physics would not be as good of complement to a computer science degree as I thought it might be.

Can anyone say if this would be a very useful combination or not? At this point it would take me 2 or 3 extra semesters + summer semesters with a significantly increased work load during each semester. I wonder if it would be worth it.
 
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Do you enjoy what you are doing in physics? If you find it interesting, and worth the extra semester with lot's of work, then I'd say go for it. If you love physics, it'll definitely pay off in the end.
 
Computer Science is a fairly common second major for Physics majors, so...also software-related jobs are common for physics graduates. If that's the direction you want to take your career, and it's stuff you're interested in learning anyway, it sounds like a good move.

There may be other programs worth considering like applied mathematics. My uni has an "applied computing and mathematics" program with many options like scientific computing and so forth. What's most appropriate depends on what you want to learn.
 
That seems like a common combination. Computer science and physics. I was at the computer science career fair a couple of months ago, and found they were looking for a lot of physics people as well in addition to their computer science degree. I'd say, go for it.

Frankly, I think it might even be a better combination that Computer Science and Math. The one I plan on going into.
 
Also, you may want to look into computational physics as a possible career path.
 

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