Double Major in Electrical Engineering and Physics?

[cwill53]

I’m a freshman in undergrad and I currently attend the University of Illinois at Chicago. I major in electrical engineering but I have an extremely strong interest in physics, chemistry, and materials science.

UIC doesn’t have a materials science program, but George Crabtree, a highly cited physicist who specialized in what I want to study (superconductivity and materials science) is a professor here. He is involved with Northwestern’s Materials Science program (I was rejected from Northwestern and my GPA is too low right now for me to even think about getting accepted). I shot him an email to try to meet up with him and build a relationship with him.

The materials science program at Northwestern has posted all their books, lectures, and study materials on their website. It’s a plethora of things to learn completely free. I myself want to be able to do RESEARCH in the laboratory. I want to research and pioneer room temperature superconductivity and superconductor applications. I also have a huge interest in high energy density materials and supercapacitance.

I’m wondering if I should double major in physics and electrical engineering . I don’t mind staying in school longer if it can increase my knowledge and understanding of solid state physics, quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and everything that goes into materials science research.

I’m also invested into electrical engineering and I find it very interesting. I think that the development of new ways to deliver power is awesome. I just want advice on what to do and how to do it. I believe I should double major just to be able to do lab research with further education. I know it will take a long time to actually make and impact on the field. But that’s what I want to do, and I’m willing to take the time to do it.

 

[ZapperZ]

If your gpa is "too low" right now, why do you think you are capable of a double major and risk sinking the whole ship?

This appears to be the case where your eyes are bigger than your stomach.

Zz.

 

[Vanadium 50]

What Zz said.

Also, George Crabtree has been working on battery materials, not superconductivity, for a decade.

 

[cwill53]

He

What Zz said.

Also, George Crabtree has been working on battery materials, not superconductivity, for a decade.

He has worked on superconductivity.

 

[cwill53]

If your gpa is "too low" right now, why do you think you are capable of a double major and risk sinking the whole ship?

This appears to be the case where your eyes are bigger than your stomach.

Zz.

The only reason my GPA is low is because I got a D in one class last semester. Everything else was good. Just that ONE grade in my first electrical engineering class. On the final, even though I had practiced complex phasors a whole lot, it just literally slipped out of my mind during the test. It’s not that it’s too much for me. I don’t think doing bad in one class during my first semester constitutes as too much.

 

[ZapperZ]

He

He has worked on superconductivity.

He has, but that was while he was at Argonne. You should never plan on something because you think you will be able to work with that person. What makes you think he has funding just at the right time to support you when you are ready?

You need to sit down and figure out what you really want to do. It doesn't mean that you will close the door on other areas, because a graduate program can sometime be quite flexible, depending on the school, the faculty, the research programs, etc. Do not narrow it down so much at this stage, because by the time you graduate and looking for grad school, and by the time you pass your qualifier and ready to go into a research program, A LOT of things will have changed, and they WILL have changed! There may be other new discoveries that are more exciting and getting more funding at that moment. You just never know.

If I were you, I'd concentrate on getting the best grades that I can at UIC in whatever major you choose. The rest often comes naturally.

Zz.

 

[cwill53]

He has, but that was while he was at Argonne. You should never plan on something because you think you will be able to work with that person. What makes you think he has funding just at the right time to support you when you are ready?

You need to sit down and figure out what you really want to do. It doesn't mean that you will close the door on other areas, because a graduate program can sometime be quite flexible, depending on the school, the faculty, the research programs, etc. Do not narrow it down so much at this stage, because by the time you graduate and looking for grad school, and by the time you pass your qualifier and ready to go into a research program, A LOT of things will have changed, and they WILL have changed! There may be other new discoveries that are more exciting and getting more funding at that moment. You just never know.

If I were you, I'd concentrate on getting the best grades that I can at UIC in whatever major you choose. The rest often comes naturally.

Zz.

You’re right. At that angle I wasn’t really thinking about funding, just insight to what he knows regarding superconductors. He did that while at Argonne. Do you think I should stick to EE or switch to physics?

I actually do want to develop a room temperature superconductor.

 

[ZapperZ]

You’re right. At that angle I wasn’t really thinking about funding, just insight to what he knows regarding superconductors. He did that while at Argonne. Do you think I should stick to EE or switch to physics?

I actually do want to develop a room temperature superconductor.

Again, while it is nice to have an "ambition", you are being too narrow in your goals.

What you want to do is work in condensed matter physics, or more specifically, EXPERIMENTAL condensed matter physics. Learn experimental TECHNIQUES, which often transcends the specific topic or area that you will work in. This will make you more employable, whether you discover a room temperature superconductor or not.

So if that's the case, then you need to major in physics. UIC is already a solid school for it, especially if you want to do ARPES (is Campuzano still there?).

Zz.

 

[cwill53]

Again, while it is nice to have an "ambition", you are being too narrow in your goals.

What you want to do is work in condensed matter physics, or more specifically, EXPERIMENTAL condensed matter physics. Learn experimental TECHNIQUES, which often transcends the specific topic or area that you will work in. This will make you more employable, whether you discover a room temperature superconductor or not.

So if that's the case, then you need to major in physics. UIC is already a solid school for it, especially if you want to do ARPES (is Campuzano still there?).

Zz.

Campuzano is still here and I actually have him for a physics support class. I barely go though as all we do is do the homework and it’s evident that he doesn’t even want to be there. The guy is getting old and sometimes when we solve problems he solves them incorrectly. He doesn’t take attendance either.
Another thing I’m doing is trying to get a full ride to school. A scholarship that I’m trying to get here is dependent on me studying electrical engineering, and it’s a full ride scholarship offered by ComEd.

 

[Joshy]

Electrical engineers can work on semiconductor physics. Do well in your classes and score some internships.

I felt low GPA created larger barriers to overcome compared to a less talented student (maybe just slightly) who has excellent GPA.

 

[Vanadium 50]

He has worked on superconductivity.

Yes he has.

But doi you really think he's going to say "Gosh, I really love my battery work, and it's good to be the administrator of a $24M research program. But there's a freshman who wants to study superconductivity, so I need to walk away from my current research and go back to superconductivity. Because this freshman wants me to."

 

[cwill53]

Yes he has.

But doi you really think he's going to say "Gosh, I really love my battery work, and it's good to be the administrator of a $24M research program. But there's a freshman who wants to study superconductivity, so I need to walk away from my current research and go back to superconductivity. Because this freshman wants me to."

That’s not what I want to do. All I want is insight on his knowledge and possibly a good report in the event that I do study condensed matter physics.

 

[CrysPhys]

I’m a freshman in undergrad and I currently attend the University of Illinois at Chicago. I major in electrical engineering but I have an extremely strong interest in physics, chemistry, and materials science. UIC doesn’t have a materials science program, ...

Have you considered applying for transfer to the Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) campus?

 

[cwill53]

Have you considered applying for transfer to the Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) campus?

The main problem doing that would be the cost and the abandonment of my potential full ride scholarship.

 

[gwnorth]

Have you looked into doing a minor in physics instead? It's often difficult to double major with engineering due to the course requirements. Another option is if your school offers Engineering Physics.

 

[cwill53]

Have you looked into doing a minor in physics instead? It's often difficult to double major with engineering due to the course requirements. Another option is if your school offers Engineering Physics.

Will a minor possibly give me a way to do meaningful research in a lab?

 

[CrysPhys]

Will a minor possibly give me a way to do meaningful research in a lab?

If your goal is to do "meaningful research in a lab" in the field you desire, you'll need a PhD in most instances (always an exception here and there).

 

[Joshy]

I don't think a minor (or a second major) will have a big impact on what kind of undergraduate research you can do. I can at least say it didn't matter for me.

 

[cwill53]

I don't think a minor (or a second major) will have a big impact on what kind of undergraduate research you can do. I can at least say it didn't matter for me.

Right. But in order to get a PhD in physics to do research I would need a bachelors in physics as well, right?

 

[gwnorth]

Not necessarily.

 

[cwill53]

Not necessarily.

How could it work then?

 

[Joshy]

I'm not applying for PhD programs but I looked at my alma mater it's among the top 15 for public university and top 50 for national universities in the https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges... it was a highly selective university. Graduate programs including PhD do not require you to have bachelors in the same major. I looked at several majors and most of them required letters of recommendations, submission of your transcript (regardless of major), and typically a statement of purpose; some majors required the name of your textbooks.

I know for the masters program I applied to at a different university (not a top ranked one although it's listed as selective and is considered competitive in my area) also did not require my bachelors from the same major. It did require some of the core classes, but the student could be conditionally accepted and take those classes during their graduate studies.

 

[CrysPhys]

The main problem doing that would be the cost and the abandonment of my potential full ride scholarship.

Then you need to weigh your long-term goal against any short-term advantage. A bargain's not a bargain if it's not what you want or what you need. But only you can decide that.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

All but the very best students sacrifice too much GPA pursuing double majors.

Do less, and do it with great excellence.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Then you need to weigh your long-term goal against any short-term advantage.

I agree. If your college isn't taking you where you want to go, but does it cheaply, is it a good deal?