EE grad school with a physics minor

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the implications of pursuing a minor in physics while applying to graduate schools in Electrical Engineering (EE). Participants explore the potential benefits of this academic choice, particularly in relation to admissions committees and the relevance of specific physics courses to EE graduate programs.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the significance of a physics minor for EE graduate school applications and whether it would help them stand out to admissions committees.
  • There is speculation about the impact of specific physics courses on applications, with questions raised about the relative value of courses like solid state physics versus classical mechanics or quantum mechanics.
  • Another participant suggests that a physics minor could be beneficial, particularly for fields within EE that are closely related to physics, such as semiconductor devices or electromagnetics.
  • It is noted that not all physics courses may be relevant to EE, with some participants highlighting that optics, solid state physics, quantum mechanics, and electromagnetism could be particularly valuable.
  • Conversely, courses like classical mechanics, special relativity, general relativity, and particle physics are deemed less applicable to EE.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying opinions on the importance of a physics minor and the relevance of specific courses, indicating that there is no consensus on the overall impact of a physics minor on graduate school applications.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge that the value of a physics minor may depend on the specific EE subfield one intends to pursue, and the discussion does not resolve the question of how admissions committees weigh a physics minor against other qualifications.

axmls
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Does anyone here have any experience with going to grad school in Electrical Engineering with a minor in physics? It's something I've planned on doing for a while, and I'll start taking my extra physics courses to fulfill the minor next semester, but I was wondering exactly how much it'll help when I apply to EE grad schools. Is it something that the admissions committee would barely care about, or is it something that would help me stand out? I'm not doing it for better admissions chances, but that's always a plus.

Also, if it would make a difference in my applications, does it highly depend on the classes? i.e. would it make more of a difference if I took, say, solid state physics as opposed to classical mechanics? What about an introductory quantum mechanics course? I've got to pick two more courses to take, and I'm considering quantum mechanics, especially if it'll be an asset to me when I apply for grad schools.
 
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I looked at that one, but I'm really more concerned about how graduate admissions people feel about the minor as opposed to a general "should I get a minor in physics?". I've already made the decision; I'm just curious about the benefits of it.
 
What is your major?
 
leright said:
What is your major?

Electrical engineering.
 
axmls said:
Electrical engineering.

A physics minor wouldn't hurt, especially if you want to go into semiconductor devices or electromagnetics or some other EE subfield related to physics. You could also take more EE classes though (preferably grad classes that can be applied toward your graduate degree if possible) instead of the extra physics classes.

Not all physics classes will be applicable to EE though. However, optics, solid state physics, QM and E&M, for instance, could be valuable. Some of statistical mechanics could be useful in EE as well. Obviously, classical mechanics, SR/GR, particle physics, etc will not be of much use in EE.
 

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