Programs Electrical Engineer/Physics Double Major

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around a third-year double major student at Georgia Tech in electrical engineering (EE) and physics, contemplating whether to drop the EE major to focus solely on physics. The student is on track to complete both degrees in five years but is considering graduating in four years to take additional math and physics courses, particularly in preparation for graduate school in physics, with a focus on quantum computing and quantum information processing. The student is weighing the benefits of the EE major, including relevant courses in signal processing and semiconductors, against the potential drawbacks of extending their studies and financial burden. Concerns are raised about how the decision might impact graduate school applications, particularly regarding the ability to take more advanced physics and math classes if the EE major is dropped. The discussion also touches on the student’s deep interest in quantum research and the rationale behind choosing the current academic path.
atarr3
Messages
74
Reaction score
0
Sorry to bring up yet another topic about such hackneyed subject, but I've reached the point in my academic career where I need to start making some important decisions, and I could really use some advice.

I'm currently a 3rd year double major at Georgia Tech in electrical engineering and physics. I started out as a physics major and added on electrical engineering at the beginning of my 2nd year. The reason I did this was I was currently set to graduate in 3 years, my semesters were already pretty light compared to most other students (at least in the amount of work I needed to do), I wanted to take advantage of one my school's high ranked engineering programs, I was already very interested and EE, and I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do when I graduated.

So this brings me to my current problem at hand. After a year and a half of having a double major, I've decided that I'm going to go to grad school for physics, and I was wondering if I should drop my EE major and just focus on physics. I'm currently on track to complete both degrees in 5 years, but if I drop EE I'll probably graduate in 4 years and take several extra math and physics courses. I'm interested in the field of quantum computing/quantum information processing and plan on focusing on that in grad school. I've talked to several EE advisers who've said that those are some important fields in EE as well.

I'm not really sure if I should keep the major or drop it. I know I can benefit from the signal processing and semiconductor courses I'll be taking, but I don't know if it's worth staying the extra time and spending more money to get another degree. I'm also concerned about hurting my chances of getting into the graduate school of my choice. Because I am completing another major, I won't be able to take as many physics or math courses as I would like to. If I drop the major, I can take more math classes like abstract vector spaces and PDE's. I plan on applying to the top graduate programs in the country, and I'm trying make myself the best candidate as possible.

Can anyone shed some light on this? Should I keep the major and go the 5 years? Or do you think it'd be better to drop it and focus on my physics degree. Thanks in advance for any input guys!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I'm interested in the field of quantum computing/quantum information processing

How deep does your interest in that field go?
 
I've always been really interested in it. Additionally, my favorite topic in EE is also signal processing. At the very least, I would like to get involved in quantum research and/or quantum theory. There might be other fields in quantum that I might want to get involved in instead, but at the moment that's the field I'm most interested in.
 
Why didn't you do your physics degree first, and then do a second bachelor's degree in ee?
 
Bit Britain-specific but I was wondering, what's the best path to take for A-Levels out of the following (I know Y10 seems a bit early to be thinking about A-levels, but my choice will impact what I do this year/ in y11) I (almost) definitely want to do physics at University - so keep that in mind... The subjects that I'm almost definitely going to take are Maths, Further Maths and Physics, and I'm taking a fast track programme which means that I'll be taking AS computer science at the end...
After a year of thought, I decided to adjust my ratio for applying the US/EU(+UK) schools. I mostly focused on the US schools before, but things are getting complex and I found out that Europe is also a good place to study. I found some institutes that have professors with similar interests. But gaining the information is much harder than US schools (like you have to contact professors in advance etc). For your information, I have B.S. in engineering (low GPA: 3.2/4.0) in Asia - one SCI...
I graduated with a BSc in Physics in 2020. Since there were limited opportunities in my country (mostly teaching), I decided to improve my programming skills and began working in IT, first as a software engineer and later as a quality assurance engineer, where I’ve now spent about 3 years. While this career path has provided financial stability, I’ve realized that my excitement and passion aren’t really there, unlike what I felt when studying or doing research in physics. Working in IT...
Back
Top