Engineering in Undergrad and Physics in Grad school

[Quincy]

I'm thinking about majoring in ME for undergrad and pursuing physics in grad school since I want to be a physicist. I don't want to major in physics for undergrad because I've heard that job opportunities are extremely slim for students with bachelor degrees in physics, and in case if I can't go to grad school (I'll already be thousands of dollars in debt from college loans), I'll be stuck with a B.S in physics and be jobless if I do physics for undergrad. So, my question is, would I be prepared for grad school without a B.S in Physics? Do you know some other people who did the same thing? How did it turn out for them?

 

[Coto]

Many grad schools will allow you in based on a qualifying year that requires you complete certain requirements that you would've missed in a ME degree.. Since math requirements are similar, the qualifying year would be filled with the physics courses you would've missed.

On the other hand, if you're smart about, you may be able to use your science options to take some of these physics courses and this would give you an easier qualifying year.

This is a question you would ask a physics adviser though, any forum responses should be taken lightly.

 

[Choppy]

I don't want to major in physics for undergrad because I've heard that job opportunities are extremely slim for students with bachelor degrees in physics, and in case if I can't go to grad school due to grad school (I'll already be thousands of dollars in debt from college loans), I'll be stuck with a B.S in physics and be jobless if I do physics for undergrad.

The following advice is blunt, but intended to be very helpful:
Don't make life decisions based on rumors you've heard. Make it based on facts that you've researched yourself.

Physics graduates aren't jobless. In fact, they have a high economic value.
http://www.aip.org/statistics/trends/highlite/emp2/emphigh.pdf
http://www.aip.org/statistics/trends/reports/emp.pdf
http://www.aip.org/statistics/trends/highlite/salary/salsum06.pdf

 

[kodiakghost]

Physics graduates aren't jobless. In fact, they have a high economic value.

It's really not wise to trust links advocating physics from aip.org. Clearly, they will be biased.

 

[kodiakghost]

Quincy: I'd definitely go with engineering in undergrad if I were you. If you like, you could pull off a 2nd major in physics or you could just take a few upper level physics courses. That should get you into a grad school if you do well enough. But the engineering degree is a smart move. It will be much easier to find work with an engineering degree than with a pure science degree like math, physics, chem, etc.

 

[andrewm]

Many schools offer programs in Engineering Physics or Engineering Science.