Finding Employment with a BA in Physics Without Grad School

  • Thread starter Thread starter compxci
  • Start date Start date
AI Thread Summary
At 50 years old and nearing completion of a BA in Physics, the individual expresses concerns about job market demand for physicists, particularly for middle-aged candidates, and seeks research opportunities without pursuing a graduate degree. They have experience tutoring in advanced mathematics and have engaged in practical projects, such as studying water waves. The discussion highlights that job prospects may vary based on geographic location and prior work experience, emphasizing that upper-level physics courses may not directly translate to most job markets. It suggests that pursuing research and development roles in growing companies could be a viable path, though compensation from startups may be uncertain. The conversation also implies that the term "physicist" may not align with specific job titles in the industry, indicating a need for clarity on potential career paths.
compxci
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
I'm 50 years old and working on finishing my BA in Physics. I have not seen any demand for physicists (middle aged) anywhere in the job market. I want to do research and if at all possible avoid grad school. What are my chances of finding employment w/o a grad degree?

Have worked as a tutor in Differential Equations, some simple PDE's and complex variables and have some working programs using the Flex PDE 6.0 software and some very simple MatLab programs as well. Currently working on a project (senior seminar) of water waves in a ripple tank and waveguides. It is a simple experiment that does not use simple PDE's.

I try to stay up to date, attending APS seminars, discussing with faculty various topics, etc.
So what do you think? Don't be timid, give an honest answer.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
It probably depends on where you live, and more importantly on previous work experience. As you may be starting to realize, your upper year physics courses aren't very applicable to most fields. Not to mention that "physicist" isn't really a job. Your best bet to enter industry would be to find an R&D position at a growing company. The trouble there is how much is a start up company willing to pay?

What previous work experience do you have?
 

Thread 'Where did all the “fundamentals-deepening” master’s programs go?'

I’ve been looking through the curricula of several European theoretical/mathematical physics MSc programs (ETH, Oxford, Cambridge, LMU, ENS Paris, etc), and I’m struck by how little emphasis they place on advanced fundamental courses. Nearly everything seems to be research-adjacent: string theory, quantum field theory, quantum optics, cosmology, soft matter physics, black hole radiation, etc. What I don’t see are the kinds of “second-pass fundamentals” I was hoping for, things like...
View full post »

Thread 'Applied Math PhD candidate but I hate group theory'

TL;DR Summary: I want to do a PhD in applied math but I hate group theory, is this a big problem? Hello, I am a second-year math and physics double major with a minor in data science. I just finished group theory (today actually), and it was my least favorite class in all of university so far. It doesn't interest me, and I am also very bad at it compared to other math courses I have done. The other courses I have done are calculus I-III, ODEs, Linear Algebra, and Prob/Stats. Is it a...
View full post »

Similar threads

Other Physics PhD after working for few years
Replies
12
Views
2K
Admissions Curious about my grad school prospects
Replies
3
Views
3K
Preparing for Physics Grad School after Math/Comp Sci undergrad
Replies
8
Views
2K
Schools Is a top physics grad school possible with a lower tier undergrad?
Replies
11
Views
3K
Admissions Feedback for my grad school SOP for theoretical particle physics
Replies
10
Views
2K
Other Should I go back to grad school for physics after 4.5 years?
Replies
28
Views
4K
How difficult is it to be accepted into grad school in Europe without a BSc?
Replies
17
Views
2K
Advice: Doing grad school abroad and getting a masters instead of PhD
Replies
15
Views
4K
Admissions Admission into Princeton Grad School
Replies
9
Views
2K
Admissions How Can I Overcome Limited Research Experience for Grad School in Physics?
Replies
7
Views
2K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top