Going Into Physics or Engineering Physics

[vancouver_water]

Hi everyone,
I have a question that I've been thinking about for a long time. I am a current first year engineering undergrad at UBC in Canada, and I do not know whether I should go into the schools engineering physics program or transfer to sciences and do an honours physics degree. My first term average was 88% and I know it's a long ways away, but I am hoping to get into a very good graduate school for physics. Would engineering physics have any advantage over physics, or vice versa?
Thanks!

ps. here is the course lists for engphys, although starting next year there won't be any mechanical, electrical, or mechatronics stream, and I will be able to take pure physics classes instead of those streams. http://www.engphys.ubc.ca/courses/required-courses/

 

[DEvens]

You should contact the schools you hope to attend and find out what their requirements are for admission to the programs you are interested in. And also what kinds of things make it more likely to get you admission. And what scholarships are available, because most scholarships require you to apply to be considered.

For example, some schools will not care what department taught you the things they want, as long as you have certain courses. Some schools will be putting more weight on a letter of recommendation than other schools. Some will put weight on "leadership" things, however they may define them.

You should also try to find out where people wind up getting jobs after they graduate from the schools you are interested in. Get magazines like "Physics Today" and find the issue that shows where recent grads got jobs. Want a job like that? Then that is a plus for going to that school. And maybe for trying to work with a particular prof at that school.

To find out what research people at specific schools are doing, you could sample this web site.

http://arxiv.org/

Once you know where they do what you are interested in, try to get into that school.

In all of these searches, Google is your friend.

 

[vancouver_water]

You should contact the schools you hope to attend and find out what their requirements are for admission to the programs you are interested in. And also what kinds of things make it more likely to get you admission. And what scholarships are available, because most scholarships require you to apply to be considered.

For example, some schools will not care what department taught you the things they want, as long as you have certain courses. Some schools will be putting more weight on a letter of recommendation than other schools. Some will put weight on "leadership" things, however they may define them.

You should also try to find out where people wind up getting jobs after they graduate from the schools you are interested in. Get magazines like "Physics Today" and find the issue that shows where recent grads got jobs. Want a job like that? Then that is a plus for going to that school. And maybe for trying to work with a particular prof at that school.

To find out what research people at specific schools are doing, you could sample this web site.

http://arxiv.org/

Once you know where they do what you are interested in, try to get into that school.

In all of these searches, Google is your friend.

That was a lot of info, thank you so much!