Grad school with liberal arts degree

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the feasibility of gaining admission to a science or engineering graduate program with a liberal arts degree. Participants explore the necessary prerequisites, background knowledge, and potential pathways for individuals with such degrees seeking to enter STEM fields.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the type of liberal arts degree, suggesting that a degree from a liberal arts college may be more favorable than a general studies degree.
  • Another participant shares their experience of being in a physics graduate program after attending a liberal arts college, indicating that it is possible but requires a strong background in the relevant field.
  • A suggestion is made to refer to a specific program at Boston University that may facilitate the transition for liberal arts graduates into engineering.
  • A participant lists specific minimum entry requirements for Caltech's graduate programs, detailing the necessary coursework in mechanics, electromagnetism, atomic and nuclear physics, quantum mechanics, and advanced calculus.
  • One participant emphasizes the importance of qualifying exams in US graduate programs, raising concerns about the ability to pass these exams based on the applicant's background and not just the prerequisites.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the accessibility of graduate programs for those with liberal arts degrees, with some suggesting it is feasible with the right background, while others highlight significant challenges related to qualifying exams and prerequisite knowledge.

Contextual Notes

There is no consensus on a standard list of prerequisites, and the discussion reflects varying experiences and expectations regarding the transition from liberal arts to STEM graduate programs.

Switters12
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Can I get into a science/engineering grad program with a liberal arts degree? If this is is possible, I assume that one would have to complete a certain number of prerequisites. Is there some kind of standard list? Thanks.
 
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Do you mean a degree from a liberal arts college, or some kind of 'general studies' degree? I'm in grad school with a physics major from a liberal arts college, so it's not impossible - actually, most of the other grad students in my program attended liberal arts colleges. But you do need a good deal of background in physics or engineering to enter a grad program on the same topic - if you know you're interested in it, just major in it.
 
here's what caltech says are minimum entry requirements:
Mechanics at about the level of Goldstein's Classical Mechanics;
electromagnetism at the level of Reitz and Milford's Foundations of Electromagnetic Theory;
atomic and nuclear physics at the level of R.B. Leighton's Modern Physics;
introductory quantum mechanics at the level of Dicke and Wittke's Introduction to Quantum Mechanics;
advanced calculus at the level of T.M. Apostol's Mathematical Analysis
 
Switters12 said:
Can I get into a science/engineering grad program with a liberal arts degree? If this is is possible, I assume that one would have to complete a certain number of prerequisites. Is there some kind of standard list? Thanks.

I'm guessing that you're talking about grad programs in a US Institution. If that is so, you DO know that most of these science or engineering grad programs have some kind of a qualifying exams that you have to pass to continue with your candidacy, don't you? Now think about your ability to pass that exam based on your background. It isn't just the prerequisite.

Zz.
 

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