Graduate Physics after MsC res in Chemical Biology and Bachelor in Biology

[Jirnyak]

I am 25 and I have graduated from Oxford university in Chemical Biology but strongly believe that I want to do Physics all my future life. I did my Masters by research on the department of Chemistry and I was co-supervised by Professor in Organic Chemistry and Professor in Physical Chemistry. So that's why I fell in love into Physics. I was doing a lot of NMR and quantum mechanics and started to like Maths which I hated before.
Being the STEM scientist I had some general physics and calculus courses during my undergraduate studies and I got excellent grades for them. I have also self studying physics by reading Feynman Lectures and watching Theoretical minimum course. However, I understand that it is absolutely cannot be compared with the Background of Physics Bachelors. However, I have a background of interdisciplinary scientific research.

Now I am searching for PhD in Biophysics on the departments of Physics. However, I am also considering Msc programs in Physics.
I do not want top tier universities, I just like physics and I want to switch to it as soon as it is possible. Is 25 years old age a problem, considering also my STEM background and experience?

Could you please describe me my chances about successfully finding Physics related PhD (and can I for example get second PhD in Physics finishing Biological physics PhD? Or should I focus on applying for Msc res in Physics programs?

 

[Choppy]

I think you already know that getting into a graduate physics program without an undergraduate degree in physics is going to be a challenge. Most graduate programs in physics will consider candidates with related degrees. It's not uncommon, for example, to see people who've done physical chemistry transition into physics for graduate work. But I'm not sure how much preparation a background in chemical biology will have given you.

Unfortunately self-study doesn't count for much when it comes to graduate school admissions. That's not to say it doesn't have value, but the problem is anyone can *say* they've completed self-study, so objective comparisons between students is extremely difficult.

That said, biophysics does tend to be a rather interdisciplinary field and if you're looking at doing that specifically for a PhD you might be able to find a program through a chemistry department that will take you with your current background as is.

As for being 25, don't worry about it. Even if you decide to go back and complete an undergraduate degree and then do a PhD in physics, that's not going to make much of a difference on things like the probability of admission. Where it does tend to come into play is when you're in your thirties and still living as a PhD student. Most people at that stage of life are looking at starting a family, buying a house, etc. That can be challenging when you're still a student. But those factors are all about personal choice.

 

[Jirnyak]

I think you already know that getting into a graduate physics program without an undergraduate degree in physics is going to be a challenge. Most graduate programs in physics will consider candidates with related degrees. It's not uncommon, for example, to see people who've done physical chemistry transition into physics for graduate work. But I'm not sure how much preparation a background in chemical biology will have given you.

Unfortunately self-study doesn't count for much when it comes to graduate school admissions. That's not to say it doesn't have value, but the problem is anyone can *say* they've completed self-study, so objective comparisons between students is extremely difficult.

That said, biophysics does tend to be a rather interdisciplinary field and if you're looking at doing that specifically for a PhD you might be able to find a program through a chemistry department that will take you with your current background as is.

As for being 25, don't worry about it. Even if you decide to go back and complete an undergraduate degree and then do a PhD in physics, that's not going to make much of a difference on things like the probability of admission. Where it does tend to come into play is when you're in your thirties and still living as a PhD student. Most people at that stage of life are looking at starting a family, buying a house, etc. That can be challenging when you're still a student. But those factors are all about personal choice.

Dear Choppy,

Thank you for your reply, just to let you know and also to make this post more completed: I was accepted to Msc Physics by Research course in Royal Holloway. I am very happy with it, I am on Condensed matter physics in Nanophysics group working on qubits! I am attending the research specific lectures now (quantum mechanics, nanophysics). I am struggling in some things but this is very interesting and exciting.