Having a tough choice between EE and Physics degree

[CrunchBerries]

I know this subject has been beaten to death, and I have been reading many threads here on this very subject.

I have the opportunity to select one of these majors. The physics program seems like the most interesting. The EE is more in my current career experience as a technician, also very interesting, but its hard to tell if it will be more interesting once the final year kicks in.

1. I definitely want to push the mathematics to the physics degree level. (PDEs, vector analysis)

2. Modern physics seem so interesting to me, I would LOVE to get an introduction to that.

3. I am very proficient in electronic circuit design and function, it seems like EE would be in my current realm.

Overall, I am having a hard time picking a major/honours. The EE program seems more practical/logical, and the Physics major seems more interesting/exciting.

What is your recommendation for a 4 year degree? Engineering Physics?

 

[jasonRF]

Before picking a major, you should think about what you want to do once you finish your 4 year degree. What kind of job do you want? Do you plan on going to graduate school? What specific areas interest you?

Regarding classes in electrical engineering departments, I'm not sure what the programs are like where you are attending, but some electrical engineering departments certainly have plenty of 1) and 2) on your list above. I am an electrical engineer and certainly took vector calculus, ordinary and partial differential equations, 3 semesters of lower division physics, a semester of analytical mechanics, 2 semesters of upper division engineering electromagnetic theory, a semester of quantum and solid state electronics (a second semester was also available), a semester of complex analysis, etc. Different schools have different requirements, so you may not have all of these options. Look at your curriculum and possible electives carefully; you may be able to do more in EE than you think.
Good luck.

Jason

EDIT: by the way, I had a hard time selecting between electrical engineering and engineering physics as an undergrad. I was mostly interested in applied electromagnetic theory, which could equally be done in either major. I picked electrical engineering because it was likely to be easier to find a job with that degree. I live in the USA, by the way.