Is the University of Auckland's Physics Program Rigorous Enough for Grad School?

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The discussion centers on pursuing a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Physics at the University of Auckland, with a focus on the rigor of the program and its suitability for future postgraduate studies. The participant plans to take a mix of physics, computer science, and mathematics courses throughout their undergraduate years. Concerns are raised about the preparedness of graduates for graduate school, particularly regarding the Physics GRE. It is noted that the relevance of the GRE varies by country, with some programs not requiring it. The importance of evaluating a university's research opportunities is emphasized, as strong undergraduate research options can indicate a commitment to preparing students for advanced studies. The University of Auckland is mentioned positively in terms of rankings and research potential.
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Hi! I'm currently looking to do a bsc with honours in physics at the University of Auckland. I expect to do most of the postgraduate (700) courses by year 3/4 and the 100, 200, 300 courses in years 1 2 and 3. I will also be taking some 100 courses in computer science and 200 and 300 ones in math. How rigorous is this and will it be a good foundation for a masters/PhD.

Here are some links for the courses;
https://www.calendar.auckland.ac.nz/en/courses/faculty-of-science/physics.html
https://www.calendar.auckland.ac.nz/en/courses/faculty-of-science/mathematics.html

Thanks for any answers in advance!
 
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I'd write and ask:

What percentage of your graduating physics majors take the Physics GRE?

and

What are their mean, median, 25th, and 75th percentile scores?

Lots of programs look good on paper, but produce a lot of graduates unprepared for graduate school.
 
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Dr. Courtney said:
I'd write and ask:

What percentage of your graduating physics majors take the Physics GRE?

and

What are their mean, median, 25th, and 75th percentile scores?

Lots of programs look good on paper, but produce a lot of graduates unprepared for graduate school.

The percentage of graduating physics majors taking the Physics GRE is not so relevant in countries where the GRE is not required for graduate school. My undergraduate university had an extremely good physics program and perhaps 3 people in my graduating class of 20 took the GRE (those that wanted to go to grad school in the US - two of them are now there), though about half went on to do PhDs.

ETA: Rankings are an imperfect tool, but the University of Auckland seems pretty good on that front. Another way to judge a school is to look at the research page for the physics school, and check out the undergraduate research options. If they're serious about producing grad students, there will be undergrad research options.
 
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After a year of thought, I decided to adjust my ratio for applying the US/EU(+UK) schools. I mostly focused on the US schools before, but things are getting complex and I found out that Europe is also a good place to study. I found some institutes that have professors with similar interests. But gaining the information is much harder than US schools (like you have to contact professors in advance etc). For your information, I have B.S. in engineering (low GPA: 3.2/4.0) in Asia - one SCI...
I graduated with a BSc in Physics in 2020. Since there were limited opportunities in my country (mostly teaching), I decided to improve my programming skills and began working in IT, first as a software engineer and later as a quality assurance engineer, where I’ve now spent about 3 years. While this career path has provided financial stability, I’ve realized that my excitement and passion aren’t really there, unlike what I felt when studying or doing research in physics. Working in IT...
Hello, I’m an undergraduate student pursuing degrees in both computer science and physics. I was wondering if anyone here has graduated with these degrees and applied to a physics graduate program. I’m curious about how graduate programs evaluated your applications. In addition, if I’m interested in doing research in quantum fields related to materials or computational physics, what kinds of undergraduate research experiences would be most valuable?

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