graphene said:
buddy, I could show you my curriculum :)
(No offense, just trying to clarify things.)
If it is, then good for you..things might have changed in the past few years. When I was contemplating an engineering physics major, I was advised by professors that it would at best be a compromise between engineering and physics. I also happened to take a good look at the curriculum back then, and it wasn't quite all of physics. This was about 5 years ago. As I was more interested in electronics and devices at the time, I chose to study EE because I wanted to go to a particular college. And then I took two courses in QM, one on QFT, one on relativity and one on particle physics. I had enough time to study physics during my vacations, and my instructors felt I would manage the upper division courses. I'd say I was pretty lucky! I don't suggest this to anyone though, because its obviously a non-ideal way of learning. But if someone just isn't able to do physics, it doesn't mean he or she has burnt bridges by doing engineering.
As far as I know, a proper undergraduate physics curriculum (e.g. one at your undergrad institution, and mine) involves courses in Classical Mechanics at the level of Goldstein, two courses on Quantum Mechanics at the level of Griffiths/Sakurai/etc, two courses on Classical Electromagnetism at the level of Griffiths and Jackson, a course on Thermal Physics at the level of Reif/Schroeder, a course on Statistical Physics at the level of Reif/Landau, and possibly a course on relativity at the level of Rindler/Weinberg. Well, at least this is the system at IIT Kanpur. I have cut out the courses on atomic and nuclear physics, condensed matter physics, field theory, and a few other things which they also do here, which are things people in a BSc Hons physics program typically do not do, so that the comparison is even.
If these, or at least one course each in CM, EM, QM, SM are part of your engineering physics curriculum, then its awesome! I wish I had them as my 'core' subjects :-)
No offense taken by the way, I am someone who would advocate a very strong integration between engineering and physics departments in India. As a graduate student in physics, I have heard both sides of the argument, and was personally quite disturbed/disillusioned to see the compartmentalization while I was an undergraduate. If you, as an engineering physics major in India, are able to get exposure to enough undergrad physics while still also doing engineering, it speaks volumes of the changes that the system has taken in the positive direction.
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PS: This thread runs the risk of becoming centrifugal as far as the original query is concerned, since the question was directed toward a choice between 'BTech' and 'BSc' and not 'BTech' in a specific engineering field and 'BSc'. Since others are likely to refer to it in future for 'comments' and 'suggestions', let's agree to conclude it on the following notes (and I think graphene, you will agree with me here):
[Directed to aim1732 in particular]
1. If you are sure you want to study physics, join an undergrad program in physics. Make sure you go to a school that has a good reputation, and a good track record. Make sure its recognized by graduate schools you want to go to. You don't want to end up in a college/university where strikes and political upheavals govern whether you can study the spectrum of a finite square well..
2. If you are not sure of your interests in physics at this time, and feel more inclined toward engineering, join the engineering program most suited to your tastes (this is the only 'recipe' that works!). Later on, if your interests change, you can switch, provided you put in some extra effort.
