Level of Learning Theories: String Theory & Loop Quantum Gravity

[Gear300]

At what level (graduate, PhD, etc...) do people start learning theories, such as String Theory and Loop Quantum Gravity?

 

[pjfoster]

Depends what you mean by theories...you start learning Newtonian Dynamic Theory your first semester of undergraduate physics. By senior year of undergraduate, you should have a basic grip on EM Theory, and basic Quantum Theory...as far as String Theory and Quantum Gravity, I don't think you get into these until the graduate level, but I believe some schools have intro courses for these fields available at the upper undergraduate level.

 

[Gear300]

Depends what you mean by theories...you start learning Newtonian Dynamic Theory your first semester of undergraduate physics. By senior year of undergraduate, you should have a basic grip on EM Theory, and basic Quantum Theory...as far as String Theory and Quantum Gravity, I don't think you get into these until the graduate level, but I believe some schools have intro courses for these fields available at the upper undergraduate level.

I see...so does that mean that when someone applies for an assistant-ship when applying for a graduate school under the intentions of working in those two fields, they take under consideration an adviser who does research in the particular areas (meaning that you can start work in String Theory or Quantum Gravity at graduate level)?

 

[pjfoster]

If we're only talking about the two "Theories" you've mentioned, yes this seems to be something first studied at the graduate level, possibly though research under a professor researching this field.

 

[Gear300]

I see...now let us say that someone who only did the minimum physics courses (on the basis that physics isn't his/her major) required for graduate school of physics and does relatively well in GRE (this isn't me, this is hypothetical)...what are his chances of working under a professor for these two particular fields (String Theory/Quantum Gravity)?

 

[Klockan3]

I see...now let us say that someone who only did the minimum physics courses (on the basis that physics isn't his/her major) required for graduate school of physics and does relatively well in GRE (this isn't me, this is hypothetical)...what are his chances of working under a professor for these two particular fields (String Theory/Quantum Gravity)?

Those requires a huge amount of maths, quite a lot more than what most maths major takes, in addition to require most of the modern theoretical physics so I guess that it would get really rough if you have a poor background like that.

Those subjects are usually not studied at the masters levels either by the way.

 

[jtbell]

now let us say that someone who only did the minimum physics courses (on the basis that physics isn't his/her major) required for graduate school of physics and does relatively well in GRE

I consider this to be extremely unlikely, unless "minimum physics courses" includes a lot more than most people would consider to be the case.

 

[G01]

I see...now let us say that someone who only did the minimum physics courses (on the basis that physics isn't his/her major) required for graduate school of physics and does relatively well in GRE (this isn't me, this is hypothetical)...what are his chances of working under a professor for these two particular fields (String Theory/Quantum Gravity)?

The minimum amount of physics courses needed for grad school is such that if you were going to take them as electives in order to prepare for the GRE, you might as well just double major in physics.

Four years of undergraduate physics is needed if you want to be prepared for physics grad school.

 

[Gear300]

I see...those were well brought answers...thanks.