Master in Electrical Engineering from Physics degree

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the transition from a physics degree to pursuing a master's in electrical engineering (EE). Participants share experiences, advice, and encouragement regarding the feasibility of this academic shift, focusing on the necessary preparations and potential challenges involved.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a desire to shift from physics to electrical engineering, feeling unfulfilled in their current path and seeking motivation and success stories.
  • Another participant, who is an electrical engineer, shares that many individuals with physics backgrounds successfully transition to EE graduate programs, emphasizing the value of practical experience in building circuits.
  • It is suggested that taking additional EE courses and consulting with faculty in the EE department could enhance the participant's application for graduate school.
  • A later reply mentions a friend's successful acceptance into a PhD program in EE with a physics degree, despite having limited engineering coursework, reinforcing the idea that such transitions are possible.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that transitioning from a physics degree to a master's in electrical engineering is feasible, though there are varying opinions on the necessary preparations and the level of support from faculty. Some express concerns about biases from physics professors regarding this shift.

Contextual Notes

There are mentions of potential remedial undergraduate courses that may be required depending on the chosen specialization within electrical engineering, but specifics are not detailed. The discussion also reflects differing perspectives on institutional support and parental encouragement.

Who May Find This Useful

Students considering a transition from physics to electrical engineering, individuals seeking advice on graduate school applications, and those interested in the intersection of physics and engineering disciplines.

twlin93
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Dear all,

I am this dilemma. I found out that I am not suitable to be a physicist. I want to be an electrical engineer but it is too late to change to ee now. My plan is to finish my degree in Physics and Applied Math, then apply ee for master.

I want to know how can I do it, in order to fulfill this ambition.

I am desperate to know it. I don't have the driving force in the physics department now. I feel that what I am pursuing now is impossible to achieve. I feel very dry now. I don't have the purpose to go to the physics department. The only place that I can remain my sanity is in the physics lab I am working now. I was asked to build circuits. It's fun.

I need motivations and success stories, so that I can focus on my current degree.

Thank you.
 
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I am an EE that went to grad school with and work with quite a few physics BS turned EE MS / PhD. Working in a lab building circuits should give you a good recommendation letter when you apply to grad schools. If your university has an EE department it would be worth your time to talk to some faculty and take a course or two to prepare. Some branches of EE are highly mathematical (controls, communications, signal processing), some use a lot of physics (solid state devices, photonics, electromagnetics) , and some are more "enginering" (computer engineering, electronics). In all cases it sounds like your background is a reasonable match. You will certainly have some remedial undergrad courses to take, but which ones depends on your specialization.

Otherwise, this is very do-able. The combination of physics and applied math, combined with experience actually building circuits (which I didn't get that much of as an undergrad EE, believe it or not) places you in a good spot.

By the way I am in the US, other countries may have systems that view this differently.

I wish you the best,

jason
 
Thank you

Dear Jason,

Thanks a lot. It's good to know about it. My parents are not very supportive about it. They didn't know what to do. But, you gave me hope. Hope is strong.

I'm going to meet my physics adviser and rearrange my graduation plan soon. Planning to take more ee classes. I will email the ee department in my school. My applied math professors are supportive with my ambition. But physics professors have biased opinions (implying me to do physics for grad school)

Thank you. I really appreciate it.
 
My good friend just got accepted for a Phd in EE with a fellowship with a physics degree. He did not have that many Engineering courses at all. He was in fact a physics/ applied math double as well. Good luck to you.
 

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