NukeEmAll
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Nuclear Engineering vs. Physics??
So I am a sophomore at a community college and will have to apply to baccalaureate programs soon for entrance in August 2010. I have always been interested in physics but have recently become more involved in engineering through the engineering society at school and talking with professional engineers; now I'm not really wanting to go into academia as a physics professor and I definitely want to do something in industry.
The only engineering physics undergraduate program available in the state has an aeronautics focus which I don't really want to go into; my other option is double-majoring in applied mathematics and physics at another school and studying engineering physics in graduate school.
I have also recently become interested in nuclear engineering, which is, I am told, a very lucrative profession. The only nuclear engineering program in the state has been ranked as top 10 in the nation. The advisors in that program told me that double-majoring in nuclear engineering and physics would take another five years in addition to the two years I've already spent at a community college, and I don't really want to have to spend seven years getting my baccalaureate education.
I already have my top choice of school for either option (physics or nuclear engineering), which is the same school that has the top 10 nuclear program. My question is...should I go into the nuclear engineering program at this school since it is one of the best in the nation or should I go into the physics program which isn't really ranked at all? I know I like both fields very much; I guess now it boils down to which one has the most options for careers. (and which has the better prestige)
Any advice would be appreciated
So I am a sophomore at a community college and will have to apply to baccalaureate programs soon for entrance in August 2010. I have always been interested in physics but have recently become more involved in engineering through the engineering society at school and talking with professional engineers; now I'm not really wanting to go into academia as a physics professor and I definitely want to do something in industry.
The only engineering physics undergraduate program available in the state has an aeronautics focus which I don't really want to go into; my other option is double-majoring in applied mathematics and physics at another school and studying engineering physics in graduate school.
I have also recently become interested in nuclear engineering, which is, I am told, a very lucrative profession. The only nuclear engineering program in the state has been ranked as top 10 in the nation. The advisors in that program told me that double-majoring in nuclear engineering and physics would take another five years in addition to the two years I've already spent at a community college, and I don't really want to have to spend seven years getting my baccalaureate education.
I already have my top choice of school for either option (physics or nuclear engineering), which is the same school that has the top 10 nuclear program. My question is...should I go into the nuclear engineering program at this school since it is one of the best in the nation or should I go into the physics program which isn't really ranked at all? I know I like both fields very much; I guess now it boils down to which one has the most options for careers. (and which has the better prestige)
Any advice would be appreciated