Regarding Choice of Future Master Programs

[RobinSky]

I have a few questions regarding how the future looks like for a few master degrees I'm thinking about to choose in a few years. I might be out pretty early because it's 3,5 years left until I'm going to have my masters degree, but I like to plan ahead and know what is waiting for me.

First of all I can tell you I'm going to do my bachelors in Engineering Physics for 3 years and I'm going to start this coming autumn (2012). And after that, it's time for the masters degree as mentioned.

However, I am aware of probably low salaries and such, but I'm not learning physics for money I'm doing it because of a very high interest in it. So don't worry about about.

The masters I'm thinking of are (also posting a course plan if you want to know what they are really teaching the students):

Applied Physics

http://www.chalmers.se/en/education/programmes/masters-info/Pages/Applied-Physics.aspx

Materials Engineering

http://www.chalmers.se/en/education/programmes/masters-info/Pages/Materials-Engineering.aspx

Nanotechnology

http://www.chalmers.se/en/education/programmes/masters-info/Pages/Nanotechnology.aspx

Wireless, Photonics & Space Engineering

http://www.chalmers.se/en/education...Wireless-Photonics-and-Space-Engineering.aspx

However spending time looking at these links is not a must, I just brought them up in case you wanted to know more, an even more detailed programme content can also be found on the links I posted.

So how do you think the future will be for learning this in about 5 years? Waste of time or is the future looking bright?


Thanks in advance, R.A.

 

[RobinSky]

No one has any opinions regarding the future of these physic's related subjects? How about nuclear engineering?

 

[Locrian]

So how do you think the future will be for learning this in about 5 years? Waste of time or is the future looking bright?

These are established fields and people who work in them perform important work for private industry and government (at least, here in the US). The coursework looks valuable to me. Be sure to get plenty of hands-on lab experience. My impression during my past (short) time in materials science is that the skills from these degrees could get a good candidate a job in 2008, which is the last time I looked. That fact will mean nothing when you look for a job eight years after I did.

How difficult it will be for you to get work after graduation will depend on your location, your GPA, your extracurricular experience, private and public funding levels for the areas you have experience in, your interview skills, your geographic and job flexibility, the number of people with similar degrees who are also getting to work, the number of job postings available, the global economy and the general trends in technology over the next five years.

I cannot estimate those variables with sufficient accuracy to make any predictions about your employability five years from now.

 

[Locrian]

Also, if someone posts that these would just be AWESOME degrees to get and that your future would be bright five years from now, ignore them, because they are unaware of their own limitations.

 

[RobinSky]

I see thanks for the replies. I understand that it becomes hard to make such an estimate when it depends on so many factors.
But if we ignore the things regarding me and how I succeed at the university or not, let's instead say how is these subjects doing right now? For example let's nuclear engineering. If I would do an argument about this I'd say (based on no real-life experience) a masters degree in nuclear engineering would probably not be bad at all if you (me) were aiming to develope/improve nuclear reactors. Our demand of energy is very immense today and a new radical idea could change the entire world, so shortly the future is looking good for nuclear physicists, nuclear engineering has not taken it's toll. Reason behind this argument is especially because I'm thinking of fusion, and nuclear power is a very powerful energy resource as a whole that I think the humanity can not live without (yet).

I hope you understand what I just tried to ask, thanks a lot once again.