Should I Switch My Major to Math and Physics at Penn State?

  • Thread starter Thread starter whocarez
  • Start date Start date
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers around a new student at Penn State University Park who has shifted their focus from nuclear engineering to pursuing a double major in physics and mathematics. Key questions raised include the feasibility of completing this double major within four years without an excessively heavy course load, the potential to transition into nuclear engineering for graduate studies, and the overall reputation of Penn State in these fields. Responses indicate that while completing the double major in four years is challenging, it is possible with careful planning, including summer courses. Additionally, transitioning to nuclear engineering at the graduate level is confirmed as feasible. Penn State is recognized as a solid public university, offering a good education in physics, mathematics, and engineering, though it may not have the prestige of top-tier institutions like Caltech or MIT.
whocarez
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Hello Physicists, mathematicians, engineers and everyone. This is my first post and I hope it's not the last =]
I've been in the United States for almost a year ( am from overseas and English is not my mother tongue.)

I got accepted at Penn State-University Park in the nuclear engineering program. However, I do not know what has happened recently, but I figured that physics and math is what I want to do for my undergraduate degree!
(I know that the possibility of having a good-paid job will decrease)

My questions are:-

1. Can I finish a math\physics double major in four years without having an overloaded schedule every semester? Don't mind doing summer. (( am in a scholarship, and I was told that I have to finish in four years ))
2. Do I still have the possibility of doing nuclear engineering as a graduate option?
3. How good is Penn State-University Park for physics and math, and also nuclear engineering?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
not the beginning that I expected ^^"

come on guys !
 
#1 seems like a question for your course catalogue, number 3 seems like a question for google.
 
And for #2 the answer is definitely "yes."

Penn State University Park? Oh, I see... that's what I know simply as "Penn State." (I grew up in the neighboring state of Ohio.) It's not a Cal Tech or MIT, but it's a good solid public university, and I'm sure you can get a good education in either physics or engineering there.
 
After a year of thought, I decided to adjust my ratio for applying the US/EU(+UK) schools. I mostly focused on the US schools before, but things are getting complex and I found out that Europe is also a good place to study. I found some institutes that have professors with similar interests. But gaining the information is much harder than US schools (like you have to contact professors in advance etc). For your information, I have B.S. in engineering (low GPA: 3.2/4.0) in Asia - one SCI...
I graduated with a BSc in Physics in 2020. Since there were limited opportunities in my country (mostly teaching), I decided to improve my programming skills and began working in IT, first as a software engineer and later as a quality assurance engineer, where I’ve now spent about 3 years. While this career path has provided financial stability, I’ve realized that my excitement and passion aren’t really there, unlike what I felt when studying or doing research in physics. Working in IT...
Hello, I’m an undergraduate student pursuing degrees in both computer science and physics. I was wondering if anyone here has graduated with these degrees and applied to a physics graduate program. I’m curious about how graduate programs evaluated your applications. In addition, if I’m interested in doing research in quantum fields related to materials or computational physics, what kinds of undergraduate research experiences would be most valuable?
Back
Top