- #1
Catria
- 152
- 4
Suppose one is going for a physics PhD. I know there are some jobs one can do with a physics PhD: research jobs (or even postdocs) are very sensitive to one's research record, while faculty jobs at community colleges/4-years without a graduate program may be more sensitive to physical reputation.
And there are those jobs where there is little or no physics involved but where the tools of physics are still of use. I know investment/international banking is one such sector, and IT is another one.
The topic of departmental vs. institutional prestige has come up with some undergrads on summer internships I am mentoring; they accused me of gearing some of my choices towards institutional prestige rather than departmental prestige (even though Tufts, Vanderbilt and Dartmouth are some of the "easier" schools to get into for a PhD on my list, although none really have that great a physical reputation) while I countered with saying that there are jobs that can be gotten with a physics PhD where school-wide prestige is more important than departmental prestige (e.g. an employer who would rather have a physics PhD graduate from Vanderbilt or Dartmouth than a physics PhD graduate from Ohio State or Penn State, irrespective of subfield or research record)
But which jobs that can be done with a physics PhD are more sensitive to school-wide prestige (other than I-banking, regardless of whether I means investment or international)?
Likewise, which jobs that can be done with a physics PhD are more sensitive to departmental prestige (other than faculty jobs in any shape or form)?
And there are those jobs where there is little or no physics involved but where the tools of physics are still of use. I know investment/international banking is one such sector, and IT is another one.
The topic of departmental vs. institutional prestige has come up with some undergrads on summer internships I am mentoring; they accused me of gearing some of my choices towards institutional prestige rather than departmental prestige (even though Tufts, Vanderbilt and Dartmouth are some of the "easier" schools to get into for a PhD on my list, although none really have that great a physical reputation) while I countered with saying that there are jobs that can be gotten with a physics PhD where school-wide prestige is more important than departmental prestige (e.g. an employer who would rather have a physics PhD graduate from Vanderbilt or Dartmouth than a physics PhD graduate from Ohio State or Penn State, irrespective of subfield or research record)
But which jobs that can be done with a physics PhD are more sensitive to school-wide prestige (other than I-banking, regardless of whether I means investment or international)?
Likewise, which jobs that can be done with a physics PhD are more sensitive to departmental prestige (other than faculty jobs in any shape or form)?