What minor complements a physics major?

[Zack K]

Will having a minor in computer science or math be beneficial for the future? Specifically if I'm interested in astrophysics and the experimental field in general. Physics is at the point where you can't do much without computation power, so I wonder if having a minor in computer science will be seen as useful to have.

 

[symbolipoint]

Will having a minor in computer science or math be beneficial for the future? Specifically if I'm interested in astrophysics and the experimental field in general. Physics is at the point where you can't do much without computation power, so I wonder if having a minor in computer science will be seen as useful to have.

YES!

Other than that, distinguish between "observational" and "experimental". If Astrophysics is actually "experimental" is some way, then please, some member, explain.

 

[Dishsoap]

You may want to look into the requirements of whatever university you are/will be attending. At mine, only one additional course was required (outside physics) for a math minor, so that was a no-brainer, and a CS minor was only 3-4 extra courses, so I did both.

 

[Zack K]

You may want to look into the requirements of whatever university you are/will be attending. At mine, only one additional course was required (outside physics) for a math minor, so that was a no-brainer, and a CS minor was only 3-4 extra courses, so I did both.

Did you find getting minors in both math and computer science beneficial? As a general skill and in terms of "employ-ability"

 

[Dr. Courtney]

The minors most likely to be useful for a physics major tend to be math, chemistry, and computer science - especially if the computer science has a number crunching focus.

The choice of which minor usually depends on student interests, abilities, and goals.

I don't usually recommend more than one minor, as that is more likely to rob from time which lowers GPA.

Very little in terms of additional minors is worth any significant hit on the GPA.

 

[Marisa5]

I don't believe employers are concerned about what you minor in, they're concerned that you are capable of performing the job they require. If you know what kind of job you're trying to get then focus on building skills that would make you a strong candidate for that position. This could entail taking a coding class or two, or some extra math classes, etc. It doesn't seem (to me) to be important to declare any kind of minor because your skill set is what you are selling to the work force. Tailor your skill set towards your goals.

I could be wrong though.

<3

 

[Dr. Courtney]

I don't believe employers are concerned about what you minor in, they're concerned that you are capable of performing the job they require. If you know what kind of job you're trying to get then focus on building skills that would make you a strong candidate for that position. This could entail taking a coding class or two, or some extra math classes, etc. It doesn't seem (to me) to be important to declare any kind of minor because your skill set is what you are selling to the work force. Tailor your skill set towards your goals.

I could be wrong though.

<3

You're right, to a point. But many more employers will see one's degree, major, minor and GPA on one's resume than will look at a detailed course listing on one's transcript. A computer science or chemistry minor suggests a certain amount of coursework and skills in one line:

Education: Big State U, BS Physics (Computer Science Minor) GPA 3.9/4.0

Hiring managers see what's on the resume and may never look past the top few lines unless they are interesting. Most of the time, human resources personnel only bother with transcripts once a candidate is hired and only to verify essential information. Checking a transcript in detail related to coursework is rare. (It happens for some teaching jobs, but not usually for industry jobs.)

So sure, employers care more about what you can do. But they are sorting through a big stack of resumes to quickly narrow the field of candidates. What's at the top of your resume to make them take a longer, closer look at yours? Assume they're going to read the whole thing on the first pass? You lose.

 

[Marisa5]

You're right, to a point. But many more employers will see one's degree, major, minor and GPA on one's resume than will look at a detailed course listing on one's transcript. A computer science or chemistry minor suggests a certain amount of coursework and skills in one line:

Education: Big State U, BS Physics (Computer Science Minor) GPA 3.9/4.0

Hiring managers see what's on the resume and may never look past the top few lines unless they are interesting. Most of the time, human resources personnel only bother with transcripts once a candidate is hired and only to verify essential information. Checking a transcript in detail related to coursework is rare. (It happens for some teaching jobs, but not usually for industry jobs.)

So sure, employers care more about what you can do. But they are sorting through a big stack of resumes to quickly narrow the field of candidates. What's at the top of your resume to make them take a longer, closer look at yours? Assume they're going to read the whole thing on the first pass? You lose.

Excellent point, I definitely think you've changed my opinion on the significance of completing a minor (assuming it is relevant for the job being sought). Thanks for your insight.

 

[alan2]

You don’t say useful for what. If you want to study astrophysics I assume you’re applying to grad school. They won’t care.

 

[Aby]

so now I'm a pure physics major in my third year and I'm really confused if I have to take minor math or cs or both! but this will delay me for a whole year and idk if it's worthy to give extra year of my life for taking minor! idk how to decide actually and yeah I'm gonna apply for a graduate degree

 

[Choppy]

so now I'm a pure physics major in my third year and I'm really confused if I have to take minor math or cs or both! but this will delay me for a whole year and idk if it's worthy to give extra year of my life for taking minor! idk how to decide actually and yah I'm gonna apply for a graduate degree

I've never really understood the point of minors personally. They don't really qualify you for much. Ultimately, what they amount to is a formal recognition that you clustered some otherwise elective courses together in one area, sacrificing the breadth of your education for some depth in a secondary field.

With a degree like physics it pays to read the fine print. The degree and minor requirements will vary from school to school. Ultimately a rigorous honours physics program should give a student decent background in both physics and computer science... to the point where a minor is often a matter of picking up an extra course or two. In fact, some schools won't even let you minor in math if you major in physics, because there is so much overlap.

That said, in making a decision like this, it can help to factor in what skills you want to get out of your education. If you go through the course catalog and circle all the courses you want and they happen to equate to a minor... then go for it. A CS minor could also help your if you're thinking that as a backup plan you want to be able to market yourself as a programmer. Maybe. Look into this more deeply (it's probably not worth an extra year of your life). If you're doing a minor because you think that distinction will make you more competitive for graduate school... it probably won't.

 

[CrysPhys]

so now I'm a pure physics major in my third year and I'm really confused if I have to take minor math or cs or both! but this will delay me for a whole year and idk if it's worthy to give extra year of my life for taking minor! idk how to decide actually and yeah I'm gonna apply for a graduate degree

My advice is to take electives that supplement your physics courses, particularly in the field of research that you plan to pursue in grad school. Don't worry about fulfilling requirements for an official minor. E.g., when I was an undergrad, I knew I wanted to pursue a PhD program in experimental solid-state physics. I took most of my free electives in materials science and engineering (including undergrad research).

 

[DaveE]

So sure, employers care more about what you can do. But they are sorting through a big stack of resumes to quickly narrow the field of candidates. What's at the top of your resume to make them take a longer, closer look at yours? Assume they're going to read the whole thing on the first pass? You lose.

Yes, this! For industry jobs, I think any training on writing resumes should include having to read through a stack of 50 during a lunch break. This is so you will appreciate your target audience.