Which Course Offers Better Job Prospects: Physics or Engineering Physics?

[Jonheisen]

I am uncertain about what course to take, I was thinking about physics or Engineering physics. I wanted to work in an organization like cern, lux, esa, gsi (I know is really difficult), research also interests me a lot.
So, I would like to hear what you guys think about the courses in terms of employability and job prospects. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Dr. Courtney]

Job markets are usually local.

Marketability depends not only on the degree, but on the GPA, experience, and reputation of the institution at which it is earned.

I'd recommend visiting some local physics faculty and talking to them about it.

 

[analogdesign]

The back door into places like CERN, ESA, etc is engineering. This is because competition on the physics side is fierce, while competition on the engineering side is less because they pay their engineers significantly below market (but the engineers that work there get very interesting work in return).

Also, I would consider straight engineering (e.g. Electrical or Mechanical) over Engineering Physics which doesn't fully commit to physics or engineering.

 

[Jonheisen]

The back door into places like CERN, ESA, etc is engineering. This is because competition on the physics side is fierce, while competition on the engineering side is less because they pay their engineers significantly below market (but the engineers that work there get very interesting work in return).

Also, I would consider straight engineering (e.g. Electrical or Mechanical) over Engineering Physics which doesn't fully commit to physics or engineering.

Thanks for the advice

 

[f95toli]

Also, I would consider straight engineering (e.g. Electrical or Mechanical) over Engineering Physics which doesn't fully commit to physics or engineering.

That very much depend on which country you live and the specific program. My undergraduate degree is in engineering physics and the fact that I took a few engineering courses has always been a great advantage to me (I am an experimentalist). In Sweden (and some other countries) it is not at all unusual for physicists to have an undergraduate degree in engineering physics; people who study "straight" physics tend to end up as teachers etc and not as researchers or even R&D.
I know that the situation is different in the US (assuming that is where the OP is from) but as far as I understand there are quite a few "physics oriented" Engineering physics programs in the US as well.
Hence, my only advice would be to look at a few different programs; which courses you take is more important than the name of the program.