Which Graduate Course Should I Take Next Fall?

[Bishop556]

So, for next fall I was thinking of taking:

1) GR
2) E and M 1
3) Abstract Algebra 1
4) not sure

I was thinking of taking either graduate quantum or taking graduate E and M instead of the undergrad version and instead take a second math course. Now, I have taken undergrad quantum, but I was thinking that graduate quantum would help me understand quantum to greater detail. I was also thinking of taking Cosmology, but I think that is a bad idea as I have not taken GR.

What is your opinion?

 

[WannabeNewton]

The answers to your questions depend very heavily on what the undergraduate EM and QM courses at your school are like. At my school if you take undergrad QM then grad QM is more or less redundant. Taking grad EM before undergrad EM is a rather terrible idea because grad EM is more or less just a math methods class and a light introduction to classical field theory. You are assumed to have learned the physics from undergrad EM at the level of Griffiths; said physics is extremely foundational and important.

On the other hand taking cosmology before GR is perfectly fine. There is very little GR in cosmology; whatever is there you can easily learn in a matter of days.

 

[micromass]

It might be a good idea to give the course descriptions of the courses you're planning to take. And perhaps the books they'll use.