Which Ph.D is More Respected: Computer Engineering or Quantum Physics?

[Gablar16]

I disagree with this. I know people who went to a good state school (not top of the world but in the top 35 schools nationally) and they got into the graduate program at MIT for engineering. You do need to go to a good school for your undergrad. It is important. But really, where you do your graduate degree for physics is not as important as who your advisor is and whether or not you are doing work that is going to get you employed after you graduate. Read ZapperZ's articles entitled "So You Want to be a Physicist"

Good luck.

I'm glad to hear your opinion. I am going to the university of Puerto Rico at mayaguez (has anyone heard anything good o bad about it?). I've been doing a lot of searching on the net and can't find any reviews or opinions of it, other than UPR opinion :( . What gives me hope is that they have research programs on parallel computing with IBM and HP and that's the field that appeals to me the most so far. Regretably I get the distinct feeling that UPR is just a afirmative action engineer farm (minorities and women) for US giant corporations looking to meet their quotas.

 

[leon1127]

I disagree with this. I know people who went to a good state school (not top of the world but in the top 35 schools nationally) and they got into the graduate program at MIT for engineering. You do need to go to a good school for your undergrad. It is important. But really, where you do your graduate degree for physics is not as important as who your advisor is and whether or not you are doing work that is going to get you employed after you graduate. Read ZapperZ's articles entitled "So You Want to be a Physicist"

Good luck.

Perhaps, you have misunderstood me. When i say normal school, i mean the one that is about or lower state university. I have talked to few undergrad student who graduate this year, most of them couldn't get into top college even they have quite high GPA but few got into really good school. When i say low, there is stil possiblility.
BTW, i am math major~

 

[J77]

OP: Why not do your undergrad studies in the US and your graduate studies in another country?

 

[QuantumReg]

Hi all!

What about mixing the two fields?

I don't know too much about how things go in the US, but where I am at, (Hungary,Europe) it is possible to mix these fields. For example I know a prof. In my country who is involved in some Quantum Cryptographyc researches.
It means that person is something like a prof. in both fields. He has lots of stuff in Quantum Mechanics and in Computational Science as well.
Here, in Hungary, to do something like this you have to be a physician at first place.

I think those guys at IBM doing some researches in quantum information are some 'masters' of both fields, either.

 

[bluechina]

hmm...base on ur interest...
for me , quantum physics is the wise choice

 

[Plastic Photon]

Holier than thou...

I am not too sure why this poster feels compelled to sign up for the Ph.D capmaign, so young. Not even in college yet? I'd be surprised if most seniors know whether they will be enrolling into a graduate program.

Either way, you can kiss your private sector work good-bye with either Ph.D. Or at least, don't be surprised if companies aren't looking for doctors, but instead someone who can work.

 

[Norman]

Either way, you can kiss your private sector work good-bye with either Ph.D. Or at least, don't be surprised if companies aren't looking for doctors, but instead someone who can work.

Yes, because companies never employ Ph.Ds. And that is why a quick search on Monster for "Physics Ph.D." only yeilds about 173 different jobs.

Why don't you take a look at the US Department of Labor's analysis done in 2004 on a being a physicist (http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos052.htm#emply) before you start writing a post implying a Ph.D. won't be able to find a job outside academia and government. Especially since 33% of them work in industry.

Enough said about your poorly thought out argument.

 

[J77]

Either way, you can kiss your private sector work good-bye with either Ph.D. Or at least, don't be surprised if companies aren't looking for doctors, but instead someone who can work.

If you want to go work in a bank then, of course, you shouldn't do extended study. You should join a company's graduate scheme straight after leaving uni.

However, if you want to do any original scientific research, you need a PhD.