Job Options for Physics degree candidates

By Erik Dionisio


From the smallest subatomic particle to the vast expanse of the universe, absolutely nothing is too tiny or too large for physicists to investigate.

These scientists develop new and revolutionary technologies by observing and measuring natural-world phenomena, then interpret the data and develop theories to explain their observations.

Some physicists concentrate on theoretical subjects like understanding what time is, or how the universe originated.

Other researchers advance human technologies by creating new varieties of healthcare machinery, electronics, and power sources.

The selection of physics subfields like plasma physics, acoustics, nuclear physics, optics, condensed matter physics, space physics, and atomic and molecular physics present numerous opportunities for physicists to specialize.

And some physicists go even further and limit themselves to a subdivision of 1 of these subfields, for example the subdivisions of superconductivity, crystallography, and semiconductors within the subfield of condensed-matter physics.

But no matter what subfield or subdivision a physicist concentrates on, the basic principles stay similar.

The resulting overlap tends to make switching from a particular subfield to another relatively easy for physicists looking to advance in their careers.

Research and development are the key sectors where the majority of today's physics jobs are found, and these types of jobs normally require the advanced theoretical and mathematical instruction obtained through a Ph.D. degree.

No matter whether a physics student desires to go into basic research, industrial research and development, work as a tenured faculty member at a college or university, or advance to a managerial level, a Ph.D. in physics will normally be needed.

And further experience and education via a postdoctoral research fellowship, though not strictly necessary, is ordinarily recommended for physicists who want to hold permanent positions doing basic research at universities and government laboratories.

Working as a postdoctoral fellow supervised by skilled physicists trains new PhD graduates to perform in their field of specialization and increases their understanding of related research topics.

Actually, some employers, especially those in the information technology business, strongly choose to only hire individuals that have a number of years of postdoctoral training.

A master's degree in physics is normally not sufficient to find a job conducting basic research.

Nevertheless, this degree of education does deliver a solid physics background that will be used for jobs in applied research and development in a corporate setting.

In fact, some master's degree programs are being created that specifically teach students the research skills and abilities they'll need to have for private-industry jobs.

A Master's degree is commonly adequate to work as a teacher in a high school or possibly a 2-year college, even though a state teacher's certification may well also be required.

Students who only have a bachelor's degree in physics can not usually work in basic research or teaching at the college level.

But physics graduates that have a bachelor's degree can locate jobs as technicians or research assistants in sectors like software development, database administrators, or computer system networking.

Other possibilities include things like systems analysts, engineering assistants, and private industry applied research aides.

And some high school physics teaching positions are available for physics graduates that have a bachelor's degree.




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