Engineering Physics vs Pure Physics

[SphericalCow]

I already tried looking up my questions, I could not find answers. Of course my experience will depend on the school I go to, but my questions are intended to be more general so I can get a better understanding of each major.

In short, I'm a community college student who is choosing between Eng Phys and Phys. I would really appreciate your advice.

Background Info

• I love engineering. I currently have access to a wind tunnel, and I really love that I can test engineering designs, and learn the physics and math behind vector fields and aerodynamics to optimize those engineering designs.

• I love physics and math. I go out of my way to learn theory in these subjects, but I especially like when that theory teaches me an insight about applying physics and math in my classes.

• My long term goals are either teaching, research (can be industrial), or some sort of engineering that makes use of the academically challenging subjects I want to learn (such as nonlinear dynamics, modern physics, thermal physics, etc.)

• I want to go to graduate school.

Questions Setup
This summer, I've been reading Taylor's Classical Mechanics and Schroeder's Thermal Physics. I love the way these books present information, and I enjoy the problems that they ask. I especially like problems such as the following:

"Prove that in a perfectly elastic collision where m2 has no initial velocity, if m1>m2 the resultant angle between the masses post collision is less than pi/2"

The fact that I'm enjoying these books would indicate I should take these classes, which is how I've narrowed my choices with to a major with "physics" in the name. However, which of these majors have classes that present material in a similar way to how Taylor and Shroeder wrote their textbooks?

• By majoring in Eng Phys, would the upper division material I am presented with be in the same manner as the above textbooks? I'm worried that books like Taylor's Classical Mechanics and Schroeder's Thermal Physics would be replaced with applied engineering texts that I might not like as much.

• Similarly, do Pure Physics degrees change their style of text to something that may become too theoretical or difficult for my taste?

• Finally, what's your opinion? I really appreciate your analysis, I'm stuck at a crossroads between two awesome choices.

 

[CrysPhys]

I want to go to graduate school.

Master's or PhD?

 

[SphericalCow]

Master's or PhD?

I am not sure which. I will be better informed once I do some research assisting when I transfer.

I am sure that I want to take graduate level courses, and I would enjoy being a TA.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I want to go to graduate school.

In physics or engineering?

 

[SphericalCow]

In physics or engineering?

Right now, I’d be excited for either. I will be able to make a more informed decision for grad school once I take upper div classes and do some research assisting.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Then I don't see any basis for making a decision now.

 

[hutchphd]

The only difference may be that the "engineering" degree may have a different set of ancillary courses required for the degree than does the "arts and sciences" degree. The physics part should be very similar. I think that is worth looking at (the graduation requirements).

 

[SphericalCow]

Then I don't see any basis for making a decision now.

I am still at community college, and will be applying to transfer in a few months. There are two schools I want to go to, I'm likely to get into both for each of these majors, but where I go changes depending on the major I settle on.

 

[Choppy]

One thing you can do to help you with this decision is to look at the course calendars for the universities that you are considering. For each possibility, flip through and write out the courses that you would want to take if you had to choose them all today. Write down the mandatory ones. Look at how many elective slots you have and choose those ones as well. This exercise can help you narrow down the specifics of what you're looking at... how different the programs are, where they overlap, what the course loads will look like and how much flexibility you'll have. It won't necessarily make the decision easier, but at least you'll have a clear idea of what the next few years will actually look like for each of your options.

 

[apostolosdt]

I’ve studied physics but I love engineering physics! It’s a rewarding subject to pursue, though tough as I understand. I recall that when I was to decide as a high school graduate what course to follow, I was drawn by the engineering physics program at the University of Illinois; eventually I went elsewhere.

Engineering physics is NOT physics, it’s engineering in all its glory. To help yourself out of the dilemma, perhaps you should think in terms of fundamental forces and the kind of matter they deal with.

There are some nice pieces of advice in the other posts here!

 

[CrysPhys]

OP: Another consideration for you. If you pursue the straight physics route, then in the US, with exceptions, an MS physics won't afford you better job opportunities than a BS physics (different situations in other countries). So to be worthwhile, a graduate program in physics will typically entail a PhD program (and in the US many graduate physics programs don't even offer a terminal MS program).

For mainstream engineering programs (e.g., mechanical, electrical, chemical, materials, ....), however, an MS typically will afford you better job opportunities than a BS. I don't have experience with engineering physics programs. But you should also find out, if you decide to go the engineering route: (a) Will a MS engineering physics afford you better job opportunities than a BS? and (b) Will a BS engineering physics allow you to readily pursue a MS in a mainstream engineering program?

Your situation is more difficult since you'll be transferring from community college to a university, so you won't have as much time to explore electives as someone who entered the university as a freshman; unless you spend an extra year sorting things out before you decide on grad school (but that would at least partially offset the cost savings of going to community college for the first two years).

 

[Vanadium 50]

There's a saying "If you don't know where you are going, any path will take you there."

Realistically, we're talking about 3 or 4 electives. At most. So it won't be a huge, huge deal. Maybe you should pick the program that is easiest to switch from if you change your mind.