What Do Physics Grads Do?
Did you know that physics majors have an acceptance rate (37.6%) into medical school nearly as high as biology majors (38.1%)? (According to the AAMC 1999-2000 publication, Medical School Admission Requirements, p. 24.) Read more about what physics graduates do (and don't) do...
- Physics graduates don't always do physics. In fact, the majority go to other fields. The most marketable skills that physics majors have are their analytical and problem solving skills. This allows them to go on enter careers such as engineering, business, management, finance, law, and computer science. Knowledge of the fundamentals of physics also allows one to go into fields such as medicine, bio-physics, or patent law.
- WPI physics graduates do everything. As the following pie chart shows, WPI physics majors have entered the marketplace in a variety of fields:
These data were compiled from WPI Alumni graduating during the years 1939-1990 and analyzed by Mike Mazur ('98) and Joe Lefrancois ('00) in their Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP).
For more information...
- See the American Physical Society's Careers in Physics page.
- See Job Statistics from the Ameican Institute of Physics.
- See the career advice of 1980 WPI physics alumnus Lou Palecki in his colloquium entitled "A Physicist in the Engineer's World: One Physicist's Path" (PDF).
- See the University of Pennsylvania's page, "What Can You Do With a Physics Major After Graduation?"
- See the Career Cornerstone, featuring information about the wide range of careers available for those with a degree in physics.
- See the American Institute of Physics Career Services page.
- Read the American Institute of Physics' list of Physics Success Stories.
- See the Physical Science Resource Center Web site - particularly the Science Job Market
Last modified: August 08, 2006 15:31:22