Physics

What can I do with a major in Physics?

Physics is a remarkably versatile degree that will open the door to many career paths. Many physicists work directly in the field as high school or college physics professors or as researchers at national laboratories. However, physicists frequently find success in other careers because physics majors must learn to analyze and solve complex problems and to think critically; that is, physicists develop skills applicable in many fields. Physicists find jobs in business, economics, the energy sector, engineering, finance, health physics, industrial research and development, law, materials science, medical physics, medicine, and the optics industry to name just a few. You can find more information on physics careers from the American Physical Society (APS) Career Website. The American Institute of Physics (AIP) also provides excellent employment data for physicists. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2008 data, physicists have the highest average annual salary of people employed in the Life, Physical, and Social Sciences and of those employed in Mathematics and Computer Science. The average annual salary for physicists is $106,440. This is more than 2.5 times the national average salary for all occupations!

According to AIP data, about half of students graduating from a Bachelor’s granting institution like Lewis find jobs after graduation while the other half go to graduate school in physics or some other field. In order to pursue a career in academia or basic research, an advanced degree is typically necessary; however, Lewis Physics majors have been hired by Argonne and Fermilab with only a B.S. in Physics. Lewis physics students have gone to graduate school at some excellent institutions including Case Western University, Loyola University-Chicago (for Physical Chemistry), Purdue University (for Engineering), University of Illinois-Chicago (for Physics and Engineering), University of Missouri, University of Notre Dame (for Patent Law), University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Vanderbilt Unviersity.

Because graduate admissions tests have large quantitative and/or critical/analytical thinking component(s), physics majors tend to excel on these exams. According to the Graduate Record Examination Guide to the Use of Scores 2008-2009 published by the Educational Testing Service, students intending to go to graduate school in Physics and Astronomy have the highest average general GRE scores of any graduate major. Besides having the highest GRE scores, Physics and Mathematics majors have the highest average Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores among college majors, the highest average Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) scores , and the second highest average Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores behind only Biomedical Engineering.

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