"At
a company of about 80 people, including clerical staff, there are
at least 15 physicists, some with PhD's and some with just undergraduate
degrees like myself. It appears that lots of physics majors go into
the field that I'm in, which is focused on mathematical modeling
and decision analysis. This entire company is filled with creative
and analytical thinkers. It makes my workday quite challenging and
lots of fun. I'm always learning new stuff."
Katie
Skattum '99
Our
major in Physics at Wellesley College is designed to provide an effective
preparation for strong students who are interested in a variety of
careers. From graduate training in physics or a closely related field
to careers in engineering, industry, finance, computer science, medicine,
and teaching, the sort of critical-thinking and quantitative skills
developed during the course of the physics major provides an excellent
foundation for a wide range of post-baccalaureate options. More generally,
in the spirit of a liberal arts education, a major in physics prepares
students for a lifelong experience in discovering and applying knowledge.
A
broad training in applying mathematical models to the description
and analysis of phenomena in the natural world is at the heart of
the undergraduate physics curriculum. This emphasis on the mathematical
analysis of complex phenomena and on the development of problem-solving
skills is an excellent general preparation for any career requiring
analytical and quantitative skills. This last point is often not apparent
to undergraduates considering a major in physics. The image of a major
in physics as a limiting or narrowing choice for a student is, somewhat
ironically, the inverse of the reality. To quote from John Rigden,
the Director of Physics Programs at the American Institute of Physics:
"The
common image of physicists is at odds with the facts. Typically,
physicists are thought of as "doctors", meaning PhDs, doing fundamental
research designed to reveal the deep secrets of nature. This image
is less than 14% correct, or, to put it the other way, it is more
than 86% wrong. Over the past four decades, only about 1-out-of-7
(14%) of the physics baccalaureates earned a PhD in physics and
some fraction of these "doctors" did things other than fundamental
research."
Perhaps
the best evidence that an undergraduate physics degree broadens career
options is provided by the activities and careers pursued by recent
Wellesley Physics alumnae. Click here
for a sampling of some of our majors' career choices from the last
eight years.
On-Line
Resources
There are a number of excellent on-line resources that provide information
on career options for undergraduate physics majors. The single best
place to begin is the homepage of the American Institute of Physics
(AIP); there you will find links to reports on careers, employment
statistics, and specific job placements. A second general resource
is the homepages of some of the member societies of the AIP. Here
is a short list of websites that you might want to take a look at:
1.
AIP and related sites:
AIP
homepage
Career Services AIP link
Careers Manual
from AIP
Jobs & Industry AIP link
Employment Statistics AIP
link; take a look at "Who's Hiring Physics Bachelors?"
and "2000 Salary Report".
Common
Career Paths link from AIP
Reports
on Women in Physics from AIP
Sloan "Career Cornerstone"
Series
Professional
Masters degrees & careers
2.
AIP Member Societies and links from society homepages:
American
Physical Society "Careers in Physics"
Advice
on preparing for a career in Environmental Science and Policy
Optical Society of America
American Association of Physicists
in Medicine
American Geophysical Union
Careers in
Biomedical Engineering
Materials Research Society
3.
Other Resources
Society
of Women Engineers
Sloan-funded
Professional Science Masters programs
other
Physics Professional Masters programs
