PHYSICS – integrating business, economics, and other possible career options
Additional resources for internship opportunities
Common career paths for physics majors: https://www.spsnational.org/sites/all/careerstoolbox/
| INDUSTRY & JOBS | SKILL SETS |
| Computational Physics majors tend to go into engineering fields that are more coding knowledge such as mechanical and computational engineering, but computational knowledge can also serve as a good baseline for other fields as well. | MATLAB, MathCad, and Python are great for Engineering-specific things. For a more general programming know-how, go with C++, Python and Java. Administrative skills, computer skills, organization, business/finance experience can also be useful. |
| General Physics majors can work in industry or academia. The broad nature of this path allows for specialization in graduate school or on the job in industry. | Since this is the least specialized of the degree paths, depending on your post-graduate plans, the useful skills vary widely. With that being said, like most forms of physics, experience with coding can be useful. |
| Radiation and Space Science majors often work in or around academia, but industry positions exist as well – often in data analysis or using data from research to fuel new innovations. | Python, C/C++, Java, Latex Research experience/use of research apparatus, some engineering depending on your field, scientific communication skills, math background |
| For all | Don’t forget soft skills! Communication is key. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/communication-skillsCreate a LinkedIn, Handshake accounthttps://dev-ut-tca.pantheonsite.io/undergraduate-students/prepare/ (for resume and career prep) |
| Education/Secondary teaching is another important area for physics majors through educating future scientists, researchers, and industry physicists. Here are some resources for the UT STEM teacher certification program. This program centers on training teachers in new and innovative ways to teach STEM courses at the high school level. Uteach has a 3 semester or a 4 semester program for current UT students and degree holders. Either of these options can be completed while you are finishing your Bachelor degree, and if you enjoy teaching this really opens up options for employment after graduating. | Communication skills Real world physics applications Skills gained through training: tools for effectively presenting and teaching concepts Planning UTeach https://uteach.utexas.edu/ Current UT undergraduates https://uteach.utexas.edu/ut-ug-students Degree holders https://uteach.utexas.edu/degree-holders UTeach Accelerate (~2 semesters of coursework with student teach semester or year) https://uteach.utexas.edu/uteach-accelerate |
Other Resources
https://physics.osu.edu/ug-careers
https://ph.utexas.edu/recruiting
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/physicists-and-astronomers.htm
https://www.aip.org/statistics/whos-hiring-physics-bachelors
https://www.aip.org/statistics/texas
Resource:
Presentation on career pathways https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CTaOwqEenyztFsx2MblN2gcoMkW1K0ob/view?usp=sharing
