What classes would be necessary for a Math guy to apply to PhD programs?
Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 10:19 am
Hi all,
About a year and a half ago I had a realization that my whole life I've loved physics, and it's something I want to try to pursue and see where it takes me. I bought a physics text book and started teaching myself for about a year, got up through Thermodynamics with that book. I then talked to the local community college about taking courses there to help guide me along through the process a bit. They told me if I could pass the Physics I final, I could enter into Physics II since I have a math degree already. I passed the test, got an A in their Physics 2 class (Electromagnetism) and am now enrolled in their final Physics 3 course (Thermodynamics, optics and modern physics.)
I'm not quite sure where to go from here. I've been doing all of this while working a full time job, so finding classes at a real university may be hard due to conflicting schedules. Do I even need further classes? Would these classes be enough to help me get a good grade on the pGRE if I started studying after completion of this class?
In terms of applying to eventually, would I need more classes if I did very well on the pGRE? I've always been in the 99th percentile my entire life on standardized tests, so I envision scoring in at least the 90's, if not upper 90th percentile on the pGRE, would that, plus my math degree and a couple of A's at a community college in Physics help me get into a good school, or would I need to "prove" myself by taking a class at a 4 year university, and if so, what class (or classes) would that be?
Some guidance would be super helpful here! I'm kind of lost if you can't tell!
About a year and a half ago I had a realization that my whole life I've loved physics, and it's something I want to try to pursue and see where it takes me. I bought a physics text book and started teaching myself for about a year, got up through Thermodynamics with that book. I then talked to the local community college about taking courses there to help guide me along through the process a bit. They told me if I could pass the Physics I final, I could enter into Physics II since I have a math degree already. I passed the test, got an A in their Physics 2 class (Electromagnetism) and am now enrolled in their final Physics 3 course (Thermodynamics, optics and modern physics.)
I'm not quite sure where to go from here. I've been doing all of this while working a full time job, so finding classes at a real university may be hard due to conflicting schedules. Do I even need further classes? Would these classes be enough to help me get a good grade on the pGRE if I started studying after completion of this class?
In terms of applying to eventually, would I need more classes if I did very well on the pGRE? I've always been in the 99th percentile my entire life on standardized tests, so I envision scoring in at least the 90's, if not upper 90th percentile on the pGRE, would that, plus my math degree and a couple of A's at a community college in Physics help me get into a good school, or would I need to "prove" myself by taking a class at a 4 year university, and if so, what class (or classes) would that be?
Some guidance would be super helpful here! I'm kind of lost if you can't tell!