international student with a major in math
Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 10:18 am
My interest in physics started after my after the first semester of my sophomore year when I took a class called philosophy of modern physics. Since then I've been taking physics classes but never quite enough to make the major nor the minor since my uni does not grant minors (though I think I would have the equivalent of a minor)
As in the title I'm an international student completeing a degree in pure mathematics. I really want to go to grad school in physics for particle theory.
My relevant courses for admission are as follows
Physics: General Physics I and II (standard calc-based physics sequence), Modern Physics I and II (covering bit of optics, nuclear physics, electromagnetism, and quantum mechanics), Special Relativity. I'm too late for a major in physics because I didn't take the sequence that the physics department requires for a major, instead I took Modern Physics I and II for a broad peak.
Mathematics: Several Variables Calculus, Probability and Statistics, Discrete Mathematics, Graph Theory, Analysis I (Real), Analysis II (Measure, Lebesgue, Fourier, with a bit of Probability Theory), Analysis III (Functional Analysis), Complex Analysis, Algebra I (Group Theory), Algebra II (Rings/Fields with a bit of Galois), Algebra III (Representation Theory), Point-Set Topology, Analytical Mechanics, and Differential Geometry. All my mathematics courses are honors sequences.
Next year, I intend to take a electrodynamics class using Griffiths book, Thermodynamics class, and a Quantum Mechanics course using (Liboff and Joachin’s books). I wouldn’t have taken a course specifically on experimental physics though my modern physics I and II had a little bit of experimental component in it.
And the math courses that I’ll take are Algebraic Topology, Commutative Algebra, Lie Algebras, Algebraic Geometry, Spectral Theory, Elliptic PDEs, and maybe Algebraic Combinatorics.
And I am planning on getting some research experience in physics. I have agreed to do a project in quantum information theory, and am going to ask for another one in experimental particle physics during summer.
In addition, I can get another research project on something done (don’t know which) if I don’t take the Thermodynamics class. Do you think this would be wise? What is the absolute minimum physics coursework that the admissions committees want to see?
Also for my major in pure mathematics, I have to do a senior thesis and I’m planning on doing it on lie theory with connections to mathematical physics under a mathematical physicist at my university.
How competitive do you think I’ll be for physics graduate school? I have good GPA, some physics coursework and research experience (though limited to project experience with no possibility of publication), extensive pure mathematics background, but still without a formal background in experimental physics (which schools seem to want to see)
I believe that there’s a way for math grad students to work for a physics advisor or do some physics coursework at graduate school but I think I would enjoy the physics side of particle theory a lot more.
So to sum up, should I be cut off because of not majoring in physics? Should I try to get a masters degree in physics or something to leverage my lack of background? Or is there any other suggestions?
As in the title I'm an international student completeing a degree in pure mathematics. I really want to go to grad school in physics for particle theory.
My relevant courses for admission are as follows
Physics: General Physics I and II (standard calc-based physics sequence), Modern Physics I and II (covering bit of optics, nuclear physics, electromagnetism, and quantum mechanics), Special Relativity. I'm too late for a major in physics because I didn't take the sequence that the physics department requires for a major, instead I took Modern Physics I and II for a broad peak.
Mathematics: Several Variables Calculus, Probability and Statistics, Discrete Mathematics, Graph Theory, Analysis I (Real), Analysis II (Measure, Lebesgue, Fourier, with a bit of Probability Theory), Analysis III (Functional Analysis), Complex Analysis, Algebra I (Group Theory), Algebra II (Rings/Fields with a bit of Galois), Algebra III (Representation Theory), Point-Set Topology, Analytical Mechanics, and Differential Geometry. All my mathematics courses are honors sequences.
Next year, I intend to take a electrodynamics class using Griffiths book, Thermodynamics class, and a Quantum Mechanics course using (Liboff and Joachin’s books). I wouldn’t have taken a course specifically on experimental physics though my modern physics I and II had a little bit of experimental component in it.
And the math courses that I’ll take are Algebraic Topology, Commutative Algebra, Lie Algebras, Algebraic Geometry, Spectral Theory, Elliptic PDEs, and maybe Algebraic Combinatorics.
And I am planning on getting some research experience in physics. I have agreed to do a project in quantum information theory, and am going to ask for another one in experimental particle physics during summer.
In addition, I can get another research project on something done (don’t know which) if I don’t take the Thermodynamics class. Do you think this would be wise? What is the absolute minimum physics coursework that the admissions committees want to see?
Also for my major in pure mathematics, I have to do a senior thesis and I’m planning on doing it on lie theory with connections to mathematical physics under a mathematical physicist at my university.
How competitive do you think I’ll be for physics graduate school? I have good GPA, some physics coursework and research experience (though limited to project experience with no possibility of publication), extensive pure mathematics background, but still without a formal background in experimental physics (which schools seem to want to see)
I believe that there’s a way for math grad students to work for a physics advisor or do some physics coursework at graduate school but I think I would enjoy the physics side of particle theory a lot more.
So to sum up, should I be cut off because of not majoring in physics? Should I try to get a masters degree in physics or something to leverage my lack of background? Or is there any other suggestions?