Engineering Graduate School Admissions with Physics Degree

  • This has become our largest and most active forum because the physics GRE is just one aspect of getting accepted into a graduate physics program.
  • There are applications, personal statements, letters of recommendation, visiting schools, anxiety of waiting for acceptances, deciding between schools, finding out where others are going, etc.

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kitaewolf
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun May 01, 2011 8:18 am

Engineering Graduate School Admissions with Physics Degree

Post by kitaewolf » Wed Aug 03, 2011 6:37 am

Hi, I'm a concerned college student (aren't we all :0 ), who is intending to major in physics in one of the bigger universities in US. However, it seems that my inclination lately lies more towards engineering graduate school (if I go). So if I apply for an engineering grad school with physics degree (of course to engineering school that accepts physics degree) will the admissions view my GPA differently? For example, I see that most accepted GPA for even the major engineering grad school ranges from 3.4 to 3.6. With my degree in physics, will the admissions expect my GPA to maybe around that or higher?

elliott34
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu May 05, 2011 9:39 am

Re: Engineering Graduate School Admissions with Physics Degree

Post by elliott34 » Wed Aug 03, 2011 12:42 pm

YOU"VE ASKED THIS QUESTION THREE TIMES ALREADY

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HappyQuark
Posts: 762
Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:08 am

Re: Engineering Graduate School Admissions with Physics Degree

Post by HappyQuark » Wed Aug 03, 2011 2:38 pm

elliott34 wrote:YOU"VE ASKED THIS QUESTION THREE TIMES ALREADY
Don't get upset just yet. The forum has a rule that says you are allowed to ask the same question up to 5 times before being reprimanded for being a socially inept jackwad.

bfollinprm
Posts: 1203
Joined: Sat Nov 07, 2009 11:44 am

Re: Engineering Graduate School Admissions with Physics Degree

Post by bfollinprm » Thu Aug 04, 2011 2:45 pm

kitaewolf wrote:Hi, I'm a concerned college student (aren't we all :0 ), who is intending to major in physics in one of the bigger universities in US. However, it seems that my inclination lately lies more towards engineering graduate school (if I go). So if I apply for an engineering grad school with physics degree (of course to engineering school that accepts physics degree) will the admissions view my GPA differently? For example, I see that most accepted GPA for even the major engineering grad school ranges from 3.4 to 3.6. With my degree in physics, will the admissions expect my GPA to maybe around that or higher?
Look, of course if you want to be an engineer, you should study engineering as soon as possible. They prefer engineering backgrounds at engineering schools, obviously, so there is preferential selection towards engineers. But physics is fine, and if you do well in physics, you'll be a fine applicant to engineering programs.

If you want more detail than that, you'll have to ask in a place where there are engineers. People here are taking/have taken the Physics GRE, so almost by definition we didn't choose to be engineers. Therefore, none of us know. I can say do your research in AMO or plasma, not, say, astrophysics or HET. Or try to get a position in Berkeley's engineering department over the summer--that shouldn't be impossible. These things should show more of an aptitude for the engineering side of the spectrum. I hope that satisfies you enough that you don't have to post the same question again.

cryingsun
Posts: 60
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2010 2:59 pm

Re: Engineering Graduate School Admissions with Physics Degree

Post by cryingsun » Sun Aug 14, 2011 9:07 pm

kitaewolf wrote:Hi, I'm a concerned college student (aren't we all :0 ), who is intending to major in physics in one of the bigger universities in US. However, it seems that my inclination lately lies more towards engineering graduate school (if I go). So if I apply for an engineering grad school with physics degree (of course to engineering school that accepts physics degree) will the admissions view my GPA differently? For example, I see that most accepted GPA for even the major engineering grad school ranges from 3.4 to 3.6. With my degree in physics, will the admissions expect my GPA to maybe around that or higher?
In general I think you will be less competitive than engineering undergrads, but you can still get into top engineering programs. Btw, if you are a guy, it is very difficult to get funding from engineering programs.



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