FIELD |
SUBFIELD |
MASTERS |
PhD/MD/JD |
TOTAL |
| Physics | High Energy | 4 | 4 | |
| Plasma | 5 | 5 | ||
| Condensed Matter | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Astrophysics | 2 | 4 | 6 | |
| Optics | 1 | 1 | ||
| Geophysics | 1 | |||
| Unspecified | 18 | 22 | 40 | |
| SUBTOTAL | 22 | 37 | 59 | |
| Engineering | Electrical | 7 | 7 | |
| Mechanical | 4 | 1 | 5 | |
| Civil | 3 | 3 | ||
| Industrial | 1 | 1 | ||
| Aerospace | 1 | 1 | ||
| Computer | 2 | 3 | ||
| Materials | 2 | 2 | ||
| Unspecified | 2 | |||
| SUBTOTAL | 22 | 2 | 24 | |
| Math | 3 | 3 | ||
| Chemistry | 3 | 3 | ||
| Oceanography | 1 | 1 | ||
| Radiological | 1 | 1 | ||
| Social Science | 2 | 2 | ||
| Law | 5 | 5 | ||
| Medicine | 6 | 6 | ||
| Optometry | 1 | 1 | ||
| Business | 12 | 12 | ||
| Education | 6 | 6 | ||
| TOTALS | 63 | 60 | 123 | |
| No reported
graduate work |
35 |
Note: 76% of the 148 respondents reported a graduate level degree.
Of these, some reported more than one degree.
Tabulation includes degrees expected by students still in school.
|
CURRENT EMPLOYMENT |
GRADUATE DEGREE | |||||||
| None | MA, physics | PhD, physics | Engineering | Business | MAT teaching | Other | TOTAL | |
| University professor | 8 | 8 | ||||||
| University research
(not professor) |
1 | 6 | 1 | 8 | ||||
| Research at National Laboratory (Fermilab, LLNL, LANL, etc) | 10 | 10 | ||||||
| Aerospace company | 6 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22 |
| Other large company | 5 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 17 | |
| Small company | 12 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 25 | |
| Self-employed, or heads own firm | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | ||
| Government or military | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | ||||
| Environmental related | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | |||
| Consulting | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||
| High School teacher | 5 | 5 | ||||||
| Medical doctor | 5 | 5 | ||||||
| Lawyer | 5 | 5 | ||||||
| Other | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | |||
| Currently in graduate school | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 12 | ||
Notes: Data is from 148 responses to 480 letters, 1996.
The divisions between "aerospace, other large, and small" companies is fuzzy, based on some guesswork.
There is overlap in degrees; for example, some of the high school teachers
also got a masters degree in physics.
| THEME | no graduate degree | physics grad degree, now at university or national lab | physics grad degree, other employment | engineering graduate degree | other graduate degree | TOTAL |
| Importance of flexibility | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 15 | |
| Get interdisciplinary education | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | |
| Value of problem solving skills developed as a physics major | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 18 |
| Physics is a good foundation for a wide range of career paths | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 17 |
| Learn computers, programming | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 20 |
| Learn specifically C and especially C++ | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | |
| Take engineering courses | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Consider engineering major instead of physics | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | |
| Physics bachelors degree is of limited use alone | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| Learn electronics | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | ||
| Emphasize math skills | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | ||
| Get internship, work experience | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | |
| Plan ahead, research career options | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | |
| Develop communication skills | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | |
| Don't worry | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 9 |