Job prospects for Engineering vs Physics major

bovertine
Tue, 06 Nov 2012 12:06:37 +0000

I would say that typically it doesn’t matter but with the current job market it may. With huge numbers of applicants they may use the major to sort resumes. In fact, we’ve been hiring a boatload of entry level engineers recently but they must have ABET accredited degrees.

When I got out of school 35 years ago with a Physics degree I got hired into an aerospace company basically doing the same sort of things engineers did – with the same title – Member of Technical Staff. Had I stayed on and been promoted up the tech ranks they only difference would have been that I would have been a Senior Staff Scientist and they would have been Senior Staff Engineers. We might have had slightly different duties but that would have been based on expertise rather than degree or title.

But things may be different now. In my case I decided to go back for an EE degree and fortunately for me because my next two positions only hired engineers.

So these days it might make a difference. Of course being a top student, attending a top school , having really good contacts or getting some sort of prime internship or job experience is much more significant IMO.