I graduated with a B.S. in electrical engineering from Clemson a few years ago. My GPA was pretty poor… it was between 2.9 and 3.0. I have been working in the industry since then, but I have realized more and more over time that I wanted to switch over to a field that I am more passionate about- physics.
I recently accepted a job in Richmond, VA that I am enjoying, but would like to progress toward a higher education in the future. I intend on starting mostly from scratch-- most likely re-taking the courses I would not feel confident in (mainly the foundation math, physics, chemistry courses that I haven’t had to use in several years).
To keep things practical I would most likely do part-time classes at a community college for the first few semesters, and transfer into an undergraduate program to finish the core curriculum, while focusing on research opportunities, getting to know the different disciplines better, etc with the intent on getting into a graduate program.
I reached out to UVA and they do not accept 2nd bachelor students, and I was also informed by a professor there that community colleges would not be too favorable when trying to get into a program.
I was hoping to get advice to set up this process, lay out a path forward, etc. and hopefully get some advice on what I can be doing in the intermittent periods.
Since you’re already in Richmond, have you looked into the physics graduate program at VCU? The admissions page states that a bachelor’s in physics or engineering is required, combined with a “satisfactory GRE score.” It also states that “Provisional admission may be granted where deficiencies exist. These deficiencies must be removed by the end of the first year of residence or its part-time equivalent, when the student’s application will be re-examined.” http://bulletin.vcu.edu/graduate/college-humanities-sciences/physics/physics-applied-physics-ms/#admissionrequirementstext
It seems to me that going directly into a master’s program, with a few remedial courses stipulated via a provisional acceptance, would be vastly more efficient than starting over as an undergrad. You could also register for undergraduate classes that you may need to take or retake, as a non-degree student, while preparing to apply. This is open to students who already have an undergrad degree. https://ssc.vcu.edu/nondegree/?_ga=2.248787271.1995389095.1561048867-1271664787.1561048867
exactly. taking a couple of classes (Adv Calc? Physics?) as a non-degree student to show that you have teh academic chops to succeed (and perhaps obtain a solid rec).
But go meet with a counselor and see that they recommend.
I’m not sure to be quite honest. I spend much of my free time reading about NASA, physics news and breakthroughs from universities and institutions, and I’m just interested in the subject. A job at NASA would be awesome, but so would researching the unknown and looking into the future of physics. If I’m being truthful with myself, I would want a PhD in a specialized field, so I can contribute as much as I can, but I’m torn between the different fields of physics research (nano, condensed matter, Astro, etc) that I would delve into that subject when I was already in school for it.