Chemical Engineering or physics?

[abskebabs]

Hi everybody. I've applied to do a masters in engineering course in chemical engineering at University. I have been reconsidering the choice I made however, and nw I am not sure whether to stick with it or switch and do physics. I'll be honest, I generally get better grades in maths and chemistry than physics, but the subject generally interests me much more than chemistry does. Also, I know the kind of work covered at A level is of a quite different nature to that at University.

 

Chemical engineering still does interest me, not so much the course as a career as a chemical engineer, which I think would be quite exciting and challenging. Therefore, I'm quite unsure about which course to pick. What would you advise me to do? Also which course would you say generally offers better career prospects. Just so you know I would be aiming to do a masters science in Physics, if I picked that.

[sophster]

I'd say don't do the Chem Eng course unless it interests you. Are there not any Chem Eng jobs you can do with a BEng/BSc to sort of try it out and go back and do a masters (if necessary) if it still interests you.

 

Physics is cool but I'm not sure there are that many jobs for straight physicsts. I suppose the best thing is to look and see what areas in chem/physics that interest you have the most funding and career prospects. New Scientist is a pretty good place to start looking I reckon.

[insane_alien]

personally, i pick(ed) chemEng i'm doing the Meng as well. contrary to what sophster said, there are good job prospects both within and without the field.

although to get a job within the field just now you would probably have to get a job abroad. the skills you get from the chem eng course can be applied to a hell of a lot of other things in buisness apparently. tell you when i start the buisness class(ugh) later this year.

 

although if you like physics better, i'd say go for it.

[sophster]

I think you misunderstood me Insane. I meant if you want a career as a physicist there aren't so many opportunities (physics departments seem to be filled with a lot of non-physicists from what I can tell. I just got a job in an academic physics department and all my degrees are from biology faculties ) I don't really know anything about the chem eng field I'm afraid.

[abskebabs]

I know that both physicists and chemical engineers have what employers call transferrable skills, which they like. This allows ppl with both degrees to be highly valued in other fields. I think ppl who work as chemical engineers generall get paid more than ppl with physics degrees who just remain as physicists.

 

I would like to remain financially secure, one way or the other, as well as do a job I'm interested in. This is why I have thought of swithcing to do a course in Physics with business management, as this could possibly aid me if I wanted to do a job in business or if I simply wanted to invest in the markets.

 

I guess both subjects interest me, just maybe physics interests me more now. Both would be a challenge I think too, which I would like. I would like to know more about the kinds of jobs physicists can get into.

[sophster]

As far as finding out about jobs for physicists your best bet is to probably head down to your university careers centre and see what sort of resources they have. My experience of careers centres are that the actual advisors tend to be a bit rubbish but they can usually point you in the direction of useful pamphlets, resources and websites that deal with careers for people with various degrees.

 

Like I said check out New Scientist magazine, also the National Physical Labs down in West London are a pretty big employer for people with physics degrees http://www.npl.co.uk or look at http://www.iop.org which should also have some guidance for careers in physics. I'm afraid my career seems to be heading off into a distinctly academic direction so I can't really help with advice about non-science jobs for physicists.

[insane_alien]

oops, so i did.

[abskebabs]

I've had a look, and was dissapointed that for a lot of jobs for physicists a PHD is required. For chemical engineering, it's pretty easy getting a job with an MEng. I still can't make up my mind on which course I should do, I guess I've got a few months to mull over this.

[sophster]

A PhD seems to be the norm for 'pure science' type jobs. A bachelors or masters will get you non-science graduate jobs and certain masters courses can be done to get into certain careers (sounds like chem eng fits this, also MSc in water analysis and that type of thing).

 

I'd still say go for an MSc in physics if it interests you and there is funding. IMO interest in the area should always be the main motivation for doing a course. Good luck finding something you want to do.