Engineering Physics or Physics/Mathematics (U of T)??

[physics5high]

Hello everyone, I've currently applied to UTSC for their Physics/Stats program, Waterloo Physics and UTSG Engineering Science (Engineering Physics) program. I really enjoy physics but I am wondering which one would be best for me in terms of jobs in the future; they all seem interesting though. P.S: I have a 96% average so far (but I find the Ontario high school curriculum too easy, so too do all my teachers and even many of friends who complain about difficulty end up with high marks)

[Aznsilvrboy]

People who go into Engineering Science at UofT tend to end up in grad school rather than in the work place. If you want to get a job, go for another engineering discipline like Electrical Engineering with physics minor or something. Going pure physics is going to have a hard time finding a job, just telling you in advance. Check out the careers forum for more info.

[windforcexx28]

People who go into Engineering Science at UofT tend to end up in grad school rather than in the work place. If you want to get a job, go for another engineering discipline like Electrical Engineering with physics minor or something. Going pure physics is going to have a hard time finding a job, just telling you in advance. Check out the careers forum for more info.

+1

If you are planning to go to grad school, either program works depending on what program you're planning to apply for and your career plans.

[Vascilli]

If your work ethic is anything short of outstanding, you will not survive Engineering Science no matter how good your grades are. (Unless you are a child prodigy in which case you likely would not be asking such a question.)

[BoogieWilliams]

You seem to have the smarts but you also need the time management skills along with it to do engineering science. If you think you can do it that is definitely the better option.

[physics5high]

You seem to have the smarts but you also need the time management skills along with it to do engineering science. If you think you can do it that is definitely the better option.

Uhm...lol. Well I find the material easy now, so I would usually just listen to music, study on the last day before a test or exam and generally play video games

[physics5high]

What the physics/mathematics co-op option at UTSC? Is it worth with job-wise and even for grad school?

[DrXenon]

Employers don't know what to do with people who graduate from nontraditional streams of engineering like eng phys. There is a traditional-stream grad behind every blade of grass in Canada, so why would you hire someone from an Eng Phys/Eng Chem/Applied Math program? Stick to Electrical, Civil and Mechanical and take electives in quantum physics or whatever. Forget about Eng Sci at UofT; the payoff doesn't compensate you for the amount of effort required.

Pure sciences are a waste of time; go on workopolis and search for "mathematician" and "physicist" versus "engineer".

[Metagame]

Pure sciences are a waste of time; go on workopolis and search for "mathematician" and "physicist" versus "engineer".

Wait until Harper signs more FTA's, then the same thing that is happening to manufacturing/engineering in the U.S is going to happen here in Canada and the market will be flooded with foreign engineers willing to work for a few dollars above minimum wage or companies will be able to outsource most of their jobs. Enjoy the few years you have left.

All the while, developing countries are vehemently recruiting physicists and physics graduates from the West. They are realizing that engineers just can't competently work in the growing fields of superconductivity, opto-electronics, solid state materials, nuclear energy, nanotechnology, etc.

[Metagame]

Uhm...lol. Well I find the material easy now, so I would usually just listen to music, study on the last day before a test or exam and generally play video games

This was the final for the first year physics specialist at UofT in mechanics. See how many questions you can do. Many many students were physics superstars in their high school, but failed that test miserably. Massive bell curve.

[Vascilli]

Uhm...lol. Well I find the material easy now, so I would usually just listen to music, study on the last day before a test or exam and generally play video games

If you do that in Eng Sci you will fail no matter how smart you are. I have a friend in first year Eng Sci right now and she does absolutely nothing but study. No extracurriculars at all. She did very, very well in high school.

[Mark77]

Employers don't know what to do with people who graduate from nontraditional streams of engineering like eng phys. There is a traditional-stream grad behind every blade of grass in Canada, so why would you hire someone from an Eng Phys/Eng Chem/Applied Math program? Stick to Electrical, Civil and Mechanical and take electives in quantum physics or whatever. Forget about Eng Sci at UofT; the payoff doesn't compensate you for the amount of effort required.

Pure sciences are a waste of time; go on workopolis and search for "mathematician" and "physicist" versus "engineer".

Yup, employers can't even figure out what to do with EE/CS / CompE people in Canada, even though they generally have a superset of the skills found in your ordinary, run-of-the-mill EE grad.

All the while, developing countries are vehemently recruiting physicists and physics graduates from the West. They are realizing that engineers just can't competently work in the growing fields of superconductivity, opto-electronics, solid state materials, nuclear energy, nanotechnology, etc.

Wow, I've never heard this sort of comment before. Care to elaborate a little bit more?

If you do that in Eng Sci you will fail no matter how smart you are. I have a friend in first year Eng Sci right now and she does absolutely nothing but study. No extracurriculars at all. She did very, very well in high school.

As with all disciplines in engineering -- the 'studying' is usually completing problem sets. If one doesn't know the material, it is practically impossible to 'study' it for exams. Either you learn it as you go along, or you never learn it at all. "studying" in the context of an engineering class for an engineering final is usually to make sure that your materials are in order, that you've reviewed problem sets and ensured that any errors made in the problems have been understood/rectified.

[Hyperfluxe]

Wait until Harper signs more FTA's, then the same thing that is happening to manufacturing/engineering in the U.S is going to happen here in Canada and the market will be flooded with foreign engineers willing to work for a few dollars above minimum wage or companies will be able to outsource most of their jobs. Enjoy the few years you have left.

All the while, developing countries are vehemently recruiting physicists and physics graduates from the West. They are realizing that engineers just can't competently work in the growing fields of superconductivity, opto-electronics, solid state materials, nuclear energy, nanotechnology, etc.

That's pretty delusional. I actually really want to study Physics, but there are way more engineers than physicists in industry. Even in the fields you mentioned. Obviously not in academia, but it's hard enough to get a faculty position anyway.

[Metagame]

Wow, I've never heard this sort of comment before. Care to elaborate a little bit more?

You probably haven't read this Article yet, have you?

[Metagame]

That's pretty delusional. I actually really want to study Physics, but there are way more engineers than physicists in industry. Even in the fields you mentioned. Obviously not in academia, but it's hard enough to get a faculty position anyway.

How about you read my post properly before going ahead and calling me delusional?


The reason why there aren't many physicists in industry is primarily due to politics (government regulations and an obsession with the P Eng designation) and HR screening out those who do not have engineering degrees. 30+ years ago, it was very common for physicists to work industrial jobs that are now exclusively reserved for engineers. If you want to be a physicist and want to have decent job prospects, then you need to prepare yourself to go abroad, because Canada and the U.S have made it quite clear they don't really need or want their physicists while other countries will happily take as many as possible.