As a physics major, you’ll develop analytical and problem solving skills while being able to customize your studies. You’ll take a common core set of courses and can then choose a concentration that complements the core, such as physics, or an interdisciplinary concentration such as chemical physics, geophysics, astrophysics, biophysics, applied math, philosophy of science, computer science, etc. The combination of biology/chemistry as a concentration is appropriate if you’re pre-med; you can also create an individualized concentration with courses in physics-related economics, history, law or business.
Sample classes
- Physics of Musical Sound
- Introduction to Special Relativity
- Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics
- Geometric Concepts in Physics
Outcomes
All information below is based on the 2014-2018 First-Destination Post-Graduate Survey. Lists are not exhaustive, rather they are a sampling of the data. "Other" includes time off, travel, volunteer experiences, and/or preparing for graduate school. If you would like more information, please email as_careers@cornell.edu
25% Employed
65% Attending Grad School
3% Seeking Employment
6% Other
69% of the Class of 2014-2018 Physics graduates completed the survey. n = 127
Below, you will find:
- Top Employment Sectors
- Where Graduates Work
- Top Graduate Fields
- Where Graduates Study
Top Employment Sectors
- Technology (31%)
- Government (16%)
- Consulting/Prof. Practice (13%)
- Education (13%)
- Biotech/Pharma/Life Sciences (6%), Business - Other (6%), Nonprofit Organization (6%)
- Manufacturing (3%), Architecture/Design/Construction (3%), Law (3%)
Where 2014-2018 Physics Graduates Work
| Employer | Job Titles |
|---|---|
| Acentech | Acoustic Consultant |
| Amazon | Software Development Engineer |
| Andiamo Partners | Technical Recruiter |
| Applied Predictive Technologies | Software Engineer |
| Association of Colleges & University Educators | Product Manager |
| Boeing | Systems Engineer |
| Boston Consulting Group | Associate |
| CollegeVine | Program Manager |
| Cornell University | Temporary Service Technician Research Assistant |
| Empire Edge | Academic Advisor |
| Envirosell | Data Analyst |
| Extreme Engineering Solutions | Technical Generalist |
| GlaxoSmithKline | Associate Scientist |
| Software Engineer Marketing Specialist |
|
| Haley Guiliano LLP | Technical Advisor |
| Humatics Corporation | Junior Test & Data Engineer |
| Locally Grown Landsapes | Construction Manager |
| MIT Lincoln Laboratory | Assistant Technical Staff |
| MITRE Corporation | Cyber Security Software Engineer |
| National Institutes of Health | Research Assistant |
| Naval Air Systems Command | Physicist |
| Northstar Recycling | Commodity Sales Executive |
| Peace Corps | Volunteer Teacher |
| Randstad | Software Quality Operations Associate |
| SciTec Inc. | Assistant Scientist |
| SeedInvest | Investment Executive |
| Suvoda | Associate Project Manager |
| Thorlabs | Technical Writing Specialist |
| United States Navy | Student Navel Aviator |
Top Graduate Fields Pursued
- Physics (65%)
- Planetary Studies (6%)
- Computer Science (4%)
- Astrophysics (4%)
- Astronomy (4%)
- Medicine (4%)
- Aerospace Engineering (1%), Architecture (1%), Atmospheric Sciences (1%), Earth, Environmental, & Planetary Sciences (1%), Hosp & Health Services Admin (1%), Materials Sci & Engineering (1%), Chemical Engineering (1%), Electrical Engineering (1%), Engineering Physics (1%), Applied Mathematics (1%), Statistics (1%), Geophysics (1%)
Graduate Degrees Pursued
- PhD (80%)
- MS (11%)
- MEng (5%)
- MD (4%)
- MHA (1%)
Where 2014-2018 Physics Graduates Study
- Brown University
- California Institute of Technology
- Columbia University In The City of New York
- Cornell University
- Drexel University
- Duke University
- ETH Zurich
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- Harvard University
- Leiden University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Northwestern University
- Observatoire De Paris
- Princeton University
- Purdue University
- Rutgers University-New Brunswick/Piscataway
- Stanford University
- University of California-Berkeley
- University of California-Los Angeles
- University of California-San Diego
- University of Cambridge
- University of Chicago
- University of Colorado - Boulder
- University of Copenhagen
- University of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign
- University of Maryland
- University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
- University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
- University of Washington-Seattle Campus
- Yale University
