Physics

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
Google 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