How is M.Sc. Physics at BITS Pilani?

What are positives and negatives of M.Sc. Physics at BITS Pilani?

1. Physics is a relatively hard but more interesting subject. It does not offer the placement advantage that eco does, but offers way more in research opportunities. I do not recommend physics or maths if you are only interested in getting a btech and mba etc.(non tech jobs)

However if you’re even slightly inclined towards research (any stream) read on.

2. I love physics. Everything from faculty to seniors and flexibility is so awesome (at goa) that i understood General relativity and quantum computation(to some extent) in my second year itself. Research opportunities are endless with physics.

a)Theoretical  physics offers you a great career from BITS as you will probably get a US Phd. and consequently a assistant professorship(at least) at some tier 1 institution in India(jobs are growing fast).

b)Experimental Physics also offers you a great career especially as a dualite because most experimentalists are engineers. CERN for example hires Physics MS/Phd engineers to design and maintain their equipment. Computer engineers are especially useful as data  analysis is the most important part of an experiment.

That said a career in physics is not easy, one needs to have a great deal of passion for the subject. Dual degree offers a great opportunity to find out if your interest lies in physics along with the backup of engineering.

What you will learn in M.Sc. Physics at BITS Pilani, and what are the nearest JEE topics to them?

JEE physics can be understood by ‘intuition’. Physics at research level attempts to break ‘intuition’ and ‘common sense’. Physics uses a lot of maths abstract and otherwise hence it would be hard if you don’t like maths. The primary motivator for a physicist is curiosity, so if you are curious about how the world works, then take physics.

What are good dual options with M.Sc. Physics at BITS Pilani and why?

All engineerings and even M.Sc. degrees can be paired with physics to form great  interdisciplinary research opportunities for eg. quantum computing, biophysics etc.

Physics and EEE share electromagnetic theory-1. However it is still the most taxing of the duals. Phy + EEE is said to help you become an experimental physicist, but so will CS and Mech. to some extent.

In non research areas physics has limited application however quite a few engineering physics applications exist(I wish i could elaborate but do find out from somewhere else).

What is the scope of M.Sc. Physics  in future?

• Physics unlike economics does not give an advantage over a single degree student (as far as i know)  for placements after graduation itself. It also does not subtract and you might use it later in life for career advancement.
• For those who want to make a career in physics, let me inform you that almost everyone I know who wanted to be a physicist, from Goa campus got a Phd. admit in the US. Job opportunities in US are going down, whereas they are coming up in India. Job security and pay are not as low as people expect. If you are passionate enough, be rest assured you will have a satisfying career in physics through BITS