A degree helps prepare you to do almost anything. An incredible range of careers benefit from the quantitative and analytical skills – the problem solving skills of physics, and from an understanding of the fundamentals behind science and technology that a physics degree provides.
What have Cornell graduates done? A partial list:
- Graduate school – physics, applied physics, biophysics, astronomy, engineering, biochemistry, education, geophysics, oceanography, atmospheric and environmental science, economics
- Professional school – medicine, law, business
- High school physics teaching – at private and public schools, including via Teach for America
- College and university teaching – at community colleges, liberal arts colleges, state universities, and major research universities
- Industrial research and development – energy, transportation, telecommunications, nanotechnology, biotechnology, medical devices, space and satellites, defense
- Government and academic research – at national laboratories and universities
- Hospitals and health care – as doctors, MD/Ph.D.s, medical physicists for MRI, X-ray, ultrasound imaging and nuclear medicine
- Military or national / international service
- Government policy and private think-tanks
- Management and management consulting – e.g., at McKinsey
- Finance – many Cornell physics graduates work on Wall Street
- Software and IT – e.g., at Microsoft and Google
- Science writing / journalism – Cornell physics graduates write for Science and Today
- Technical Sales, marketing and customer support
Click here for more information on career outcomes for Cornell physics majors.