Physics Graduate Research Articles

Qualified to teach?

In the period between the two world wars the main career opportunities open to good honours graduates of physics were those of secondary school teaching. A high standard of physics teaching existed amongst the relatively small proportion of schools that valued high academic standards – grammar schools and the better public schools.

Physics and engineering

In his contribution to the March 1984 issue of Physics Bulletin entitled 'Two professions – physics and engineering', Professor Finkelstein has done much to explain current developments in the engineering profession, and their possible effects on physicists. This topic is of particular interest to me as both a physics graduate and a Chartered Engineer, not least because I work for one of the 'nominated' professional institutions.

Survey of foreign graduate students

In the 1983 American Institute of Physics (AIP) Graduate Student Survey, the issue of foreign versus national students in U.S. graduate programs was explored. In the past decade, the number of entering graduate students from foreign nations in American universities has risen from about 600 to about 1100, an increase from 23% in 1973 to 40% in 1983 of all entering physics graduate students in the United States. There are more than 10,000 graduate students in physics in the United StatesThe benefits, or lack thereof, of having foreign graduate students raises a number of philosophical points. Like all students, foreign students learn from academic programs; but at high competitive levels, they contribute as well. The essence of growth in any academic program is described by the creativity supplied by ever incoming students. In an academically competitive system the question of foreign students displacing U.S. students in graduate programs has no definition. On the other hand, what about the graduate job market after graduation? Some would point to the return of foreign graduates to their homeland as an example of U.S. education efforts not benefitting U.S. society, at least directly. Others worry about foreign graduates flooding the U.S. job market.

Perception of Undergraduate Education in Physics by Chinese Physics Graduate Students Studying in Taiwan and the United States

Perception of Undergraduate Education in Physics by Chinese Physics Graduate Students Studying in Taiwan and the United States

Physics of Laser Driven Plasmas

Heinrich Hora 1981 New York: Wiley-Interscience xiv + 317 pp price £27.50 I expected this book to be highly specialised and designed for a limited audience. I was pleasantly surprised to find it introductory in nature, tutorial and suitable for advanced physics students and graduates with little or no formal background in plasmas or lasers.

Problems for new graduates

I read with great interest the article by Jean Gilmour on the services available for job-hunting physics graduates (Physics Bulletin November 1981 p359). I am disappointed that she did not mention the Manpower Services Commission's divisional services and courses that are available to all jobhunting graduates, throughout the UK, via Professional and Executive Recruitment (PER).

Where do physicists go?

The number of employment opportunities for graduates in physics has been increasing after a bleak decade. Presumably, the overall job market is feeling the shortage of technical personnel especially in geophysics and the earth sciences, on account of burgeoning requirements of the search for energy. Part of the increase in opportunities for employment in physics is due to a 9‐year decline in the number of doctoral graduates. This trend can be seen in Figures 1 and 2 for physics docorate and masters recipients. There is a clearcut improvement in the job market at both levels.

Report on the Conference on Tradition and Change in Physics Graduate Education

We report the major thrust of the Conference on Tradition and Change in Physics Graduate Education, held at Pennsylvania State University on 19−23 August 1974. %Most of the dialogue dealt with the employment problems of the physics community, particularly of its younger members, and with measures which might be taken at the graduate school level to alleviate these problems. %These measures involve a serious reexamination of our traditions and a deliberate set of innovations and diversifications to maintain physics as a viable career option.

Orientation for the new teaching assistant—A laboratory based program

A traditional part of the “education” of a physics graduate student is facing his first class as a teaching assistant. Unfortunately, the most the new teaching assistant learns from this encounter is how little he knows about teaching. The laboratory instructors orientation program at Kansas State University offers the instructors an opportunity to see some of the problems he will face and some methods for handling them before he begins teaching. The program, which includes introductions to Transactional Analysis and Piaget's theory of intellectual development, is based on laboratory experiences undertaken by the new instructor before classes begin.

Data on careers for 1973 graduates in physics

Data on careers for 1973 graduates in physics

The market for physics graduates

The pattern of employment of graduates in general and of physicists in particular has changed markedly during recent years. Table 1 is based upon UGC data; the UGC figures have been amended as ophthalmic opticians were classed under physicists.

Data on careers for 1972 graduates in physics

The career prospects of those graduating in physics continue to arouse a good deal of comment. The Institute felt that it would be worthwhile to conduct for the 1972 graduates a survey similar to the one performed for their predecessors in 1971 (Physics Bulletin January 1972 pl2).

Employment of Graduates in Physics

Although the employment prospects for physicists in industry may improve in some cases in the next few years, medical physics and accountancy, banking and commerce may well be new growth areas.

Employability of physics graduates

Employability of physics graduates

Employment patterns and membership of the Institute

Although in the past most physics graduates have started their careers in activities closely concerned with the practice of physics, there is now a growing tendency for young physicists to enter other types of career – managerial, sales etc – immediately after graduation and without the hitherto customary period of experience of work involving the practice of physics. Council welcomes this sign that physicists are taking a wider look at the opportunities open to them and believes, not only that The Institute of Physics can and should be of value to these physics graduates as well as to those more directly concerned with the practice of physics, but also that the Institute will be the poorer if they are not able to participate fully in its activities.

The 1971 market for new graduates in physics

Already much comment has appeared on the career situation facing those who graduated in 1971. Given the developing unemployment situation in the country as a whole, it is not surprising that concern arose well before the final examinations were sat.

The employment outlook for physicists in the 1970s

In the year ending 30 September 1969, the last year for which detailed national figures are available, 1703 men graduated from universities in Great Britain, in physics (all classes of honours, aegrotat and pass degrees) and another 322 men graduated with joint honours, general honours or general degrees in mathematics and physics. In view of the quite remarkable amount of interest recently shown by the press in the employment problems of 1970 and 1971 graduates, with much talk of massive unemployment – and, more particularly, of many science graduates being unable to find employment as 'scientists' – it is interesting to look at what happened to those 1703 men physics graduates of 1969.

Modern Biology for Physics Graduate Students

The problem of introducing modern biology to physics graduate students is discussed briefly. An outline is given of a physics-in-biology course at the University of Colorado, together with comments on the literature used in the course.

Two-point MMPI code types and academic achievement.

In a previous MMPI study (Kokosh, 1969) of 4-yr. graduates in physics, zoology, sociology, and history the 34–43 is the modal two-point MMPI code type in sociology and the 49–94 in history. In this study an attempt was made to relate the two-point code types to academic achievement. The highest GPA was obtained by 5 physics-zoology majors having the 27–72 code, and the lowest GPA was obtained by 7 sociology-history majors having the 89–98 code. Speculation as to why certain code types are attracted more to one major than another and why they perform well or poorly in one major as compared to another was presented. A study of personality types and the relation of these to academic and vocational behavior may be a fruitful approach rather than using personality traits alone as measured by particular scales.

Physicists in industry

I was very interested to read the article 'Employment of physicists in industry' in November 1910 Physics Bulletin. I can only endorse the view that graduates in physics would do well to consider a non R and D initial appointment.