Further degrees are useful in expanding the possibilities of employment for physics majors. Graduation with a master's degree increases the number of opportunities within industry, as well as allowing for teaching at the community college level. For many high-level industrial research positions, as well as for teaching at the university or college level, a Ph.D. is required. The following table is indicative of the types of positions that physics graduates take by degree. Some examples include a chemical engineer, a supervisor in charge of inspection techniques for nuclear power plants, a systems engineer in ship design, and a graduate student in oceanography.
Several graduates have medical doctorates or are medical students.
One of our former majors is now a professor of Physics at the University of Massachusetts. Many students take courses in other sciences, in mathematics, or in engineering, in addition to their physics curriculum. The Applied Track provides an excellent approach to such diversity. Both the Physics major degree and the related courses provide a broad background and set of skills for work within the private sector. An American Institute of Physics survey of physics majors identified the skills needed in various employment sectors.