What can i do with Astrophysics degree as a career??

[Pumpkinstew]

I think most 4 year physics courses normally share the first two years no matter what kind of speciallisation they have so if you find yourself wanting to switch to Theoretical Physics or Photonics or going back to a straight MPhys you normally can. Oxbridge may be different. Astro is one of the more popular ones though so it's worth getting in early on in case it's fully subscribed later.

If you want maximum employability when you graduate consider a sandwich course with a year in industry (tends to be engineering more than physics) and if you fancy a subsidised trip abroad keep an eye out for courses with a year overseas. Exeter used to have 4 year Astro courses with a year in Australia or New Zealand.

It varies between industries but Oxford and Cambridge aren't always considered the 'best' with employers. Places like Imperial College and Bristol might be more desirable to some companies.

Best of luck with it.

 

[Amp34]

I have the DT at the moment as that could be good for engineering... I need to drop one for A2... so i need to decide whether DT or Economics is better to drop??

Personally I can't see an engineering course caring about DT. Sounds harsh but most will be far more interested in Maths, Physics and potentially chemistry (especially chemical engineering). DT is a mix of drawing pretty pictures and construction in schools, at uni it's all maths and physics.

Having said that if the choice is between economics and DT then anything goes, unless economics at A-Level is actually seen as a reasonable degree. Either way as long as you get 3 good grades, with two being in Maths and Physics then you'd be fine.

 

[GreatAuk]

I have the DT at the moment as that could be good for engineering... I need to drop one for A2... so i need to decide whether DT or Economics is better to drop??

For engineering, maths and physics is usually the only requirement, DT or economics would always be your 'third' choice. But I doubt they would ask for economics or DT at all for any physics/astrophysics/engineering course, so I suppose do whichever one you prefer. But to be honest, If you enjoy your subjects, I'd keep all 4. Also, a note on the maths, I'd try to do the mechanics modules if you can - more relevant.

 

[memyselfandi]

Perhaps it should in some ways but it certainly didn't for me and I'd think it was a bit of a shame if people got (too) stuck with choices they made at 17 or 18 about what career they wanted to do. I didn't know at that age what I would want to do as a career, I'm not convinced that I do yet but I wouldn't want to trade my directionlessness really as I've quite enjoyed the process so far - if nothing else my experiences have taught me what I don't want to do and that may be as valuable ultimately.

Before I decided on my degree subject the advice I was given was to do something you are interested in not to do something which points you at a specific career. You are more likely to stick at it and do well.

Obviously there are some exceptions to this, (e.g. Medicine, Law ...), but really all most degrees are telling employers is that you are able to think and stick at something under your own motivation for three or four years.

When we are looking for graduates for IT vacancies we do find it better if they don't have IT related degrees as they will have to many, normally incorrect, pre-conceived notions on the way things are done. Maths and science degree graduates tend to be a lot easier to deal with, they know how to approach things logically and think them through and don't have any incorrect or out-dated knwledge. The IT graduates also tend to have a bad attitude about how much they already know and quite often struggle to come to terms with things like change control. We are going to have to send them on technical training anyway to get them up to speed in the areas we need them to be knowledgeable in.

Do a degree in something you are interested in, it may be the last time in your life you get the chance to dedicate that much time to doing that.

 

[uvarvu]

My friend studied that at Queen Mary. He's now working on the Cassini-Huygens mission writing commands for one of the cameras on the satellite.

 

[Mr^B]

Investment Banking.

 

[Fusion]

Do it because you have a passion for it but don't neglect placements, internships or anything that gives you a significant leg up for the jobs market. Make sure you bag a 2:1 (at least) and a massive number of doors will open.

 

[clv101]

What kind of careers could i have with an astrophysics degree at uni??

Im taking AS in Physics, Maths (1 and half), Economics and Design & Technology....

A2 next year, will take all the above except DT i think...

Astrophysics is basically just physics but with astro options chosen instead of more advanced QM, EM or nuclear. As such there are a huge range of careers open to you. I think physics is one of the most employable degrees out there. A good physics graduate should be able to take pretty much any job an engineering or maths grad can and a lot of the roles conventionally taken by geology or even environmental science grads. The same can't be said in the other direction. There are also jobs available in finance, business and IT consulting.

Physics is also a good degree to take to stay in academia, lots of PhDs from pretty much the whole science spectrum, chemistry through geology to geography can be taken by a good physics grad.

If you can hack the maths - physics is a great degree to do. Don't get hung up on the 'astro' bit in the title though.