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Physics or Engineering

Which is considered the better major for a naval officer? Physics or engineering? Or, are they considered equally for most designators?

Thanks.
 

IKE

Nerd Whirler
pilot
From my experience, if you're equally interested in the two, go with whichever one gives you a better GPA, because that will affect your standing at graduation/commissioning, which determines whether you get the community you want.

If you are actually interested in underwater basket weaving, take that. Undergrad majors only matter if you want to pursue (A)EDO or some other specialty community. In Aviation, engineering is much more useful, but I think the bubbleheads value physics (as do the Space folks).
 

HAL Pilot

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
If you end up not going in the Navy or if you don’t make a career out of it, which will get you a civilian job?

Except for a few specialty career paths, the Navy doesn’t care. It’s aways nice to have contingencies in case things change or don’t work out.
 

FinkUFreaky

Well-Known Member
pilot
To echo, I've known both music and drama majors that became pilots. I did EE, and wouldn't have gone back and done something else as the math stuff comes easier to me than random facts, but.... It is also fairly worthless to me ten years out. Go with what gives you the most options and/or you enjoy. If and when it comes to astronaut or TPS selection your degree might matter
 

AllAmerican75

FUBIJAR
None
Contributor
If you end up not going in the Navy or if you don’t make a career out of it, which will get you a civilian job?

Except for a few specialty career paths, the Navy doesn’t care. It’s aways nice to have contingencies in case things change or don’t work out.

This is the correct answer. Yes, you will need to have a decent GPA if you're selecting through ROTC or the Academy. No, the Navy at the end of the day doesn't see much difference between Physics or Engineering. Yes, both degrees will make you eligible for the Nuke draft and they will try to recruit you. No, the URL communities don't ultimately care what your degrees are in as long as you have a Bachelors and eventually a Masters.

But, if you have any hopes of civilian career, get a degree in something that will be useful to you. Also, if you have interest in specialty Restricted Line communities such as Intel, IP, IW, EDO, AEDO, CEC, or AMDO, then get a technical degree.
 

FormerRecruitingGuru

Making Recruiting Great Again
Which is considered the better major for a naval officer? Physics or engineering? Or, are they considered equally for most designators?

Thanks.

Alright I'll say it. OP, are you trying to make Flag before even commissioning? Between this post and the SWO-to-CEC post, your impression is that anything short of becoming an Admiral is disappointing in the Navy.

In the end, choose a major YOU would end up enjoying. Most officer programs require a simple bachelors degree to include URL (SWO, pilot, NFO, etc.).

Going back to "making Flag" focus one step at a time. There are so many milestones ahead and along with hard work and of course some "luck", there might be a shot. As @azguy , a very small percentage of folks who commission end up becoming Flag.
 

taxi1

Well-Known Member
pilot
Major in physics. Usually only about 120 credits while engineering is typically 135+ credits. If there's a super-cool engineering class you want, you can sneak it in as an elective.
 
Alright I'll say it. OP, are you trying to make Flag before even commissioning? Between this post and the SWO-to-CEC post, your impression is that anything short of becoming an Admiral is disappointing in the Navy.

In the end, choose a major YOU would end up enjoying. Most officer programs require a simple bachelors degree to include URL (SWO, pilot, NFO, etc.).

Going back to "making Flag" focus one step at a time. There are so many milestones ahead and along with hard work and of course some "luck", there might be a shot. As @azguy , a very small percentage of folks who commission end up becoming Flag.
Nah, not about making flag. Just curious about the degree itself as it relates to becoming an officer. Thanks for the response.
 

AllAmerican75

FUBIJAR
None
Contributor
I wa also going to say that physics is more foundational, letting you understand anything in engineering but not the other way.
I’m undergrad in physics, grad in engineering.

Except the thing is that the engineering skill sets do not always translate well. I have found many times that physicists tend to live in their own little world and pay very little attention to what is either practical or useful. Also, physics students are often times prepped for further work in academia, which is cool if you're into it, but can be difficult to translate to real world work. Without the project and internship experiences that are afforded to engineering undergraduates, it is much more difficult to find a job after graduation. Even now that I'm in grad school, I know people who were physics majors in undergrad who are having a hard time with the different mindset required in engineering, whereas I and many of my friends struggled with the way physicists approached problems. In the end, there are people who will do well as physicists and those who will do well as engineers and it's a personality thing.
 

taxi1

Well-Known Member
pilot
Without the project and internship experiences that are afforded to engineering undergraduates, it is much more difficult to find a job after graduation.
I'll definitely echo that. Internships are gouge.

While a physics major, I used to go through the engineering building and look at the jobs board. I saw one for a student engineering intern at NARF Norfolk (old guys, remember them?), applied, and poached a job for the summer as an Industrial Engineering Intern. Turned into a job when I graduated for two years, until I realized all of those naval aviators around the base that I worshiped weren't all that special, and maybe I could do that too. ;)

If you know you are going to fly, you'll get the engineering stuff you need from flight school anyway. Major in something that complements it.
 
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