How does one become a professional Physics Engineer?
How does one become a professional Physics Engineer?
(OP)
Apparently, it has come to my attention that there is little to no information how one would become a professional licensed Physics Engineer. As I understand, a B.S. in Physics Engineering allows one versatility to understand and design in all areas of science.
Does anyone know where to start or can lead me on the right path to becoming a professional licensed Physics Engineer?
Does anyone know where to start or can lead me on the right path to becoming a professional licensed Physics Engineer?





RE: How does one become a professional Physics Engineer?
Regardless of what you major in, to get licensed, you have to have a certain amount of work experience, and that will tend to be fairly focused. So you wouldn't expect to see a guy designing integrated circuits one week, building a bridge the next, and then designing boilers the next week, all because he majored in "Everything Engineering". Industry just doesn't work that way.
The PE boards of the different states vary, but they have a certain number of choices of fields that hey license people in. If you have a degree outside those choices, you may still be able to get licensed, but it will be in one of those fields. So you might get a degree in, say, Textile Engineering, and when you want to get licensed, do so as a mechanical engineer, take the ME tests, and have a PE stamp that says "Mechanical Engineer" on it. THere are limitations to what can be done, and you don't expect to get a structural engineering license when your education is in, say, electrical engineering.
Anyway, do some searching as to what IS available in terms of licensing and degree programs. Check on the NCEES website for the different tests and fields they deal with. Look up your own state's licensing laws, and see how they work things. (Most states have their licensing laws online, just google "State Board of Engineers Alabama" or whatever state you're interested in.)
Note that in some states, you might be able to have a non-engineering degree (maybe physics, for example) and still get licensed. This varies state by state, and might require additional experience. This type of thing used to be more common, but is slowly being phased out.
RE: How does one become a professional Physics Engineer?
Chris
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RE: How does one become a professional Physics Engineer?
Sounds like you're looking for a career as a professional student.
TTFN
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RE: How does one become a professional Physics Engineer?
What do you want to do? Career paths that I have heard of from official and unofficial eng phys people include Electrical Engineering (here Eng Phys is a branch of electrical) Microfluidics, optics etc.
Shannon
PS IRstuff, 1. what's wrong with professional student?
2. WOuldn't designing microfluidic be engineering?
RE: How does one become a professional Physics Engineer?
RE: How does one become a professional Physics Engineer?
2. anything microfluidic is most likely engineering, and not pure physics. You don't design microfluidic for the sake of designing cute, miniature plumbing, but, more for some end goal, e.g., drug delivery or DNA analysis/synthesis, or something along those lines.
In general, just because a university is willing to take your money and give you a degree in basketweaving or Ancient Etruscan literature or engineering physics isn't a sufficient reason to take that course of study.
TTFN
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RE: How does one become a professional Physics Engineer?
If you want a PE, get one in the discipline closest to your interest and competency.
RE: How does one become a professional Physics Engineer?
Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."
RE: How does one become a professional Physics Engineer?
for example - undergraduate degree
RE: How does one become a professional Physics Engineer?
I think you're better of figuring out what you want to do in the areas of engineering and physics then taylor your degree in that area of interest. I would say do a major and minor in your BS level and then get a masters in a specific area.
I work with several MS & PhD Physics researchers who have taught at the college level but they are not product designers that's for sure.
Heckler
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RE: How does one become a professional Physics Engineer?
Should this be true, why would anyone study any of the other currently available disciplines.
Where did you hear of "Physics Engineering"?
"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
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RE: How does one become a professional Physics Engineer?
RE: How does one become a professional Physics Engineer?
As allready stated there is a lot more to engineering than just analysis.
So is it not justified to allow a branch of phy,math,eng whatever where the main objective is to create more skill in modeling and analysis of physical phenomena. Regular engineers frequently don't have the time or patience to get involved in the intricate computer modeling that some designs require.
I think this is the notion behind engineering physics.
In my opinion the field has a profitable outlook for those with the ability and determination.
RE: How does one become a professional Physics Engineer?
Cheers
Greg Locock
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RE: How does one become a professional Physics Engineer?
Sure, but, such analysis is useless without the reduction to practice, i.e., an engineering design. Therefore, the majority of such applications are given to an engineer with the design experience and understanding to apply the results to an actual design.
TTFN
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RE: How does one become a professional Physics Engineer?
Shannon
****original message***
GregLocock (Automotive)
23 Jul 07 20:18
But... you would not find many people who can model and understand unstable aerodynamic flows, non linear hydraulically damped rubber bushings, and magnetic circuit design for motors (picking 3 that I am familiar with) purely from an academic course. If that's what you want to do you might as well start from ordinary mechanical engineering, there wouldn't be time, and the university would not have the expertise, to cover every possible field.
Cheers
Greg Locock