Education · 1 of 5

The path

Long, funded and uncertain at the end. Almost nobody works as a physicist without a doctorate.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Physics, calculus and as much programming as you can find. Start on problems you cannot immediately solve.

2. 2

   Bachelor's degree in physics

   4 years

   Mechanics, electricity and magnetism, quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, plus two years of math. Get into a research group as an undergraduate: it decides where you go next.

3. 3

   Doctoral program

   5 to 7 years

   At MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) the typical stay is 5 to 7 years. Written qualifying exams in classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics, then an oral exam in front of three faculty members.

4. 4

   Thesis and defense

   Inside the doctorate

   Years of original research, a thesis committee formed by year three, a written thesis and a defense.

5. 5

   Postdoctoral research

   2 to 6 years

   One or two fixed-term contracts, often in another city or country, before a permanent post exists. Many people stop here and take an industry job instead.