UC San Diego’s Physics major gives students a strong foundation in core areas such as mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum physics, thermodynamics, and statistical physics, while offering flexibility to explore interests like astrophysics, biophysics, computational physics, materials physics, and geophysics. Students build mathematical, computational, laboratory, and problem-solving skills that prepare them for graduate study, scientific research, and careers in industry. The program emphasizes understanding physical principles, analyzing real-world phenomena, interpreting data, and clearly communicating scientific ideas through written and oral work across diverse professional settings.
Majors and Specializations:
- Physics (B.A.)
- Physics (B.S.)
Program Highlights
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TBD
Physics
This page is intended to give some highlights about the program. If you are interested in learning more about the major and its curriculum, visit the department website.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Co-curricular Programs
Learn how to make the most of your experience at UC San Diego within the context of your major.
Research
Conduct research in your field of study with one of the many research programs available. Research opportunities in this major include, but are not limited to:
California Louis Stoke Alliance for Maximizing Potential (CAMP)
- Available Spring or Summer (10 weeks).
- Open to juniors and seniors.
- Stipend available.
- Available Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring.
- Open to newly admitted transfer students.
- Stipend and Summer housing available.
Undergraduate Research Scholarships (URS) - Research Scholarships for Physics
- Available Summer (10 weeks).
- Open to first-year, sophomores, juniors, and non-graduating seniors.
- Stipend available.
For more details, eligibility, and to explore more programs, visit our Undergraduate Research website.
Internships
UC San Diego offers strong internship pathways for undergraduates through the Academic Internship Program (AIP) and the Research Experience and Applied Learning (REAL) Portal. AIP enables students to earn academic credit while gaining professional experience in fields across all majors, supported by faculty mentorship and an academic component. The REAL Portal serves as a centralized hub for finding research, internships, service learning, and other hands‑on opportunities on and off campus. Together, these resources help students explore career interests, build professional skills, and connect academic learning with real‑world experience.
Find a Program
- Academic Internship Program: https://aip.ucsd.edu
- REAL Portal: https://real.ucsd.edu
Study Abroad
Students are encouraged to explore study abroad opportunities which allow students to experience the culture and history of another country and gain a global perspective, all while earning academic credit toward their degree.
Learn more about study abroad opportunities for Physics.
Student Organizations
With over 600 student organizations, students are able to connect with other students who share similar interests. And, if you can't find something that interests you, it's easy to create a new one with just a few other students. Explore UC San Diego student organizations.
Be sure to check out this organization related to your major:
- Society of Physics Students at UC San Diego
What can I do with this major?
Learn about how you can apply your major to various opportunities after you graduate. The information below is based on recent surveys from alumni in this (or similar) majors and is not an exhaustive list.
- Recent Employers - Top 10 employers alumni reported working for.
- Job Types - Industries and types of jobs that alumni reported.
- Skills - Common skills and skills specific to the major that alumni reported gaining from this major.
- Graduate Programs - The types of graduate programs alumni reported going to (if applicable)
Recent Employers
- University of California
- Amazon
- Northrop Grumman
- ASML
- General Atomics
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Meta
Job Types
- Research Assistants
- Software Developers and QA Testers
- Teaching Assistants
- Data Scientists
- Tutors, Teachers and Instructors
- Industrial Engineers
- Product Engineers
- Software Systems Engineers
- Training and Development Specialists
- Electrical Engineers
Graduate Programs
- Materials Science
- Structural Engineering
- Computer Science
- Physics Teacher Education
- Physics
- Materials Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Skills
Common
- Research
- Customer Service
- Communications
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Excel
- Leadership
- Mathematics
- Sales
- Teaching
- Public Speaking
- Management
Specific
- Python
- Physics
- Data Analysis
- MATLAB
- Undergraduate Research
- Software Engineering
- Project Management
- Wolfram Mathematica
- Algorithms
- SolidWorks
- Data Science