Applied physics vs physics

[Guest already_starting]

Has anyone on these forums started applying for next year? Maybe I am just thinking too far ahead. I'm wondering about choosing programs to apply to.

I'm curious to know the differences between applied physics and physics departments in general, because there is a lot of overlap between research done by various departments from what I can tell. One of my friends (who is not American, but perhaps that doesn't matter?) implied that applied physics is a lot less prestigious than physics. Is that so? I had thought, naively, that applied physics was just a subset of physics, kind of like high energy physics is a subset of physics. Is this not the case?

I guess the other part of my question would be which is harder to get into?

[CrazyRedHead95]

Applied physics Ph.D. is basically an engineering degree. It teaches physics principles in an applied manner. Therefore, this degree would be used in application working with companies or universities. It is extremely closely related to an engineering doctrate. A Ph.D. in physics is taught in theoretical terms. This teaches you basics and allows you to explore more. This would be a Ph.D. for theoretical scientists, astronomers, geologists, etc. This degree is meant to train you to research on your own.

What would be harder? A Ph.D. in physics would be, hands-down. Applied physics would be more focused on completing classes, and physics would be focused on you making a thesis. A Ph.D. in physics would no doubt be harder to get into, as well. An applied physics Ph.D. would simply look at how many classes you've done; a physics Ph.D. would look at how much of your own research you are capable of.

Hope this helps!

[ktel]

CrazyRedHead perhaps doesn't realize what postgraduate work in engineering is like. It certainly isn't about completing classes only, and research and completing a thesis is completely necessary to get an MSc/MASc or PhD in engineering. While it is more applied, it is still very rooted in theoretical science, and independent research is done in engineering postgraduate study. It isn't necessarily easier or more difficult than a science postgraduate degree.

[Eigen]

Applied physics also isn't as much to the engineering extreme as Crazyredhead implies.

But at the doctoral level, the differences between engineering and physical sciences that were more apparent at an undergraduate/MS level really go away- either one is about developing original research, with much the same methodology.

I'm in Chemistry, but we collaborate a lot with several applied physics groups, as well as some chemical and biomedical engineering groups... And there really isn't that much of a difference in the actual work, it's about what topic interests you the most.

If you're more interested in mathematics and theory, then go for theoretical physics. If you're more interested in applied/experimental work, then go that way.

[dawsonbaker]

The notion that applied physics is fundamentally different than physics is somewhat misplaced. The term 'applied' is really only to suggest that the new science being dealt with is going directly to something tangible like a technology. It is still about discovering new phenomena, maybe more in a technology-driven way, but to label it engineering is wrong. Plenty of applied physics PhD research revolves around understanding complex phenomena and bizarre physical effects in systems that are "well-understood". Good examples are imaging the nonlinear dynamics of car engines and feedback control in accelerators.

Most of it looks like plain old physics research (e.g. condensed matter, biophysics, optics, quantum computing), and is just as theoretically intense as any other branch of the physical sciences. In every field, there are people pushing the theory to the limits. Perhaps there's less of a theory emphasis in applied physics, but the people there are physicists after all so take 'AP is engineering' with a huge grain of salt.

The distinction, as far as I can see, is really only in emphasis. In an applied physics department, you're assumed to be studying physics to directly it to human problems and you're more likely to find research funded by industry. In a physics department, trying to understand nature is a sufficient reason to do anything (if you can get the funding).