Semiconductors
Devices rooted in solid-state physics.
Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
Academic rigor95
Selectivity82
Employability68
Creativity70
Math intensity96
People-facing30
LessMore
Each bar is a 0-100 atlas score for this topic, not a timeline.
- 011
- 022
- 033
- 044
Last reviewed Sources & creditsMedia creditsMethodology
Quick facts
4 yearsTypical bachelor
STEM & EngineeringField
96Math intensity
68Employability*
30People-facing*
82Selectivity*
Physics asks how matter, energy, space and time behave — from lab benches to cosmology — with measurement and modelling as the daily craft. Uncertainty estimates are not optional decoration.
Teaching labs, optics or condensed-matter suites and computing clusters define access; research groups take undergraduates unevenly. Night shifts on apparatus are common in experimental tracks.
Graduates enter research, engineering-adjacent roles, software, data and teaching. Scores below are relative within this site.
The profile
- Academic rigor95
- Selectivity82
- Employability68
- Creativity70
- Math intensity96
- People-facing30
Employability signal
Typical bachelor years: 4
Scores are relative across the forty majors on this site — not absolute rankings of universities.
Popularity & Demand →95Academic rigor
82Selectivity
68Employability
70Creativity
96Math intensity
30People-facing
Industries this major feeds
Sectors where graduates and research from this field show up most often — plates from Wikimedia Commons.
Photonics & optics
Lasers, imaging and fibre.
Nuclear energy
Reactors and radiation science.
Space science
Instrumentation and mission physics.
People who shaped the field
Checkable figures whose work still frames how the discipline is taught and practised.
Albert Einstein
Relativity
1879–1955
Oren Jack Turner · Public domain
Marie Curie
Radioactivity
1867–1934
Henri Manuel · Public domain
Richard Feynman
QED & teaching
1918–1988
The American Institute of Physics credits the photo [1] to AB Lagrelius & Westphal , which is the Swedish company used by the Nobel Foundation for most photos of its book series Les Prix Nobel . · Public domain
Chien-Shiung Wu
Parity violation
1912–1997
Smithsonian Institution · No restrictionsSeven ways into this major
Compare with neighbours
Same-field head-to-heads built from the six score axes.
Frequently asked questions
What do you study in Physics?
Classical mechanics — Classical mechanics trains the habits physics depends on — not trivia for exams, but reusable technique for later studios, labs or clinics.
What does a Physics career path look like?
Foundation years — 0–2 — Build vocabulary and habits; seek near-peer tutoring before gaps compound.
How should I prepare for Physics?
Practise the entry craft — Problem sets, portfolios, essays or auditions that mirror first-year reality — not only entrance exams.
How long does a typical Physics degree take?
Most bachelor pathways run about 4 years of full-time study, though professionally accredited or longer first degrees can exceed that, and some systems split into 3+2 Bologna structures.
Is Physics mostly theoretical or practical?
Expect both. Foundations lean theoretical; later years push teaching labs, instrument suites and computing clusters. The balance depends on accreditation and department culture.
Do I need strong mathematics?
Math intensity on this site is scored 96/100 relative to other majors. That is a signal, not a gate — check the specific programme's calculus and statistics requirements.
How selective is entry?
Selectivity here is 82/100 relative to the other majors catalogued — a composite of typical grade barriers and competition, not a single exam cut-off.
What communities should I join?
Start with the departmental society, then look for national student chapters and one serious online forum where practitioners share primary sources rather than memes.
Similar majors
Why labels are thematic — not a ranking of better majors.
Scores are browsing aids for curriculum and career lanes, not a league table of worth.
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Mathematics
Proof, structure and abstraction — the language that other sciences borrow.
Employability 70 Same field neighbour
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Flight in air and vacuum — structures, propulsion, guidance and certification.
Employability 76 Same field neighbourMore in STEM & Engineering
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Computer Science
Algorithms, systems and software — how machines are made to reason, store and communicate.
Employability 94 ⚡Electrical Engineering
Circuits, fields and signals — powering, sensing and communicating the physical world.
Employability 88 🔧Mechanical Engineering
Forces, materials and machines — designing things that move, bear load and last.
Employability 86 🌉Civil Engineering
Infrastructure that societies stand on — bridges, water, roads, cities and codes.
Employability 84 ⚗️Chemical Engineering
Turning reactions into plants — scale, safety and efficiency from molecule to factory.
Employability 82 🛰️Aerospace Engineering
Flight in air and vacuum — structures, propulsion, guidance and certification.
Employability 76 📊Data Science
Statistics, computing and domain sense — turning messy data into decisions that hold up.
Employability 92 🧮Mathematics
Proof, structure and abstraction — the language that other sciences borrow.
Employability 70 🧪Chemistry
Molecules and reactions — how substances change, bind and are made safely.
Employability 72 📉Statistics
Uncertainty made usable — design, inference and the ethics of claiming a pattern is real.
Employability 88