Physics and Astronomy

Dartmouth Alums With This Major

• Software Development Engineer, Amazon.com
  (WA, Dartmouth '91)
• MD/PhD Student, Dartmouth
  (NH, Dartmouth ‘06)
• Patent Lawyer, Neugeboren O'Dowd PC
  (CO, Dartmouth '05)
• Director, Infrastructure, King Arthur Flour
  (VT, Dartmouth '05)
• Assistant Vice President, General Electric Company
  (CT, Dartmouth '04)
• Trading Manager, Louis Dreyfus Commodities
  (CHINA, Dartmouth '02)
• Research Analyst, RCM Advisors, LLC (financial)
  (TX, Dartmouth '01)
• Software Engineer, Ultra Electronics Advanced Tactical Systems
  (TX, Dartmouth '01)
• Senior Research Physicist, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
  (MD, Dartmouth '01)
• Partner and Managing Director, The Boston Consulting Group
  (CHINA, Dartmouth '00)

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Major Description

The department focuses on a few core areas - astronomy and cosmology, quantum and condensed matter physics, plasma and space physics - and designs both the physics and astronomy majors within it to provide students with a solid foundation in analytic thinking, problem solving, and the fundamentals of physics through a selection of independent research opportunities as well as an array of specialized courses at a number of levels and various research seminars.

Skills Acquired

What is this?

• Critical Thinking (Independence of thought and ability to generate important questions)
• Quantitative Skills
• Creativity and Creative Initiative
• Problem Solving
• Independence and Personal Initiative (Motivation, etc.)

Possible Career Paths

• Astronomy
• Acoustical Physics
• Astrophysics
• Biophysics
• Fluid and Plasma Physics
• Geophysics
• Health Physics
• Medical Physics
• Nuclear Physics
• Optical Physics
• Science Education
• Technical
• Solid State Physics
• Business
• Law
• Healthcare

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