Career Opportunities

A degree in physics equips you with a broad range of skills that are highly transferable across industries. These include analytical thinking, mathematical proficiency, data analysis, and proficiency in programming and experimental techniques.

With a career in physics or an allied area, you have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on society. Whether it's developing new technologies, advancing our understanding of the universe or addressing pressing global challenges, physics can provide avenues for contributing to positive change.  Here is an abbreviated list of companies where recent VCU physics graduates (since 2022) have found employment (* indicates a Fortune 500 company):

Senior Informatics Manager at Aetna^*

Engineering Technician at GM2

Project Manager at Alfa Laval

Systems Engineer at Lockheed Martin^*

Consultant Scientist at Booz Allen Hamilton^*

Technology Consultant at CGI^*

Nuclear Engineer at NAVSEA

Field Service Engineer at Heidelberg Instruments

Software Developer at Occam Systems

Associate Engineer at Express Technologies, Inc.

Mechanical Engineer at Newport News Shipbuilding^*

Reactor Engineer at Millstone Power Station 

In addition to finding employment, many VCU physics graduates move on to other advanced graduate programs.  Some of the programs where recent graduates (since 2022) are enrolled include:

Astrophysics M.S. program at Fisk-Vanderbilt

Laser Physics Ph.D. program at KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Physics Ph.D. program at William & Mary

Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. program at the University of Utah

Physics M.S. program at Brown University

You can find more details about the types of careers physics graduates pursue at the links below: 

Bachelor-Level Job Titles

• Atmospheric and Space Scientist
• Business Intelligence Analyst
• Clinical Research Coordinator
• Engineer
• Environmental Scientist
• Materials Scientist
• Natural Sciences Manager
• Occupational Health and Safety Technician
• Secondary School Teacher
• Software Developer
• Technical Writer
• Water Resource Specialist

Graduate and Professional Level Job Titles

• Patent Attorney
• Data Scientist
• Mathematician
• Medical Doctor
• Nanosystems Engineer
• Physicist
• Physics Professor

Professional Associations and Resources

• American Association for the Advancement of Science
• American Institute of Physics
• American Physical Society

This page includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.