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Physics Major AND Business Leader?

Asterion

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I hear that it is often the case that Physics majors, masters and PhDs find themselves right at the top of the corporate world. Is this really the case? How can a 3 year degree be worth so much to people?

I just discovered that one of the Australian Telephone service companies is lead by a guy that has a doctorate in physics, you'd think that a degree in business would be FAR more fitting for such a job, wouldn't you?
 

teslashock

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I don't know if this is true of those with physics degrees, but I have heard something similar about those with engineering degrees.

Many CEOs and other high-ups in companies have engineering degrees, and these are viewed as largely more valuable than business degrees.

Engineering (and perhaps physics, as it's the science side of most engineering disciplines) instills in one a unique ability to identify and approach problems and develop a solution. It's a way of thinking that does well in the business world.
 

Scott N Denver

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I hear that it is often the case that Physics majors, masters and PhDs find themselves right at the top of the corporate world. Is this really the case? How can a 3 year degree be worth so much to people?

I just discovered that one of the Australian Telephone service companies is lead by a guy that has a doctorate in physics, you'd think that a degree in business would be FAR more fitting for such a job, wouldn't you?

I've heard this before, but about MS and PhD's, not BS's. Think involved complicated math out the wazoo. "Business derivatives" is one business area that such people end up in. One of my physics profs complained about how his PhD friends that went that way got massive 6 figure salaries, and he as a prof got like ~45k, and isn't science worth so much more than just some financing position???

Again, its all about taking the involved complicated crazy math and applying it to business things instead of science ones. Black___-Schoenflies eqn or whatnot for pricing business derivatives or some such thing, for example.
 

Scott N Denver

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potentially raking myself over the coals here, but in general the two subject areas that are the MOST math intensive are 1) mathematics, and 2) physics. Both beat out engineering in that regard. So business has these really-hairy math problems, they turn to the "math experts", and shazaam you have math and physics people. And physics people are probably more "achievement/reward/money/prestige/image/power"-based than are math people
 

FDG

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Because physics majors are the smartest majors, on average. I mean, they're those that deviate positively the most from the average standardized entrance score, in comparison to all other majors. Don't ask me to find the source because it would take me too much time, but I remember the ranking was 1. Physics 2. Math 3. Economics; business and accounting were those with the highest negative deviation.

I mostly think it's because so many business (school, I mean) people are dumb as fuck, basically, thus they have to pay physicist to solve their problems. Math people are just too up in their head to do it, and economics people hate business students thus they won't do it.
 

Scott N Denver

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Because physics majors are the smartest majors, on average. I mean, they're those that deviate positively the most from the average standardized entrance score, in comparison to all other majors. Don't ask me to find the source because it would take me too much time, but I remember the ranking was 1. Physics 2. Math 3. Economics; business and accounting were those with the highest negative deviation.

I mostly think it's because so many business (school, I mean) people are dumb as fuck, basically, thus they have to pay physicist to solve their problems. Math people are just too up in their head to do it, and economics people hate business students thus they won't do it.

dumb question, how are economics and business students different??? I think of them as one and the same, or synonomous, but I also don't deal with them so I wouldn't know any better. Like is economics the theory and philosophy and math and big picture details of business, and business majors are the little grunts who run the shops and cater to the customers???
 

Scott N Denver

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Because physics majors are the smartest majors, on average. I mean, they're those that deviate positively the most from the average standardized entrance score, in comparison to all other majors. Don't ask me to find the source because it would take me too much time, but I remember the ranking was 1. Physics 2. Math 3. Economics; business and accounting were those with the highest negative deviation.

I mostly think it's because so many business (school, I mean) people are dumb as fuck, basically, thus they have to pay physicist to solve their problems. Math people are just too up in their head to do it, and economics people hate business students thus they won't do it.

Oh, and I've heard, multiple times, its the crazy math. being smart helps too, but specifically it is the math background and experience
 

FDG

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dumb question, how are economics and business students different??? I think of them as one and the same, or synonomous, but I also don't deal with them so I wouldn't know any better. Like is economics the theory and philosophy and math and big picture details of business, and business majors are the little grunts who run the shops and cater to the customers???

yeah, that's mostly how I see it, and how other economics student see it :D economics usually has a lot more math and theory, business is more about the nitty-gritty details of accounting procedures and how to attract customers/market the business.

Oh, and I've heard, multiple times, its the crazy math. being smart helps too, but specifically it is the math background and experience

Yeah I can see that. I took two courses in stochastic calculus and I'm pretty sure they would have been a breeze for a person with a MsC in physics, many econ students that aren't that strong in math suffered quite a lot though
 

entropie

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German Federal Chancellor as in President has got a PhD in Physics.

I am convinced those guys built some kind of devices to change the timeline for their best
 

BlueScreen

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I hear that it is often the case that Physics majors, masters and PhDs find themselves right at the top of the corporate world. Is this really the case? How can a 3 year degree be worth so much to people?

I don't know if this is true of those with physics degrees, but I have heard something similar about those with engineering degrees.

Many CEOs and other high-ups in companies have engineering degrees, and these are viewed as largely more valuable than business degrees.

This is interesting. I keep thinking I'm destined to be a poor person stuck in research and technical jobs. I'd love to be high up in management or an entrepreneur.

p.s. I've heard it said before also. I'm quite interested to know how much of a selling point it really is, and how to use it.
 

JocktheMotie

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dumb question, how are economics and business students different??? I think of them as one and the same, or synonomous, but I also don't deal with them so I wouldn't know any better. Like is economics the theory and philosophy and math and big picture details of business, and business majors are the little grunts who run the shops and cater to the customers???

I got my degree in finance, and there's definitely a rift between economics majors and business majors. The econ people take a more encompassing approach to the entire economic system and are more analysis oriented, while business people seem more keen to build and manage the individual companies, products, and services to make up that system. Both sides think the other is "missing the point" :D
 

Scott N Denver

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This is interesting. I keep thinking I'm destined to be a poor person stuck in research and technical jobs. I'd love to be high up in management or an entrepreneur.

I don't know about poor per se, but ive worried about this as well
 

runvardh

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*starts feeling temptations to add economics to his list of possible directions* Damn it! I'm supposed to be paring down my choices not adding to them... ><*
 

highlander

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I hear that it is often the case that Physics majors, masters and PhDs find themselves right at the top of the corporate world. Is this really the case? How can a 3 year degree be worth so much to people?

I just discovered that one of the Australian Telephone service companies is lead by a guy that has a doctorate in physics, you'd think that a degree in business would be FAR more fitting for such a job, wouldn't you?

A degree helps you to get a job. There is some underlying theory that you learn that's relevant maybe. Hopefully you learn how to write. Maybe you learn how to think. However, you really learn on the job.
 

Scott N Denver

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A degree helps you to get a job. There is some underlying theory that you learn that's relevant maybe. Hopefully you learn how to write. Maybe you learn how to think. However, you really learn on the job.

I'm gonna tell you what lots of people have told me: a degree in physics means that your smart, technically inclined, analytically capable, and *trainable*. I've heard it said than engineers aren't necessarily trainable, in the sense that they can do what they are trained for, but aren't necessarily very good at being retrained for something different. Physics training is much more "adaptable" in that sense

Also, think "prior experience with advanced statistics out the waoo"
 

cmrain

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I hold a physics major. Only a bachelors though.

There is an advantage in perception for sure. Intelligence is automatically assumed for better or worse. Physics majors are 'rare' compared to many other degrees (even most liberal arts degrees). They do have a point in that taking the major forces a certain kind of problem solving aptitude simply to pass the classes with high scores.

At least academically, physicists can easily step into business classes and do just fine. The same cannot necessarily be said for business majors deciding to take up physics (even if they are interested in it).
 

cmrain

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I took a physics major (and am now in business).

There is an advantage in perception for sure. Intelligence is automatically assumed for better or worse. Physics majors are 'rare' compared to many other degrees (even most liberal arts degrees). They do have a point in that taking the major forces a certain kind of problem solving aptitude simply to pass the classes with high scores.

At least academically, physicists can easily step into business classes and do just fine. The same cannot necessarily be said for business majors deciding to take up physics (even if they are interested in it).
 

Craft

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A good motivator for me...if only these examples are verifiable.
 
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