Physics majors develop the following skills:

Communication: Developing and writing research proposals; reviewing scientific literature; summarizing research findings; informing/explaining/instructing; preparing technical reports

Computation and Mathematical: Measuring distances/sizes/relationships; performing calculations; mathematical modeling; maintaining records; utilizing mathematical formulas

Investigation: Defining a research problem, developing a research model, establishing hypotheses, gathering/analyzing data, evaluating ideas, seeing relationships among factors, drawing meaningful conclusions

Technical: Designing equipment; identifying and classifying materials/specimens; observing data/things; establishing and controlling experimental designs; designing/using computer simulations; using instruments

Depending on your desired career path, additional skills may need to be developed.  Make an appointment with a career consultant to design your individual career development plan.

Build skills Beyond the Classroom

• Join related clubs, professional associations, activities, and organizations
• Read professional journals in the field
• Find volunteer work in a related area
• Find part-time employment in a similar area
• Job shadow someone working in the field
• Conduct an informational interview with someone working in this area of interest
• Obtain an internship
• Work with a mentor or alum.  Contact the Hawk to Hawk program at the KU Alumni Center

Internship Websites

• Department of Energy Internships
• Internships USA (contact UCC for ID & password)
• KU Career Connections
• KUCareerHawk.com Internship Listings
• NASA Student Jobs and Internships
• National Institute of Standards and Technology - Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
• National Science Foundation
• Summer Internship Programs at Fermilab

Employment Websites

• Ames National Laboratory
• Argonne National Laboratory
• Bettis Laboratory
• Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL)
• Bruce Busby's Health Physics Job Listings
• Canadian National Lab for Particle and Nuclear Physics (TRIUMF)
• Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology (CIIT)
• Desert Research Institute (DRI)
• European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN)
• Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory
• Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
• Knoll Atomic Power Laboratory, Inc. (KAPL)
• KU Career Connections
• Lancaster Laboratories
• Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory (LBNL)
• Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)
• Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)
• Marine Biological Laboratory
• Midwest Research Institute
• Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE)
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)
• Physics Link
• PhysicsToday.org
• Physicsworld.com
• Risø National Laboratory
• Sandia National Laboratory (SNL)
• Southwest Research Institute
• Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC)
• Sudbury Neutrino Observatory
• Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (CEBAF)
• U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• Wyle Laboratories, Inc.

Career Planning and Resources

• American Institute of Physics Weekly News 
• Career Converter
• Career Fields
• Careers in Health Physics
• Careers using Physics
• Careers with Biophysics
• Careers with Physics
• Get a Physics Degree and See the World 
• Journal of Young Investigators Science Career Center 
• UniXL
• What is Computational Physics?
• Why study Physics?

Professional Associations

• American Association of Physicists in Medicine
• American Astronomical Society
• American Institute of Physics
• American Nuclear Society Career Center (ANS Members Only)
• American Physical Society
• Biophysical Society
  

Government

Skills in critical thinking, communication and analysis make Physics majors well suited for:

Career Options
Acoustics Physicist
Aerodynamist
Air Traffic Controller
Astronomer
Astrophysicist
Atomic Physicist
Biophysicist
Chemical Physicist
Computer Specialist/Scientist/Programmer
Fiber Optic Engineer
Fluids Physicist
Geophysicist
Health Physicist
Laser Engineer
Materials Scientist
Molecular Physicist
Nuclear Physicist
Optical Physicist
Physical Scientist
Physicist
Physiognomist
Plasma Physicist
Quality Assurance Specialist
Research Physicist
Satellite Data Analyst
Solid Earth Physicist
Solid State Physicist
Teacher/Professor
Technical Writer

Potential Employers
Atomic & Nuclear Laboratories
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

Colleges and Universities
Department of Agriculture
Department of Energy
Department  of Defense
Department of Health & Human Services
Environmental Protection Agency
Food & Drug Administration
Government laboratories

K-12 Schools
Libraries
Military
NASA
National Bureau of Standards
National Institutes of Health
National Science Foundation
Observatories
Occupational Safety & Health Administration
Research Centers
Smithsonian Institute
Weather Bureaus

Private Industry

Skills in critical thinking, communication and analysis make Physics majors well suited for:

Career Options

Acoustics Physicist
Aerodynamist
Agricultural Scientist
Astronomer
Astrophysicist
Atomic Physicist
Automotive Engineer
Biophysicist
Chemical Physicist
Computer Specialist/Scientist/Programmer

Consultant
Fluids Physicist
Geodesist
Geophysicist
Health Physicist
Hydrologist
Manufacturer's Representative
Materials Scientist
Mathematician
Medical Device Designer
Medical Physicist
Molecular Physicist
Nuclear Physicist
Nuclear Power Plant Manager
Optical Physicist
Physical Scientist
Physicist
Physiognomist
Plasma Physicist
Quality Assurance Specialist
Research Physicist
Satellite Data Analyst
Salesperson, Scientific Apparatus
Seismologist
Solid Earth/Solid State Physicist
Stratigrapher
Technical Writer

Private & Non-Profit Organizations
Aircraft, Aerospace & Instrumentation Manufactures
Automobile Manufacturers
Chemical Manufacturers
Computer Hardware/Software Manufacturers
Construction Firms
Defense Manufacturing Companies
Electrical Equipment Manufacturers
Engineering Firms
Environmental Firms
Health Care Facilities
Information Technology Companies
Mining & Petroleum Companies
Research and Development Firms
Technical Consulting Firms
Waste management Firms