Employment prospects: where are our recent graduates now?
What draws you to physics is probably your desire to better understand natural phenomena. But training in physics is much more than simply learning by heart mathematical rules on which the laws of physics are based, it's also the development of a way of thinking specific to the scientific process. By studying physics, you will learn to solve problems using a scientific approach, both qualitative and quantitative, thanks to mathematical, computer-science, and experimental abilities which you will develop during your training. These qualities are strongly desired by employers in many varied areas, and assure you an exciting, stimulating, and well-paid career.
Our physics graduates, whether it be at the bachelor's, master's, or doctoral level, all find excellent employment in industry, research laboratories, or teaching institutions, jobs which rely on their knowledge and their ability to solve difficult problems.
The undergraduate programs in physics are built to educate students in the generalities of the physical sciences. With a bachelor's degree from the Department of Physics, you can go directly to the job market, or continue to graduate studies in physics or elsewhere. In fact, a number of master's and doctoral programs in other disciplines and physics recruit students with a B.Sc. in physics. This is the case, for example, of many programs in engineering, such as biomedical engineering.
Physics, as one can see from the figures below, leads to exciting, well paid jobs in all areas of technology and knowledge.
As you can see below, leading technological companies appreciate the training of physicists. Hospitals search out physicists who have a specialty in medical physics. State services hire, for example, meteorologists, who often have a Bachelor's training in physics. One also finds a large number of physicists around the world of computer science, either in software or hardware, who generally solve mathematical or physical models which go beyond the specific training of computer scientists.
Finally, a significant fraction of our master's and doctoral graduates work in research, whether it be in private government or university laboratories, or in the teaching world.
As you can see, the choice of career is vast; for more information on the Canadian situation, one can look at the site of the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP), which offers to its members a list of employers of physicists. One finds names and addresses of non-university employers, the number of physicists in their employ, as well as their main activities.
Students who received their degree after 2000
The two figures below show the employment of students who finished their M.Sc. or Ph.D. studies in the Department of Physics at the Université de Montréal. The possibilities are very varied!
Who employs our graduates?
One finds physicists in all areas of technology. Whether it be programming a flight simulator for CAE Electronics, developing meteorological and climatic models for Environment Canada, running the magazine Les Débrouillards, observing stars in Hawaii, or teaching physics in a CÉGEP, the study program in the Department of Physics prepares you for an exciting career in the area that interests you.
List of the employers of our recent graduates
Agence spatiale, Air Data, Anrad, Banque Nationale, Bell Canada, Bombardier, CAE Electronics, Contex hygiène industrielle, Cosmologique Informatique, Dalsa Semiconducteurs, DMR, Écolux, Édumicro, EMS Technologie, Environnement Canada, Ericsson, Forensic, Gaz Métro, Groupe L.G.L., Hôpital Notre-Dame, Hôpital Sainte-Justine, Hydro-Québec, ICG Gaz Liquide, Institut Teccart, Intellium Technologies, Lockheed Martin, MPB Technologies, Noranda, Nortel, Oerlikon, Osiris, Planétarium de Montréal, Polymère et cryogénie du Québec, Pratt & Whitney, Radioprotection inc., Revue Les Débrouillards, Solvision, SPAR Aérospatiale, SR Telecom, Statistiques Canada, Systèmes M3i, Téléglobe, Ubisoft, Unisys, Vidéotron, Visual Prototypes, Wood Gundy
For comments or information : physique@umontreal.ca
Page mise à jour le
18-fév-09
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