The Rutgers Undergraduate Physics Program: Preparing Students for Varied Careers

At Rutgers University we offer three main physics major tracks, each tailored towards different kinds of career aspirations. The Professional Option is for students who intend to go on to physics graduate study. The Applied Option is for students who desire technical jobs in industry, but without graduate study. The General Option is for students who have an interest in physics, but do not aspire to a technical career. I will discuss how these Options prepare students for their desired careers, and will give specific examples of jobs obtained. I will especially focus on the Applied Option, explaining how it has evolved based on lessons learned, and what further steps we need to take at Rutgers. I will close by briefly discussing a new, fourth physics major track we have just introduced, our Ocean Physics Option. I will describe this new Option and discuss prospects for its success.