Physical
Sciences
Explore Physical Sciences
Founded by Nobel laureates and members of the National Academy of Sciences, our Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mathematics, and Physics have all played a central role in UC San Diego’s rapid rise to national and international prominence. Just as it was at its founding, the division is broad in scope and inherently interdisciplinary.
Career Paths
The Division of Physical Sciences includes the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mathematics, and Physics. Researchers within the division delve into scientific and computational issues that are of critical relevance to all facets of society. We address climate change, fabricate nanoparticles to image tumors and deliver drugs, probe the fundamental nature of matter, trace the evolution of the universe, hunt for elusive subatomic particles, design detection systems for toxins and explosives, to name only some of the faculty’s achievements. Graduate students have the opportunity to work with leaders in their fields.
Below is a list of sample job titles within the Division of Physical Sciences. Please note that this is not a comprehensive list. These job titles link to the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
- Biochemists and Biophysicists
- Physicists and Astronomers
- Teachers-Postsecondary
- Biochemists and Biophysicists
- Biological Technicians
- Chemical Engineer
- Chemical Technicians
- Chemists and Materials Scientists
- Dentists
- Environmental Scientist
- Epidemiologists
- Forensic Science Technician
- High School Teacher
- Natural Sciences Managers
- Pharmacists
- Physician Assistants
- Physicians and Surgeons
- Postsecondary Teachers
- Technical Writers
- Medical Scientists
- Veterinarians
- Actuaries
- Computer Programmers
- Computer Systems Analysts
- Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers
- Mathematicians
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators
- Postsecondary Teachers
- Statisticians
Gain Experience
Join professional associations.
- Acoustical Society of America
- American Association of Physicists in Medicine
- American Association of Physics Teachers
- American Astronomical Society
- American Institute of Physics
- American Nuclear Society
- American Physical Society
- American Vacuum Society (AVS)
- Biophysical Society
- Materials Research Society
- Optical Society of America
- Society of Exploration Geophysicists
- Society of Physics Students
Join a student organization at UC San Diego!
- American Chemical Society Student Affiliates (ACSSA)
- Chemistry Peer Advisory League (ChemPAL)
- Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM)
- Society of Physics Students at UCSD
- Society of Undergraduate Mathematics Students (SUMS)
- Undergraduate Women in Physics
For a comprehensive list of clubs, check out the Center for Student Involvement webpage.
Get Involved With an Internship or Research.
- Check out Handshake's job board.
- The Research Experience & Applied Learning (REAL) Portal helps students discover internships and other hands-on experiential learning opportunities.
- Conduct research with a faculty.
Prep for Graduate School
Before applying to graduate school, you want to consider whether graduate school is right for you. You want to ask yourself if you actually need a graduate degree to do your ideal job. To explore that, try looking at some job descriptions of the types of positions you want and see what they are asking for in an applicant. Once you've determine if graduate school is necessary then you want to select and apply to the program that best fits your professional goals.
Researching programs
- Gradschools.com
- Peterson's
- Attend our Graduate School Fair to learn about programs from school representatives