South African Institute of Physics

Physics as a Career

PHYSICS...

...is the study of the laws that govern the universe. A PHYSICIST tries to answer questions like:

Why is the sky blue?
Why do x-rays shine through the body?
What keeps an aeroplane in the air?

EXPERIMENTAL AND OBSERVATIONAL PHYSICS...

...consists of careful and exact measurements of phenomena to either test existing theories or to gather new information.

COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS...

...is sandwiched between Experimental Physics and Theoretical Physics, and involves the practical use of computers in solving physical problems of interest. There are many problems that are not solvable analytically, and which may not be accessed or controlled experimentally - computer simulations are now an established means studying such systems.

THEORETICAL PHYSICS...

...involves the formulation of physical laws that govern nature, to try to explain the results of experimental observations and to determine a relationship between different phenomena.

Experimental and theoretical physics go hand-in-hand; without one, the other is useless. The theoreticians need the experimentalists' data and the experimentalists need the theoreticians to understand the data or to know what data to collect.

What is PHYSICS?

Physics forms the basis of all physical sciences. The development of radios, computers, cars, planes,TV, electricity, x-rays & radiotherapy, space travel, lasers, telephones can all be linked to physics.

Physics Career Paths

Academic Career Path - University / Major Research Facility

Nature of the work
- Lecturing and Research
Main qualities
- Good command of English plus the language of instruction
- Research Aptitude
- Usually also soft skills (leadership, teamwork, communication, management, writing)
Job opportunities
- Universities, Technikons,
Career Path
- Start at the lecturer level
- Progress to Senior lecturer / Professor
Salary range
- R300k - R700k
Qualifications
- PhD or on track for a PhD
Useful hints
- None

Business Career Path - Industry, Corporates

Nature of the work
- Contract Research, Process Management, Project Management,
- Patent Law
Main qualities
- Good command of English
- Research Aptitude, Management ability
- Usually also soft skills (leadership, teamwork, communication, writing, commercial aptitude)
Job opportunities
- Manufacturing Industry, High level management consultancy services,
- Financial Services
Career Path
- Start at the junior level, progress to management
Salary range
- R300k - R2M
Qualifications
- Hons, MSc, PhD plus usually a business qualification (en route)
- Legal qualification necessary in addition for patent law
Useful hints
- None

Teaching Career Path - Schools

Nature of the work
- Teaching, course development
Main qualities
- Teaching aptitude
- Good command of English and language of instruction
- Work well with children
- Usually also soft skills (leadership, teamwork, communication, management, writing, material development)
Job opportunities
- Schools
Career Path
- Start at the junior level, progress to management
Salary range
- R200k - R500k
Qualifications
- Hons, MSc, PhD plus teaching qualification (en route)
Useful hints
- None

Research Policy and Management Career Path - Government

Nature of the work
- Policy research and development, synthesis
Main qualities
- National and global perspective
- Generalist
- Usually also soft skills (leadership, teamwork, communication, management, writing, material development, )
Job opportunities
- Government institutions
Career Path
- Start at the junior level, progress to management
Salary range
- R300k - R700k
Qualifications
- Hons, MSc, PhD plus policy / adminstration qualification (en route)
Useful hints
- None

Some sub-fields of physics

Fields of physics...	...is the study of	*...is studied & researched at** * Most of these fields are included in the undergraduate and honours syllabi at most Physics Departments of South African universities	...is applied in
Applied Physics	...is the application of knowledge gained in physics to other areas e.g. engineering (in the design of better power stations, cars, fridges, etc.), telecommunication, mining, etc.	CSIR Mintek NECSA Technikon Port Elizabeth Physics Department, U. KwaZulu-Natal - Durban, Westville Physics Department, U. Port Elizabeth Physics Department, U. Pretoria School of Physics, U. Witwatersrand Department of Physics, U. Free State - QwaQwa	everywhere
Astronomy and Astrophysics	Stars, planets, galaxies, etc	South African Astronomical Observatory Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory School of Physics, North-West U., Potchefstroom Physics Department, U. Cape Town Astronomy Department, U. Cape Town Department of Maths, Applied Maths & Astronomy, U. South Africa School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, U. KwaZulu-Natal - Pietermaritzburg
Bio, medical & health physics	the application of physics to molecular biology & diagnostics and therapy	Physics Department, U. Stellenbosch Physics Department, U. Bloemfontein U. Pretoria Medical Physics Department, U. Witwatersrand Academic Hospitals	iThemba LABS Hospitals
Computational Physics	Writing computer code and developing computational algorithms to efficiently solve physical problems of interest	School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, U. KwaZulu-Natal - Pietermaritzburg Campus Physics Department, U. Cape Town	in a variety of fields, including research (e.g. computational solid state physics, particle physics, cosmology, fluid dynamics, etc) information technology industry financial industry Students with good fundamental skills in computer code development are also starting up their own IT companies
Cosmology	the theory of the universe	School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, U. KwaZulu-Natal - Pietermaritzburg Campus Maths Department, U. KwaZulu-Natal - Durban Campus Department of Maths, Applied Maths & Astronomy, U. South Africa.
Electromagnetism	magnetic forces produced by electricity	Engineering, U. Pretoria
Environmental Physics		CSIR iThemba LABS (air pollution) NECSA Technikon Port Elizabeth Physics Department U. Port Elizabeth (solar cells) Physics Department University of Venda Physics Department, U. Pretoria Schonland Research Centre, U. Witwatersrand PBMR (reactor physics) Engineering, North-West U., Potchefstroom(Thermodyanmic aspects of reactor physics)
Fluid Mechanics	fluids at rest or in motion.	Department of Physics, U. Pretoria Engineering, U. Pretoria
Geophysics	the magnetic structure of the earth ocean currents geo-processes mineral exploration	Physics Department, U. Pretoria U. Cape Town School of Geosciences, U. Witwatersrand	Hermanus Magnetic Observatory Mining and Industry
Mechanics	moving bodies	Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, U. Pretoria Engineering, U. Pretoria
Meteorology	atmospheric phenomena, esp. for forecasting the weather	U. Pretoria U. Cape Town Rhodes University	South African Weather Bureau
Nuclear, particle and radiation physics	the properties of atomic nuclei & elementary particles radiation and radioactive materials	Schonland Research Centre, U. Witwatersrand School of Physics, U. Witwatersrand Physics Department, U. Cape Town Physics Department, U. Pretoria Physics Department, U. Bloemfontein iThemba LABS NECSA School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, U. KwaZulu-Natal - Pietermaritzburg	the physics of nuclear reactors the use of radioisotopes for medical, agricultural & industrial purposes
Oceanography	ocean currents	U. Cape Town
Optics	the properties of light (how light is generated, transported, reproduced and observed)	CSIR Physics Department, U. Pretoria Physics Department, U. Stellenbosch School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, U. KwaZulu-Natal - Pietermaritzburg	spectacles and contact lenses lasers holograms cameras telescopes microscopes binoculars
Physics Education	physics and how it is taught	UNISA Physics Department, U. Western Cape School of Physics, U. Witwatersrand	Schools, Universities, Technikons
Plasma and Space Physics	Nuclear fusion as a source of energy the interaction between the solar wind and the earth's magnetosphere	Physics Department, U. KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, Westville School of Physics, North-West U., Potchefstroom Physics Department, Rhodes University
Quantum Mechanics	of the theory that assumes that energy exists in discrete units. It provides the key to understanding many aspects of the structure and behaviour of atoms and molecules that cannot be understood on the basis of the older theories of mechanics and electromagnetism.	Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, U. Pretoria
Relativity	the theories of relativity. The special theory of relativity is based on the principle that all motion is relative and that light has a constant velocity. The general theory of relativity extends the theory to gravitation and accelerated motion.	Department of Maths, Applied Maths & Astronomy, U. South Africa.
Solid-state physics & materials science	Properties of solids such as metals, semiconductors, ceramics	Amscor CSIR De Beers Eskom Highveld Steel Iscor iThemba LABS Mintek NECSA Polyfin Sames Physics Department, U. Bloemfontein Physics Department, U. Cape Town School of Pure and Applied Physics, U. KwaZulu-Natal - Durban Physics Department, U. Port Elizabeth Physics Department, U. Pretoria Physics Department, U. South Africa Physics Department, U. North Physics Department, U. Western Cape School of Physics, U. Witwatersrand Physics Department, U. Zululand School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, U. KwaZulu-Natal - Pietermaritzburg Department of Physics, U. Free State - QwaQwa	Corrosion prevention industry Metals Industry (e.g. steel, aluminium, platinum, gold, etc.) Optical fiber industry Polymers Solar power industry Surface layers Telecommunications industry microelectronics industry crystallography x-ray diffraction electron microscopy superconductors
Spectroscopy	the properties of atoms molecules by the analysis of light radiated or reflected by atoms the use of spectroscopy as an analytical tool to determine trace elements	School of Physics, U. Witwatersrand Physics Department, U. Stellenbosch (molecular spectroscopy)	in Astronomy in Industry
Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics	the relationship between heat and other forms of energy	Department of Physics, U. Pretoria Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, U. Pretoria Engineering, U. Pretoria

Revised: 5 July 2004