Physicist

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For the album by Devin Townsend, see Physicist (Devin Townsend album).

Not to be confused with physician, a person who practices medicine.

A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena spanning all length scales: from the sub-atomic particles from which all ordinary matter is made (particle physics) to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole (cosmology). There are numerous branches of physics and each has its corresponding specialists.

1 Education
2 Employment
3 See also
4 References
5 Further reading
6 External links

[edit] Education

Physicists are employed in a variety of fields. Positions, especially those in research, generally require a doctoral degree. Most undergraduate programs emphasize mathematics and chemistry as well as physics. At the Master's level and higher, students tend to specialize in a particular field. Fields of specialization include experimental and theoretical astrophysics, biophysics, chemical physics, geophysics, material science, nuclear physics, optics, particle physics, and plasma physics. Post-doctorate experience may be required for certain positions.

[edit] Employment

The three major employers of career physicists are academic institutions, government laboratories, and private industry, with the largest employer being the last. <ref>AIP Statistical Research Center. Initial Employment Report, Fig. 7. Retrieved on 21 Aug, 2006. Also relevant is: Institute of Physics. Education Statistics, Graph 4.11. Retrieved on 21 Aug, 2006.</ref> Many people who are trained as physicists, however, use their skills in other parts of the economy, in particular in engineering, computing, and finance. Some physicists take up careers where their knowledge of physics can be combined with further training in other disciplines, such as patent attorney in industry or private practice. In the United States, a majority of those in the private sector with a physics degree work outside physics, astronomy and engineering altogether. <ref>AIP Statistical Research Center. Initial Employment Report, Table 1. Retrieved on 21 Aug, 2006.</ref>