<p>How flexible is your degree? I would suggest doing earth sciences with as many quantitative electives as possible. In grad school, you will have the chance to make up for any missing knowledge or skills you have, either by self study or by taking courses.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-12T21:44:56.750Z
I have to choose after my first year. I study in a British university and I can't do electives. Once I commit to it, I will spend the rest of my undergrad life study that and only that. My university is already very unusual in allowing a range of "modules" in the first year.
Ryan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-13T01:43:28.373Z
Go for physics then. As gerrit said, it's easier to learn the "geo" in "geophysics" than the "physics" after your undergrad studies.
Gimelist
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-12T11:07:41.140Z
2017-12-12T11:07:41.140Z
Gimelist
<p>I would recommend to do an undergraduate in physics.</p>

<p>I work at a department of Meteorology.  When faculty hire a new PhD student or postdoc, they often prefer those with an undergraduate in Physics than with an undergraduate in Meteorology.  The Physics degree gives a better preparation for doing science.  It has more maths and physicists are more likely to have some programming experience than meteorologists.  For most scientific positions, such programming experience is highly valuable.  It appears the meteorologists are more likely to end up in jobs like weather forecasting or energy trading, rather than science.</p>

<p>Although this experience may be quite localised, a physics undergraduate degree does give you a more generic background.  It's easier to catch up on the specifics of geophysics when you have a physics background, than the other way around.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-12T21:51:11.430Z
Would you say that a Physics is more a rigorous as hard science than Earth Sciences / Meteorology is and is therefore seen more favourably by any employers looking for quantitative skills?
Ryan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-12T22:03:16.170Z
@Ryan The scientists in the meteorology department here appear to have that view, judging from their PhD/Postdoc hiring decisions.  I don't know if that generalises to other Earth Science / Meteorology courses and / or to other employers, but I can imagine it might.
gerrit
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-12T14:33:45.940Z
2017-12-13T12:40:16.870Z
2017-12-13T12:40:16.870Z
gerrit
<p>I am interested in becoming a geophysicist. I am currently doing my undergraduate degree in the UK but have not chosen a specialisation. Is it better to specialise in Earth Sciences as an undergrad or go with Physics?</p>

<p>I like quantitative fields but I feel that undergraduate Earth Sciences does not offer such quantitative aspects. I also really like physics but feel that applying it in the context of the earth is really interesting. As becoming a geophysicist would probably require me to go to grad school, would an undergrad degree in Earth Sciences or Physics better prepare me to study Geophysics in grad school?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-12T04:31:35.643Z
What kind of geophysics are you interested in? The best, but maybe excessive, would be to study both simultaneously but thoroughly.
Antonio
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-12T11:38:16.707Z
It depends entirely on the course options. At my university there is a fourth year geophysics option which is best taken from a physics background, but this may well be different where you are studying.
bon
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-12T21:48:21.130Z
I think  it is too early to tell which areas of geophysics I would like to go into but I just like the idea of being able to make quantitative predictions instead of letting my quantitative skills go to waste.
Ryan
<geophysics>
Aspiring Geophysicist
Ryan
# Aspiring Geophysicist

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-12-11)

I am interested in becoming a geophysicist. I am currently doing my undergraduate degree in the UK but have not chosen a specialisation. Is it better to specialise in Earth Sciences as an undergrad or go with Physics?

I like quantitative fields but I feel that undergraduate Earth Sciences does not offer such quantitative aspects. I also really like physics but feel that applying it in the context of the earth is really interesting. As becoming a geophysicist would probably require me to go to grad school, would an undergrad degree in Earth Sciences or Physics better prepare me to study Geophysics in grad school?

**Tags:** geophysics

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: What kind of geophysics are you interested in? The best, but maybe excessive, would be to study both simultaneously but thoroughly.  
> **username_2**: It depends entirely on the course options. At my university there is a fourth year geophysics option which is best taken from a physics background, but this may well be different where you are studying.  
> **username_0**: I think  it is too early to tell which areas of geophysics I would like to go into but I just like the idea of being able to make quantitative predictions instead of letting my quantitative skills go to waste.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2017-12-12. Score: 5

I would recommend to do an undergraduate in physics.

I work at a department of Meteorology. When faculty hire a new PhD student or postdoc, they often prefer those with an undergraduate in Physics than with an undergraduate in Meteorology. The Physics degree gives a better preparation for doing science. It has more maths and physicists are more likely to have some programming experience than meteorologists. For most scientific positions, such programming experience is highly valuable. It appears the meteorologists are more likely to end up in jobs like weather forecasting or energy trading, rather than science.

Although this experience may be quite localised, a physics undergraduate degree does give you a more generic background. It's easier to catch up on the specifics of geophysics when you have a physics background, than the other way around.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Would you say that a Physics is more a rigorous as hard science than Earth Sciences / Meteorology is and is therefore seen more favourably by any employers looking for quantitative skills?  
> **username_4**: @username_0 The scientists in the meteorology department here appear to have that view, judging from their PhD/Postdoc hiring decisions.  I don't know if that generalises to other Earth Science / Meteorology courses and / or to other employers, but I can imagine it might.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2017-12-12. Score: 3

How flexible is your degree? I would suggest doing earth sciences with as many quantitative electives as possible. In grad school, you will have the chance to make up for any missing knowledge or skills you have, either by self study or by taking courses.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I have to choose after my first year. I study in a British university and I can't do electives. Once I commit to it, I will spend the rest of my undergrad life study that and only that. My university is already very unusual in allowing a range of "modules" in the first year.  
> **username_3**: Go for physics then. As username_4 said, it's easier to learn the "geo" in "geophysics" than the "physics" after your undergrad studies.  

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