Careers and Graduate Schools

Great Outcomes

Our majors experience great outcomes after Davidson, frequently pursuing graduate programs and professional careers in physics, medicine, engineering, computer science, and academia. Students also have entered professional careers in business, military, law, research, and the ministry.

If you'd like to learn more about how to focus your physics major at Davidson to fit one of these graduate schools or fields, please contact your academic adviser.

Graduate School

No matter how elite the school in the field of study you wish to pursue, your Davidson degree is recognized and highly valued. Below is a partial list of the graduate schools attended by physics alumni within two years of graduation from Davidson:

• Brown University
• Case-Western Reserve
• Clemson University
• Colorado State University
• Cornell University
• Dartmouth University
• Duke University
• East Carolina University
• Emory University
• Florida State University
• Georgia Tech
• Harvard University
• Johns Hopkins University
• North Carolina State University
• Oregon State University
• Pennsylvania State University
• Princeton University
• Purdue University
• Scripps Institute
• University of California at Berkeley
• University of Connecticut
• University of Maryland
• University of New Mexico
• University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
• University of Rochester
• University of the South
• University of Texas
• University of Virginia
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• Wake Forest University
• Washington University
• West Virginia University

Careers

With a strong background in quantitative thinking and (often) published research in hand, our alumni move rapidly into professional careers. Our alumni have entered professional careers in the following areas.

Academia

• Professors of physics at UC-Berkeley, Duke University, Emory University, James Madison University, University of Iowa, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and Santa Clara University.

• Professors of mathematics, chemistry, biomedical engineering, psychology, medicine, philosophy and religion at Virginia Military Institute, UNC-Chapel Hill, Millersville University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Campbell University.

Computer Science & Information Technology

• Program analyst in El Salvador

• Computer programmer

• Software engineer
• Software designer
• Internet entrepreneur

Engineering

• Electronics engineer
• Deputy Director with the Pentagon (Defense Research & Engineering)
• Assistant Secretary for Science NATO and Secretary of USAF
• Engineer – Intel Corporation
• Senior staff engineer – research with Air Force at Wyle Laboratories, Inc.
• Powertrain engineer with Hendrick Motorsports
• Technical/managerial positions at Savannah River nuclear plant
• Senior mechanical engineer
• Technical staff with AT&T/Lucent Technologies (engineering)
• Geologist, plant construction as a bookkeeper, distribution manager
• Fire protection engineer, risk manager
• Ship building – nuclear engineer
• Aerospace technology
• Manufacturing – Senior engineering specialist--electronics, beverages, furniture

Medicine

• Family practice physician and undersea medical officer
• Chief resident in aerospace medicine
• Flight surgeon and aerospace medicine specialist
• Psychologist
• Pediatrician
• Pathologist
• Cardiologist
• Obstetrician/Gynecologist
• Anesthesiologist
• Radiologist
• Dentist

Ministerial/Service-Oriented

• Translator/linguist with Wycliffe

• Minister/pastor in NC, FL, TX, TN, AL

• Pastoral counseling
• Lutheran volunteer with Chicago Uptown Ministry

Research/Other

• Division chief with Georgia Tech Research Institute

• Invented and patented a co-axial rocket gun

• Research scientist – physicist