The career fields for physicists are extraordinarily diverse.
In addition to roles closely related to their field, such as:
- Researchers at universities, public research institutions, and industrial laboratories,
- Teachers at schools, universities of applied sciences, and universities,
- Participation or independent work in development, production, marketing and distribution, operations, and process engineering in industry and business,
there is an increasing presence in other areas, such as:
- the field of data processing and analysis,
- consulting firms,
- banking and stock exchanges,
- the medical field,
- management, especially in the development of complex quantitative decision-making models,
- systems analysis,
- the patents system.
What qualifies physicists for such roles, beyond their specialized knowledge, is their strong understanding of complex technical and organizational relationships, particularly the judgment honed through working with the facts and methods of a "rigorous science." This includes a well-founded ability to assess the consequences and societal compatibility of scientific innovations. Developing such judgment is an important objective of studying physics.
The "What’s Next?" page of the Career Service provides a comprehensive overview of potential career paths and fields, along with interviews with alumni of Goethe University.
Continuing Education
Physicists can find countless continuing education opportunities in the open market, such as in the areas of patent law, workplace safety, radiation protection, or quality management.