THERE are plenty of jobs for applied physics graduates but second level students do not seem to be overly impressed.
Physics is not popular as a Leaving Cert subject and, although it's not a prerequisite for all applied physics courses, many courses report difficulty in filling places.
Applied physics alone or combined with instrumentation or electronics is available at cert, diploma and degree level. Cork RTC typifies the ladder system in that it offers a two year cert in applied physics and instrumentation, a one year add on diploma, and a further one year add on degree.
Lecturer Dr Aidan O'Connor says that the college strongly encourages students to, at least, think about a diploma. Demand for diploma and degree graduates last year was virtually 100 per cent. Almost all graduates found work in relevant employment and about three quarters of these got their first job in the Cork region.
But, those who leave after the certificate course do not fare so well in the market place. Many find work in areas which are not to their applied physics and instrumentation qualification.
Cork RTC is hoping to offer a second applied physics diploma which will be geared more towards the semiconductor industry. As with most physics based courses, the courses in Cork RTC are largely male dominated. There are five women out of a total of 35 first year students.
UCG offers a degree in applied physics and electronics or experimental physics. Professor Philip Walton says that the course now includes more computing as this is the area with the greatest job opportunities. Depending on the options they choose, students may spend one quarter of the first year studying computing, one third of second year and up to 40 per cent of third and fourth years.
In third year students choose between applied physics and electronics or applied physics and experimental physics. The electronics option is more practical and most graduates go directly into employment. Those who choose the experimental physics stream are more likely to go to further study. It contains more high powered theory as opposed to the engineering option, explains Walton. "One point that annoys us a lot is that physicists go out into the workplace and they are almost all called engineers," he says "Not one is called a physicist." There is in separate physics industry in Ireland similar to the chemical industry so applied physics graduates find work in industries such as the semiconductor, computing and chemical industries.
Students who are unsure as to whether applied physics will appeal to them can apply for UCG's science degree. If they decide to study applied physics the course and qualification are exactly the same as if they followed the denominated option, according to Walton.
UL and DCU offer denominated degrees in applied physics and DCU also offers physics with French or German. UL's course is relatively new and the first students graduated last summer. Padraic Gallagher, careers officer, explains that the annual graduate survey has not yet been completed but, he says, jobs are plentiful.
Dr Vincent Casey of UL says that industry was consulted when the course was designed. Key areas covered include micro electronics/electronics materials science, optics/ opto-electronics, maths, physics and confputation modelling. Students spend eight months on an industrial placement and their morale is very high when they return, says Casey, as they see what they have learned is actually relevant. He says that 30 per cent of the students are women and the college actively targets girls' schools and co-ed schools.
Most students have gone directly into employment with two opting for research. Casey notes that research salaries do not compare with those offered by industry so it is difficult to entice people in.
