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(A lesson from IIT is a weekly column written by an IIT faculty member about learning, science, and technology on campus and off. The column appears every Friday)
This question is asked to most Indian science graduates by “well-wishers,” often with a sense of apprehension.
Students interested in science complain that they are often frustrated, as parents push them towards engineering instead. Part of the reason science gets such a close cousin treatment is due to the belief that the study of science equips students with only a narrow set of academic careers. But this could not be further from the truth.
A science degree provides the student with an invaluable set of skills that are applicable across fields. You learn to think critically and analytically, to break down complex problems into their logical components and to solve them.
While other majors usually focus on specific technologies, the sciences train you to analyze any given system. These are skills that are in high demand in a wide variety of industries.
The financial industry is one example. Finance, as a lucrative career path, is a popular choice for physicists and mathematicians who migrate into the industry. Financial roles such as quantitative analysts and risk managers entail developing and working with complex mathematical models, performing statistical analysis, and evaluating investment risks.
With the required mathematical training and problem-solving skills, science graduates are required for these roles. Physics training, for example, can transition seamlessly into finance roles. The landscape of financial jobs in India is constantly expanding and the opportunities are on the rise. For perspective, investment banking firm Goldman Sachs’ largest office outside of New York is in Bangalore.
Data science is another promising sector that attracts many science graduates. Ours is the age of big data and data scientists use statistical analysis and data interpretation to extract insights from large data sets, enabling companies to make data-driven decisions and gain a competitive advantage.
Again, science students’ analytical and mathematical backgrounds play an important role here, making them an ideal fit for this line. In fact, more of our science students choose data science.
Many science graduates find jobs in industries related to their expertise. Those trained in chemistry or biology have a variety of options. Pharmaceuticals, food, healthcare, and forensics are industries in which chemists and biologists are highly regarded.
For physicists, the “core industry” options range from semiconductors to photonics to the upcoming quantum computer industry. Artificial intelligence/machine learning, physics design in computer games, and medical imaging are also major employers for physics graduates.
There are also many possibilities for those interested in writing and networking. Science journalism and science communication is a growing field in India. Although it is not yet as profitable as some of the above options, its functionality is very important. Bridging the gap between scientists and the public, science communicators and science journalists help promote science literacy and disinformation, fight misinformation, and lead to better informed choices at the individual and political level. Other than that, technical writing and grant writing are also available for those who have a penchant for the written word.
These are just some of the career paths in which science students are most welcome. The highly transferable nature of science students’ skill set makes them a valuable asset to many different industries.
In the end, science education goes beyond training in specific skills—it teaches you how to learn and gives you an increased ability to think independently and adapt to any new field. The value of the degree lies in this flexibility – a good science student can work in areas for which they are not specifically trained.
This makes them invaluable to emerging industries. The modern job market is constantly evolving, with new fields and industries always emerging. If one were to go back and train for these jobs, they would be left behind. This is where the flexibility of science education gives a huge advantage.
Science graduates can seize the opportunities created by the rapid developments in technology and science by quickly adapting to emerging fields. For example, when data science was just a nascent field, many Ph.D.s in Physics and Mathematics jumped in and thrived.
To summarize, a science degree is not limited to an academic career. The analytical, mathematical, and problem-solving skills one learns make science graduates highly valued employees in all industries. But the greatest value of a science education lies in the flexibility and adaptability that prepares one to leap into and thrive in any field — including those that don’t yet exist.
If you are someone who is interested in studying science but discouraged by parental/society pressure, the message is not to give up too easily. There are more career options than you think – think twice before making a final decision!
(The author is Assistant Professor, School of Physical Sciences, IIT Mandi)
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