Re:Coursera S-1 IPO
by the_only_law on Saturday March 06, 2021 @08:23PM
(#26372223)
Was your friend UK based? Very cool that your friend was able to get into a good masters program (that’s part of the reason I’m considering going back) although I’m confused on how a physics degree works through distance learning. Do those not typically involve labs with millions of dollars worth of scientific equipment? I’m going to have to call a few schools I’m looking at to verify their programs are 100% distance learning, because while the marketing material claims that, many of the program courses seem to indicate otherwise.
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Yep, UK based.
I also did a physics undergrad (in person) and can attest that most of the classes these days are theory-based. Lots of maths; Quantum Mechanics is all maths, Nuclear/Particle is all theoretical/computational (though at the point of masters/PhD you would get to fire lasers at real things, I never did though). I did have one experimental lab class where we practiced measurements of various sorts, but that was maybe 10-20% of the first couple years. You could take different electives that emphasize experimental physics more, but the theory is plenty deep to keep you busy without compromising. So if you want to learn quantum physics or stellar nuclear physics for example you don’t need a lab at all.