Discover
/
Article

Whither graduate education?

JUL 01, 1963
The following article was presented as an invited address on March 2, 1963, at the Southwest Meeting of the American Physical Society, which was held jointly with the Sociedad Mexicana de Fisica at the William Marsh Rice University in Houston, Texas.

DOI: 10.1063/1.3051013

L. V. Berkner

The past two years have seen the rise of a vigorous discussion concerning the extent and adequacy of graduate education in the United States. As physicists and engineers, we cannot ignore this discussion in its broad implications, since the natural sciences and the emergent engineering and technology are at the focus of the discussion—advanced training in physics and engineering is at the central line of that focus. This public discussion arises in response to the growth of very powerful social, economic, scientific, and educational forces—all of increasing intensity. Moreover, the emergence of new and powerful technologies out of our successful progress in science is further enhancing the community forces that react back upon us and our activities as scientists.

More about the Authors

L. V. Berkner. Graduate Research Center of the Southwest, Dallas, Texas.

This Content Appeared In
pt-cover_1963_07.jpeg

Volume 16, Number 7

Related content
/
Article
Technical knowledge and skills are only some of the considerations that managers have when hiring physical scientists. Soft skills, in particular communication, are also high on the list.
/
Article
Professional societies can foster a sense of belonging and offer early-career scientists opportunities to give back to their community.
/
Article
Interviews offer a glimpse of how physicists get into—and thrive in—myriad nonacademic careers.
/
Article
Research exchanges between US and Soviet scientists during the second half of the 20th century may be instructive for navigating today’s debates on scientific collaboration.
/
Article
The Eisenhower administration dismissed the director of the National Bureau of Standards in 1953. Suspecting political interference with the agency’s research, scientists fought back—and won.
/
Article
Alternative undergraduate physics courses expand access to students and address socioeconomic barriers that prevent many of them from entering physics and engineering fields. The courses also help all students develop quantitative skills.

Get PT in your inbox

Physics Today - The Week in Physics

The Week in Physics" is likely a reference to the regular updates or summaries of new physics research, such as those found in publications like Physics Today from AIP Publishing or on news aggregators like Phys.org.

Physics Today - Table of Contents
Physics Today - Whitepapers & Webinars
By signing up you agree to allow AIP to send you email newsletters. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.