Question: @ tom If I wanted to become a surface spectroscopist what qualifications will I need?

Andrew Thomas answered on 26 Jun 2012:

Hi, as for any research science job you would first need good GCSEs, particularly in Maths and science, A-Level Maths and either Physics or Chemistry (with the other one at least at AS-Level). You then need to get a degree in Physics, Materials Science or Chemistry and in most cases would then carry on to do a PhD. This last bit isn’t essential. I know a few people who run surface spectroscopy instruments who only have a degree. Some of them then carry on to do a PhD while they are doing their job. If you wanted to be a lecturer or University Researcher then a PhD would be essential, apart from anything else it’s that stage which teaches you how to do research. This is a bit generalised and based on my own research path. I currently have a student who is trained (and at weekends works) as a dentist but is now studying the surfaces of dental materials, and I know a handful of people who have gone down the biological/medical sciences route but now use surface spectroscopy in their work.