Don't know if what I have to say is useful or interesting, but here it is for what it's worth.
I'm currently majoring in math/physics. Why is this relevant? Because I often use Mathematica and, to a lesser extent, Haskell/C to solve problems. Sometimes the assignment is to write a program that will solve the problem. So, what I'm saying is, if you take mid-high level physics courses, you'll probably be doing some physics programming.
Why do I think this might not be interesting? Well, it's not exactly a game programming language (Mathematica is good for solving math/physics problems and making pretty graphs, but there are better options for games). Also, it's not exactly a physics engine like you would find in a game. So take it for what it's worth.
One last thing to keep in mind. A physics major will take you into "Modern Physics" (Einstein's Relativity + Quantum Mechanics) which will be less useful in games than "Classical Physics" (Newtonian Mechanics + Electrodynamics). So maybe a minor would be better. CSci/Physics minor/Math minor shouldn't be difficult to acheive (as far as graduating in 4 years) and I would guess it would give you more options than a Video Game Program. Which is better or worse depends on your situation and what you want to do.
Are there any University courses that teach physics programing?
Quote:Original post by wyrzy
Also, I don't entirely agree withQuote:as games programming isn't all that different from any other programming task
I don't agree with this view around the forums that games programming is the most difficult and challenging type of programming around at all. Every programming task has similarities and all have their tricky problems and engineering issues. Games programming really isn't much different to any other type of programming I've done. It's all just data structures, algorithms, architecture, planning and implementation in the end. If you've done any programming on large projects, I see no reason why you would have specifc trouble programming computer games. There is no fundamental difference; it's just software.
If you are really interested in both physics and computer science, your best approach is to look for a program which meets your needs. As people have already stated, there are a variety of degree programmes available. Personally, I would recommend focussing on the core areas of each of the disciplines. Having a solid foundation is important in being able to adapt to ever changing technology.
Myself, I did my undergraduate degree in physics and taught myself programming on the side. If found that my problem solving skills were vastly enhanced by my physics training, which is invaluable in terms of coding.
Myself, I did my undergraduate degree in physics and taught myself programming on the side. If found that my problem solving skills were vastly enhanced by my physics training, which is invaluable in terms of coding.
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