Physics
Excellent facilities and our international community of staff and students combine to make º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ an ideal choice for postgraduate study in physics. Advancing knowledge across the breadth of the physical sciences, the Department is actively engaged with industry and cutting-edge research.
Physics at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ
Our programmes and research opportunities are delivered by recognised experts and enable you to acquire specialist knowledge of topics at the cutting-edge of contemporary physics.
You will become part of a stimulating, inclusive, and international academic community within the Department – one that draws guest speakers and academic visitors from around the world.
You will enjoy access to a wide range of state-of-the-art facilities, enhanced by the University’s £17 million state-of-the-art STEMLab and a £4 million investment in newly refurbished physics laboratories.
The Department of Physics has been awarded Juno Practitioner status in recognition of its work undertaken to progress the Juno principles within the Department. Project Juno is a national scheme operated by the Institute of Physics (IOP) that recognises and rewards physics departments that have taken action to address gender equality and to encourage better practice for all staff. As part of the department's commitment to these values we are also part of the º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ School of Science Equality and Diversity Committee which is currently promoting a school wide application for an Athena SWAN Silver award.
Master's degrees
Research degrees
In addition to our taught programmes, there is also a variety of funded and unfunded opportunities to join the Department of Physics as a doctoral researcher. You can develop your own unique research proposal or browse our current list of PhD opportunities – either way, we’d love to hear from you.
Research and teaching
Impactful research is central to the culture of our department.
Our research focuses on condensed matter and quantum physics, and many of our staff are actively engaged in both theoretical and applied research, industry projects and collaborations with º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s science and engineering departments, and partners across the world.
Our two research-focused MSc programmes combine taught modules with the opportunity to develop research skills and work on an extensive supervised research project alongside experts in the field.
The staff and students benefit from the unique network of world-leading scholars visiting department and hosting us at the top research centres worldwide.
We have a variety of activities that you can get involved with that appeal to your interests outside of your studies, including a fantastic STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) project where you can become a Science Engineering Ambassador. This role involves visiting local schools to encourage young people to engage in STEM activities. It is a rewarding experience, especially if you are interested in a future in science and teaching.
Links with industry
Enterprise is an integral part of our department activities. By engaging in enterprise activities, we ensure that the research we conduct is both cutting-edge and relevant to the real world.
Facilities
Our extensive range of first-class facilities are designed to help you throughout their studies and fully-equip you for their your endeavours.
Experimental facilities include pulsed laser deposition, atomic force microscopy, Raman scattering and X-Ray diffraction. The departmental observatory has a 16-inch equatorially-mounted Meade telescope and other astronomical equipment.
We offer outstanding facilities for postgraduates, and have projected an investment of over £4 million to create a series of new laboratories and teaching spaces which will open in 2018.
In addition, the University’s new £17 million STEMLab facility includes a brand new, state-of-the-art Physical Sciences laboratory, designed for physics students to explore the fundamentals of mechanics, electricity and magnetism, quantum phenomena, waves, solid state and thermal physics. It also includes a Physics and Optics laboratory, allowing for the practical examination of optics and the behaviour of light, electromagnetism, thermodynamics and mechanics.
Career opportunities
The Department of Physics is committed to helping you develop the skills and attributes you need to progress successfully in your chosen career. Our master’s programmes are designed to help you develop problem-solving skills, experimental, mathematical and computational techniques, scientific report-writing and presentation skills etc. and, as such, can prepare you for wide-ranging careers or future research.
Our physics graduates have gone on to pursue rewarding roles in such as organisations as the Ministry of Defence, DSTL, BAE Systems, BP, Rolls Royce, and Intelligent Energy. Job titles have included: Business Analyst, Physicist, Technical Manager and Financial Trader. Other students have gone on to study at PhD level.
As a postgraduate student, you will have access to the support and resources of our Careers Network.
