Course summary

The technologies of tomorrow will be rooted in our understanding of the physical laws of the universe. Breakthroughs made by theoretical physicists have led to nano materials, solar cells, wireless technologies, and diagnostic imaging. So it’s no surprise that this degree leads to a huge number of career opportunities - you could be modelling climate change, using physics in health to save lives, or even bringing your problem-solving skills to complex issues in law or finance. Because progress is made where theory and experimentation meet, you’ll be using mathematical concepts to predict the behaviour of the physical world. Broaden your horizons Enrich your university experience with a year spent overseas at one of our partner universities. Head out in Year 3 to start your adventure and immerse yourself in a different cultural and academic community. We’ll support you all the way! What to expect Our five-year MPhys Hons Theoretical Physics (Study Abroad) degree starts with a first year that is common across all our single-honours physics degrees as we teach the fundamentals to provide you with a solid foundation for Years 2 and beyond. You may discover that your interests change throughout the year, and you have the flexibility to switch to any other of our degree schemes until the end of Year 1. Core topics include mechanics, quantum physics, thermodynamics, and electricity and magnetic fields. It’s so much more than lectures and workshops; you’ll spend time gaining hands on experience with experimental physics in our state-of-the-art labs. As you progress into Years 2 and beyond, you will delve deeper into key physics concepts, such as Lagrangian mechanics, group theory and symmetry. You will take modules tailored towards your interests, enabling you to explore the frontiers of physics research from our expert lecturers. There are opportunities to undertake significant project work, applying theoretical physics and maths skills to a key topic in contemporary research. Master’s-level training You can advance your degree in Year 5 by studying Master’s modules and conducting a significant, individually supervised research project. This is a great opportunity to build your CV and is a gateway to future research opportunities too. Personal development You will develop valuable transferable skills that make you highly desirable to future employers. Through working in collaboration, delivering presentations, communicating your research results, using modern computer programs and taking part in experiments, you will grow skills in analytical thinking, logic and reasoning, digital proficiency and the ability to liaise across teams in the workplace or research environments. We hope you find your year overseas personally enriching. Our students often tell us that they return feeling more confident, self-assured and with a broader perspective to take into job interviews. 3 things our theoretical physics students would like you to know

• We’ve all got different ambitions. Whether you are pursuing a pathway into research or industry, you can be confident this degree will get you there

• We love puzzling over questions and finding answers that throw up more questions. Theory is developed with pen and paper, or on whiteboards and computers, and there’s lots of collaborative work alongside our independent studies

• It’s a friendly community and we use the first name of lecturers. There are plenty of doors to knock on and a student-staff consultative committee. You’ll also have a dedicated academic advisor to support your studies