Course summary

This course is a great opportunity for students who want to become a physics researcher and play a part in answering some of the biggest questions in the universe. You can learn from scientists who helped detect the Higgs boson and gravitational waves, and who are leading innovative neutrino experiments and searches for dark matter. You’ll learn how particles are detected and study key theories such as relativity. In your final year, you'll join a team of researchers who have been part of some of the most important recent discoveries in science. At the start of your course, you'll cover the essential physics behind everything else you'll study: heat, motion, electricity, magnetism and quantum mechanics. Lectures and lab classes are included in the same modules, so you won’t be learning about abstract topics in isolation. You'll run experiments using the equipment in our modern laboratories to help you understand how important theories apply to the real world. You'll explore essential physics in even more depth in second year. You will also start to specialise in particle physics, with modules on the detection of fundamental particles and special relativity, which is essential for understanding particles that travel close to the speed of light and E = mc2. Programming classes will teach you skills that are essential for particle physics and many other graduate careers. In third year, you can branch out into lots of different areas and complete your own research project in particle physics. Your core modules will cover topics like nuclear physics and dark matter. Optional modules include cosmology and mathematical physics. A variety of optional modules are also available in fourth year, when you'll be working on a major research project. You’ll choose a research topic in particle physics and work closely with a member of academic staff who is an expert in the area you want to explore. The project takes up around half of your final year and can lead to a publication in a scientific journal. Accredited by the Institute of Physics (IOP) for the purpose of fully meeting the educational requirement for Chartered Physicist.