Department of Physics, Tel: +44 (0) 1509 22 8409

Physics (MPhys/BSc)

About Us    International Students     Studying     Research     News and Events     People      Contact      Search     Home
   
 

Physics - Engineering Phys - Phys w Cosmology - Phys & Maths - Phys & Management - Sports Sci & Phys - IT & Phys - Foundation - 2plus2 - LCPP

UCAS codes

BSc
3 years

BSc DIS
3+1 years

MPhys
4 years

MPhys DIS
4+1 years

F300
BSc/Phy

F301
BSc/Phy4

F303
MPhys/Phy
F304
MPhys/Phy5

 

Structure

The MPhys programmes may be taken in four or five years, with four years of academic study, including a 60-credit research project in the final year, which is usually carried out in Loughborough but may be done in industry or at a research institution. The five-year version of the programme includes either a sandwich year of employment in industry or a year of study abroad between the second and the third year of study.

The BSc programmes may be taken in three years or four years; the four-year version of the programme includes either a sandwich year of employment in industry or a year of study abroad between the second and third year of study.

Degree structure

The Physics and Engineering Physics programmes are essentially identical in the first two years. It is only in the third year that they become very different from one another. This means that there is considerable flexibility for the student who wants to keep open the option to transfer from one programme to another, or between these programmes and Physics with Cosmology.

The module content may change from year to year; optional modules require a minimum number of registered students to run and not all optional modules will run in any one year. Please enquire as to the current position.

The programmes are accredited by the Institute of Physics.

MPhys Physics

The aim of this programme is to give students a thorough preparation for research work in industry or on a PhD programme. Its coverage of physics is both broader and deeper than that of a BSc programme. The distinctive features of the Loughborough MPhys programme are

A 60-credit research project

Half of the 4th year is devoted to a full-time experimental or theoretical research project which is usually carried out in the Department but can be carried out in industry, at a research institution or in a University abroad. The purpose of this project is to give students the skills and self-reliance which come with doing full-time research. Students who do their projects in industry also gain the valuable work experience associated with a sandwich placement.

Flexibility

If students so wish, almost one sixth of their programme can be made up of modules outside those listed; many modules are available, subject to timetabling constraints, in languages, management, engineering and other subjects. It is also possible to transfer to BSc Physics or MPhys/BSc Engineering Physics up to the end of the second year. At the end of the second year students can choose to take a sandwich year of employment in industry or a year of study abroad or proceed directly to the third year.
The provisional content of the programme is given below. Students take modules of total weight 60 credits each semester. All modules have a weight of 10 credits unless a larger number is given. Modules listed in italics are optional; not all options will run in any one year. The list gives the content for 2009–10; please enquire as to the current position. Students may take up to 20 credits a year of modules not specifically listed below. For full details of requirements see current Programme Regulations.

Semester 1   Semester 2
1st
Year
MAA108 Mathematics for Physics 1
PHA101 Mechanics
PHA102 Electricity & Magnetism
PHA181 Physics Laboratory 1
PHA190 Information Skills
PHA170 Astronomy
  MAA208 Mathematics for Physics 2
PHA201 Atomic & Thermal Physics
PHA202 Light
PHA282 Physics Laboratory 2
PHA290 Computing
PHA210 History and Philosophy of Science
       
2nd
Year
MAB108 Mathematics for Physics 3
PHB101 Waves
PHB106 Nuclear Physics
PHB180 Physics Laboratory 3
PHB110 Solid State Physics
MMB300 Engineering Computation
 

PHB201 Fields
PHB202 Quantum Mechanics 1
PHB203 Thermal Physics
PHB207 Electronics
PHB280 Electrical Measurements Lab
MAB208 Mathematics for Physics 4
PHB230 Science of the Internet and Networks in Nature and Society
PHB250 Business Skills for Scientists

 
3rd
Year
PHC112 Quantum Physics (20)
PHC180 Advanced Physics Laboratory (20)
PHC108 Modern Optics
PHC118 Electromagnetism
PHC120 Surfaces, Thin Films and High Vacuum
PHC130 Fundamentals of Quantum Information
PHD102 Cosmology
PHD105 Classical Mechanics
MAB160 Numerical Methods 1
MAC150 Inviscid Fluid Mechanics
MAC196 Special Relativity
  PHC213 Statistical and Low Temperature Physics (20)
PHC214 Condensed Matter Physics (20)
PHB230 Science of the Internet and Networks in Nature and Society
PHC207 Climate Physics
PHD205 Elementary Particle Physics
PHD230 Quantum Computing
MAB260 Numerical Methods 2
MAC250 ODEs and Calculus of Variations
DTC010 Studies in Science and Mathematics Education
       
4th
Year
PHD188 Physics Research Project (60) spread over both semesters
PHD401 Applied Superconductivity and Nanoscience
PHD104 Modern Magnetism
PHD170 Literature Project (May be taken in either semester)
PHD105 Classical Mechanics
PHP175 Econophysics (20)
+up to 20 credits of 3rd year options in 4th year
  PHD219 Quantum Theory of Solids
PHD204 Superconductivity and Colossal Magnetoresistance Materials
MAC295 Order and Chaos
MAC297 Mathematical Biology
PHD170 Literature Project

 

PHD170 may be taken in EITHER Semester 1 or Semester 2 (not both).


BSc Physics

For the first two years this programme is identical to MPhys Physics (except that MAB208 Mathematics for Physics 4 is not compulsory and one of the the options PHB230 Science of the Internet and Networks in Nature and Society and PHB250 Business Skills for Scientists can be taken in its place). At the end of the 2nd year students can choose to take a sandwich year of employment in industry or a year of study abroad or proceed directly to the final year.

One quarter of the year is taken up with PHC388 Physics Project which can be experimental or theoretical; students often find themselves tackling a problem of current research interest. Other modules are taken from the Part C list of the MPhys programme; students may also take two modules from other Departments. There are no compulsory modules in Part C of the BSc programme apart from the project. For full details of requirements see current Programme Regulations (PDF).

Related programmes: MPhys/BSc Engineering Physics, Physics with Cosmology

These follow the Physics programme for the first two years and allow a wide choice of Engineering options in Parts C and D.

 

     
 
Top - Department of Physics - Loughborough University - Legal information