Our physics community at Lancaster plays an important role in evolving what we know about the world around us. You could be learning about condensed matter, ultra-low temperatures, accelerators and high-energy particles, astrophysics, cosmology and space - areas in which we excel through world-leading research. Physics is the foundation of all other sciences which is why, as a physics graduate, you will be in great demand for a huge range of careers. You could be working on clean energy, space weather or systems engineering, modelling climate change, or continuing to develop what we know about physics through research.
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 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 relativity, particle physics, waves, optics and the properties of matter. You can choose modules tailored towards your interests, enabling you to explore the frontiers of physics research from our expert lecturers.
There are opportunities to undertake project work, focussing on a key topic in contemporary physics research, or working with an industry partner to solve a real-world problem.
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 physics students want you to know
- We are a friendly, diverse community. The lecturers have an open-door policy and you have a dedicated academic advisor which means there’s always someone to support you through your studies.?This is why our student satisfaction is so high
- We have great physics-based study and social spaces which are perfect for group work or downtime between lectures. You’ll find us hanging out in the atrium where we work on physics related problems or playing games!
- The facilities in the Physics Building are amazing, from the observatory on the roof to the Ultra Low Temperature Lab, or the Quantum Technology Centre to the three experimental pods in the isolation lab (IsoLab)
Will my course be four or five years?
Students beginning this course in 2025 will study for four years. Students beginning in 2026 will study a revised five-year course.