StudyQA — Master: Physics — University of Southampton

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Our distinctive MPhys Physics will build upon the BSc Physics programme and give you a more advanced understanding of physics. It is designed for students who intend to become professional physicists and allows extra specialisation and the development of key professional skills.

A key outcome is a project in your final year. You will work on the project with one of your peers and have access to the expertise of a nominated member of academic staff at the top of their profession.

You dont have to choose between the three-year course and the four-year course when you first enrol. However, we generally recommend that you enrol initially for the four-year MPhys. As well as studying our core physics courses you can choose two options a year including the option courses on our specialist MPhys degree programmes.

The MPhys Physics programme includes the following degree programmes:

F303 MPhys Particle Physics
F303 MPhys Physics with a Year of Experimental Research
F303 MPhys Physics with Industrial Placement

Students undertake four years of study. Each year there are compulsory modules. However, the degree has been designed to maximise student choice by allowing you to tailor the degree structure to suit your own interests.

Key facts:

Southampton is consistently ranked amongst the top Physics and Astronomy departments in the UK
Over half of our work is considered to be either world leading or internationally excellent
Our courses are accredited by the Institute of Physics
We were ranked in the top two universities in the Russell Group of elite Universities for course satisfaction in Physical Science in the 2010 National Student Survey

Year 1

Full Academic Year

Compulsory Modules

PHYS1028 Personal Tutorial (Physics)

Semester 1

Compulsory Core Modules

MATH1006 Introduction to Mathematical Methods
PHYS1015 Motion and Relativity
PHYS1017 Physics Skills 1
PHYS1022 Electricity and Magnetism

Optional Modules

ARCH1001 Human Origins
ARCH1057 The Development of Archaeological & Anthropological Thought
ARCH1062 Wonderful things: World history in 40 objects
CHEM1002 Chemistry For Biological Scientists I
CHEM1012 Introduction to Chemistry
CRIM1003 Introduction to Criminology
EDUC1036 An Introduction to Teaching Teachers
GEOG1003 Society, Culture and Space
HUMA2013 How the Arts Work: a practical introduction to cultural economics
MATH1048 Linear Algebra I
PAIR1002 Political Systems
PAIR1004 Introduction to Political Theory
PHIL1005 Ethics
PHIL1006 Introduction to Political Philosophy
PHIL1016 Reason and Argument
PHYS1004 Introduction to Photonics
PHYS1202 Programming I for Physicists
UOSM2013 Pathological Mechanisms of Disease
UOSM2015 Sustainability in the Local and Global Environment
UOSM2020 Economics with Experiments
UOSM2022 Social Enterprise
UOSM2023 Portus Field School
UOSM2027 Health Policy and Economics
UOSM2030 Body and Society
UOSM2033 Living and Working on the Web

Semester 2

Compulsory Core Modules

MATH1007 Mathematical Methods For Physical Scientists
PHYS1011 Waves, Light and Quanta
PHYS1013 Energy and Matter
PHYS1019 Physics Skills 2

Optional Modules

ANTH2001 Cosmology, Ritual and Belief
CHEM1007 Chemistry For Biological Scientists II
CRIM1004 Criminal Justice Studies
EDUC1035 Primary Education: systems and structures
EDUC1041 Secondary Education: Systems and Structures
GEOG1002 Geomorphological Processes
GEOG1011 Dangerous World
HUMA1026 Castles in Medieval Society
MATH1049 Linear Algebra II
PAIR1001 Introduction to International Relations
PAIR1003 Issues in Contemporary Politics
PAIR2016 Public Policy Analysis
PHIL1002 Knowledge and Mind
PHIL2034 Philosophy of Science
PHYS1005 Introduction to Astronomy and Space Science
PHYS1026 Introduction to the Nanoworld
PHYS2015 Introduction to Energy in The Environment
PSYC1009 Psychology of Social and Individual Wellbeing
PSYC2006 Behavioural Neuroscience
PSYC2007 Developmental Psychology
PSYC2018 Perception
SOCI2003 Gender & Society
SOES1009 The Living Earth
SPAN2013 Latin America and Latin Americans Through Film
UOSM2002 Design Skills for Presentations and Maps
UOSM2004 Global Health
UOSM2005 Living with Environmental Change
UOSM2007 Digital Humanities: Critical Thinking in the Information Age
UOSM2008 Living and Working on the Web
UOSM2009 Ethics in a Complex World
UOSM2010 Global Challenges
UOSM2011 The Management of Risk and Uncertainty
UOSM2012 Online Social Networks
UOSM2014 Piracy, Security and Maritime Space
UOSM2016 The Human Brain and Society
UOSM2017 Intercultural communication in a global world
UOSM2018 Understanding Modern China
UOSM2021 More or Less
UOSM2024 The Arab World in and Beyond the Headlines
UOSM2025 Tall Tales: Unpicking the Secrets of Buildings
UOSM2026 Ethics in Science, Engineering and Technology: Jekyll and Hyde
UOSM2028 How Musical Instruments Work
UOSM2031 Engineering Replacement Body Parts
UOSM2032 Making Sense out of senses: How the Brain Works

Year 2

Semester 1

Compulsory Core Modules

PHYS2003 Quantum Physics
PHYS2022 Physics from Evidence I
PHYS2023 Wave Physics

Optional Modules

ARCH1001 Human Origins
ARCH1057 The Development of Archaeological & Anthropological Thought
ARCH1062 Wonderful things: World history in 40 objects
CHEM1012 Introduction to Chemistry
CRIM1003 Introduction to Criminology
EDUC1036 An Introduction to Teaching Teachers
GEOG2027 Geographies of Wellbeing
HUMA2013 How the Arts Work: a practical introduction to cultural economics
ISVR3063 Musical Instrument Acoustics
LAWS3089 Miscarriages of Justice
LAWS3101 International Criminal Law: Confronting History and Ourselves
MATH2015 Mathematical Methods For Scientists
MATH2045 Vector Calculus and Complex Variable
PAIR1002 Political Systems
PAIR1004 Introduction to Political Theory
PAIR3027 Political Behaviour
PHIL1003 Introduction to Early Greek Philosophy
PHIL1005 Ethics
PHIL1006 Introduction to Political Philosophy
PHIL1016 Reason and Argument
PHYS2013 Galaxies
UOSM2013 Pathological Mechanisms of Disease
UOSM2015 Sustainability in the Local and Global Environment
UOSM2020 Economics with Experiments
UOSM2022 Social Enterprise
UOSM2023 Portus Field School
UOSM2027 Health Policy and Economics
UOSM2030 Body and Society
UOSM2033 Living and Working on the Web

Semester 2

Compulsory Core Modules

PHYS2001 Electromagnetism
PHYS2006 Classical Mechanics
PHYS2024 Quantum Physics of Matter

Optional Modules

ANTH2001 Cosmology, Ritual and Belief
CRIM1004 Criminal Justice Studies
CRIM2004 Criminological Psychology
EDUC1035 Primary Education: systems and structures
EDUC1041 Secondary Education: Systems and Structures
ENGL2081 Romance in a Material World, 1570-2011
HUMA1026 Castles in Medieval Society
ISVR3061 Human Responses to Sound and Vibration
LAWS3094 Transitional Justice: Law, War & Crime
LAWS3098 Violence and Sex in Law, Literature and Culture
MATH2038 Partial Differential Equations
PAIR1001 Introduction to International Relations
PAIR1003 Issues in Contemporary Politics
PAIR2016 Public Policy Analysis
PAIR3025 Public Policy Analysis
PHIL1002 Knowledge and Mind
PHIL1019 Puzzles about Art and Literature
PHIL1020 Faith and Reason
PHIL1021 Existentialism and its Origins
PHIL2034 Philosophy of Science
PHYS2007 Medical Physics
PHYS2009 Practical Photonics
PHYS2015 Introduction to Energy in The Environment
PHYS3019 Communicating and Teaching and The Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme
PSYC1009 Psychology of Social and Individual Wellbeing
PSYC2006 Behavioural Neuroscience
PSYC2007 Developmental Psychology
PSYC2018 Perception
SOCI2003 Gender & Society
SOCI3074 Collective Action and Social Change
SOES1009 The Living Earth
SPAN2013 Latin America and Latin Americans Through Film
UOSM2002 Design Skills for Presentations and Maps
UOSM2004 Global Health
UOSM2005 Living with Environmental Change
UOSM2007 Digital Humanities: Critical Thinking in the Information Age
UOSM2008 Living and Working on the Web
UOSM2009 Ethics in a Complex World
UOSM2010 Global Challenges
UOSM2011 The Management of Risk and Uncertainty
UOSM2012 Online Social Networks
UOSM2014 Piracy, Security and Maritime Space
UOSM2016 The Human Brain and Society
UOSM2017 Intercultural communication in a global world
UOSM2018 Understanding Modern China
UOSM2021 More or Less
UOSM2024 The Arab World in and Beyond the Headlines
UOSM2025 Tall Tales: Unpicking the Secrets of Buildings
UOSM2026 Ethics in Science, Engineering and Technology: Jekyll and Hyde
UOSM2028 How Musical Instruments Work
UOSM2031 Engineering Replacement Body Parts
UOSM2032 Making Sense out of senses: How the Brain Works

Year 3

Semester 1

Compulsory Core Modules

PHYS3004 Crystalline Solids
PHYS3008 Atomic Physics

Compulsory Modules

PHYS6009 Dissertation

Optional Modules

GEOG3051 Mediterranean Environments and Culture
HUMA2013 How the Arts Work: a practical introduction to cultural economics
ISVR3063 Musical Instrument Acoustics
ISVR6130 Signal Processing
LAWS3089 Miscarriages of Justice
LAWS3101 International Criminal Law: Confronting History and Ourselves
MATH2015 Mathematical Methods For Scientists
MATH2045 Vector Calculus and Complex Variable
MATH3018 Numerical Methods
PAIR3027 Political Behaviour
PHYS2013 Galaxies
PHYS3003 Light and Matter
PHYS3011 Photons in Astrophysics
PHYS6003 Advanced Quantum Physics
PHYS6005 Cosmology and the Early Universe
PHYS6012 Coherent Light, Coherent Matter
PHYS6024 Lasers
UOSM2013 Pathological Mechanisms of Disease
UOSM2015 Sustainability in the Local and Global Environment
UOSM2020 Economics with Experiments
UOSM2022 Social Enterprise
UOSM2027 Health Policy and Economics
UOSM2030 Body and Society
UOSM2033 Living and Working on the Web

Semester 2

Compulsory Core Modules

PHYS3002 Nuclei and Particles
PHYS3007 Theories of Matter, Space and Time

Optional Modules

ANTH2001 Cosmology, Ritual and Belief
CRIM2004 Criminological Psychology
ENGL2081 Romance in a Material World, 1570-2011
GEOG3023 River Basin Management
GEOG3041 Geographies of Nature
GEOG3048 Aeolian Processes and Geomorphic Modelling
ISVR3061 Human Responses to Sound and Vibration
ISVR6138 Biomedical Application of Signal and Image Processing
LAWS3094 Transitional Justice: Law, War & Crime
LAWS3098 Violence and Sex in Law, Literature and Culture
MATH2038 Partial Differential Equations
MATH3006 Relativity, Blackholes and Cosmology
PAIR2016 Public Policy Analysis
PAIR3025 Public Policy Analysis
PHIL2034 Philosophy of Science
PHYS2007 Medical Physics
PHYS2009 Practical Photonics
PHYS2015 Introduction to Energy in The Environment
PHYS3009 Applied Nuclear Physics
PHYS3010 Stellar Evolution
PHYS3019 Communicating and Teaching and The Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme
PHYS6004 Space Plasma Physics
PHYS6008 Physics from Evidence II
PHYS6011 Particle Physics
PHYS6014 Nanoscience: technology and advanced materials
PHYS6017 Computer Techniques in Physics
PSYC2006 Behavioural Neuroscience
PSYC2007 Developmental Psychology
PSYC2018 Perception
SOCI2003 Gender & Society
SOCI3074 Collective Action and Social Change
SPAN2013 Latin America and Latin Americans Through Film
UOSM2002 Design Skills for Presentations and Maps
UOSM2004 Global Health
UOSM2005 Living with Environmental Change
UOSM2007 Digital Humanities: Critical Thinking in the Information Age
UOSM2008 Living and Working on the Web
UOSM2009 Ethics in a Complex World
UOSM2010 Global Challenges
UOSM2011 The Management of Risk and Uncertainty
UOSM2012 Online Social Networks
UOSM2014 Piracy, Security and Maritime Space
UOSM2016 The Human Brain and Society
UOSM2017 Intercultural communication in a global world
UOSM2018 Understanding Modern China
UOSM2021 More or Less
UOSM2024 The Arab World in and Beyond the Headlines
UOSM2025 Tall Tales: Unpicking the Secrets of Buildings
UOSM2026 Ethics in Science, Engineering and Technology: Jekyll and Hyde
UOSM2028 How Musical Instruments Work
UOSM2031 Engineering Replacement Body Parts
UOSM2032 Making Sense out of senses: How the Brain Works

Year 4

Full Academic Year

Compulsory Core Modules

PHYS6006 MPhys Project

Semester 1

Optional Modules

ISVR3063 Musical Instrument Acoustics
ISVR6130 Signal Processing
MATH3018 Numerical Methods
MATH6149 Modelling with Differential Equations
PHYS3003 Light and Matter
PHYS3011 Photons in Astrophysics
PHYS6003 Advanced Quantum Physics
PHYS6005 Cosmology and the Early Universe
PHYS6012 Coherent Light, Coherent Matter
PHYS6024 Lasers

Semester 2

Compulsory Modules

PHYS6015 MPhys Final Year Synoptic Examination

Optional Modules

ISVR3061 Human Responses to Sound and Vibration
ISVR6138 Biomedical Application of Signal and Image Processing
MATH3006 Relativity, Blackholes and Cosmology
MATH6107 Gravitational Waves
MATH6149 Modelling with Differential Equations
OPTO6002 Solid State and Ultrafast Lasers
OPTO6003 Photonic Materials
OPTO6004 Metamaterials, Nanophonics and Plasmonics
PHYS3009 Applied Nuclear Physics
PHYS3010 Stellar Evolution
PHYS3019 Communicating and Teaching and The Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme
PHYS6004 Space Plasma Physics
PHYS6011 Particle Physics
PHYS6014 Nanoscience: technology and advanced materials
PHYS6017 Computer Techniques in Physics

GCSEs:GCSE Mathematics and English at grade C or aboveA Levels:For direct entry to all our three or four year degree courses, we require three subjects at A level, grades AAA, with A grades in Mathematics and Physics.IB:If you are taking IB, we require 36 points, 18 at Higher Level including 6 in Mathematics and Physics.English Language Requirements:If English is not your first language, you will be required to pass an approved English test. We normally ask for a score of IELTS 6.5, with minimum of 5.5 in each component; for information on other accepted English language tests, please visit our English language proficiency pages.Alternative Qualifications:We consider Scottish Advanced Highers or Irish Leaving Certificate, BTEC HND, HNC, DDM DM and other UK and EU science-based qualifications.International Qualifications:We welcome applications from international students with good qualifications for any of our courses. All applicants will be considered on an individual basis.Depending on your academic background and achievements, we may also be able to accept you as a visiting student, or allow you direct entry into the second year of a degree courses.If you have not studied science-based subjects to the required standard, you should consider our four-year courses which include the a Foundation Year.If English is not your first language, you will need to have already reached a satisfactory standard in an approved test in English, such as Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English grade C or above, IELTS grade 6.5.Mature Applicants:We welcome applications from mature students. If you will be over 21 at the start of your proposed degree programme, you are eligible for exemption from our normal entry requirements. However, you will be required to provide evidence of having completed recent study (eg Access, Return to Study, Open University foundation courses) and of your capacity to pursue the course. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL paper-based test score : 580 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.