The MSc programmes in Physics and Astrophysics aim to provide students with a sound knowledge of the underlying principles which form a thorough basis for careers in these and related fields, enable students to develop insights into the techniques used in current projects and allow an in-depth experience of a particular specialised research area. In addition they are meant to develop the professional skills for students to play a meaningful role in industrial or academic life, and give students the experience of teamwork, a chance to develop presentation skills and learn to work to deadlines.
The Physics MSc programmes include a number of lecture courses both relevant to the discipline and forward-looking with respect to recent developments and state-of-the-art achivements. Fundamental courses such as Advanced Quantum Theory or Particle/Atom/Photon Physics are just offered together with courses in Quantum Computation and Communication or Plastic and Molecular Electronics. Flexibility is built into the Programme so that courses can also be taken on topics removed from the immediate subject among those available within a wide range of options.
A research topic is included so that 50% of the marks are made up by completing an individual task. These are built around cutting-edge topics from the Department's research programme. The supervisor will provide a topic in which the student has a real chance to make a contribution to the research. In Physics in recent years, this has meant, for example, time resolved spectroscopy of electronic excitations in supramolecularly engineered organic semiconductors, Design of optical cavities for laser cooling experiments, work function tuning of electrodes for plastic electronics, Coherent X-ray diffraction imaging of nanocrystals, computer simulations of electron transfer reactions and hopping, spectra of triterated ions of hydrogen.
These projects give a real feel for what it is like to do postgraduate research, or work in a project team in an advanced industry.
Please note that at present their is no funding avaliable for overseas students undertaking this course.
