Course Summary

Physics is an exciting subject which seeks answers to the biggest questions, covering everything in our universe, from the building blocks of matter to the vastness of the cosmos. **Why Swansea?** - TOP for Research Intensity [Complete University Guide 2022] - Top 10 in the UK for student experience [The Times Good University Guide 2021] - Top 10 in the UK for the percentage of students satisfied with course [The Guardian University Guide 2021] - Top 450 in the QS World University Rankings 2022 - We're 9th in the UK for Overall Satisfaction (NSS 2021) Employers seeking physics graduates include academic institutions, government research organisations and industry, including aerospace and defence, education, energy, engineering, instrumentation, manufacturing, oil and gas, science, communication, space exploration and telecommunications. Many physics graduates pursue a career outside physics, for instance in consultancy, IT, the environmental industry, financial services, the legal sector, transport and utilities. Our degrees reflect our cutting-edge research – we are top in the UK for research intensity (Complete University Guide 2018) and the Swansea Physics group achieved the trapping of anti-matter. Studying in this dynamic research-led environment will help you learn how fundamental physics is applied across disciplines and is contributing to advances in fields such as engineering, medicine and mathematics. Based at our superb seafront campus close to the magnificent Gower Peninsula, you will have the opportunity to study an exciting and flexible range of modules which could include astronomy and cosmology, electromagnetism, atomic physics, the frontiers of nuclear physics, the quantum world and climate physics. In addition to the new laboratories, the facilities include IT and teaching rooms; scanning probe microscopy (SPM) systems; scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) systems; laser spectroscopy systems based upon fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy; atomic force microscopes (AFM); and Beowulf computer cluster, with 130 CPU cores connected by a low-latency infiniband network. You will spend the third of your four years on a paid industrial placement, putting your skills into practice and greatly enhancing your employability. All of our Physics degrees are accredited by the Institute of Physics. As a physics student, you will also benefit from exceptional project supervision, small group teaching, and opportunities for summer studentships and projects at the CERN Particle Physics Laboratory. Our notable Physics alumni include Professor Lyn Evans, leader of the Large Hadron Collider project at CERN, while Professor Peter Higgs, Swansea University Honorary Fellow and Physics Nobel Prize winner, proposed the Boson particle, and has strong links with the department. “Studying Physics at Swansea University has definitely been one of the best decisions I have made. The location is incredible, the people are simply inspiring, and the standard is extremely high. I have a lot of praise for all of the staff here and their hard-work, meticulous care, and excellent teaching. Without them, there are certainly a few things that would not have been possible!” - Georgina Jackson, BSc Physics with a Year in Industry

Course Details - Modules

In Year 1 your modules may include Dynamics, Oscillations and Waves; Astronomy and Cosmology; Physics of Fields and Matter; Essential Skills for Physicists; the Quantum World; Mathematics for Physicists; and Laboratory Physics, which can be studied in English or Welsh. In Year 2, modules may include Statistical Physics; Physics Simulation; Quantum Mechanics; Mathematical Methods in Physics; Condensed Matter Physics; Electromagneticism and Special Relativity; Particle Physics; and further Laboratory Physics, which can be studied in English or Welsh. In Year 3, You will spend the year on a paid industrial placement, putting your skills into practice and greatly enhancing your employability. In Year 4, you will study modules covering Quantum Mechanics; Atomic Physics; Condensed Matter Physics; Quantum Optics; Particle Physics; Nuclear Physics; and Climate Physics; as well as research skills and a project in English or Welsh. There are also optional modules, such as General Relativity; Cosmology; Modern Laser Systems; Astrophysics; and Teaching Physics via a School Placement.

Course Details – Assessment Method

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, laboratory work, examples classes and weekly small group classes. You will be assessed through regular problem solving in small groups and individual study, online assessment custom designed for each lecture module, keeping a laboratory diary and preparing scientific reports in practical modules. Final year projects are assessed through the preparation of a dissertation and presentation of your research, either as a poster in a conference-like forum or an oral presentation.

Course Details – Professional Bodies

Professional Bodies are not listed for this Course.

How to Apply

26 January This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application Codes

Course code: F478

Institution code: S93

Campus Name: Singleton Park Campus

Campus code:

Points of Entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

Year 1

Entry Requirements for Advanced Entry (Year 2 and Beyond)

Entry Requirements for Advanced Entry are not listed for this Course.

International applicants

Standard Qualification Requirements

To include Maths and Physics

ABBBC to include B in Mathematics.

Pass with Distinction (24 Distinctions to include 3 in Mathematics and 3 in Physics, plus 15 merits at Level 3).

We recognise the EPQ as an excellent indicator of success. If you are predicted a Grade B or above in the EPQ, you will receive an offer with a one grade reduction, to include your EPQ with a grade B.

To include 6 in HL Mathematics and 5-6 in HL Physics.

Plus A-level grade A in Physics. Applicants will also be expected to demonstrate mathematics equivalent to A-level grade B or above potentially during interview.

Welsh Baccalaureate: Requirements are as for A levels where you can substitute the same non-subject specific grade for the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Level Core Grade.

Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Minimum Further Information are not listed for this Course.

English language requirements

Test Grade AdditionalDetails
English Language Entry Requirement Information are not listed for this Course.

Unistats information

Student satisfaction : 73%

Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs): 60%

Go onto work and study: 95%

Fees and funding

Additional Fee Information

Additional Fee Information are not listed for this Course.

Provider information

Singleton Park
Address2 are not listed for this Course.
Address3 are not listed for this Course.
Swansea
SA2 8PP

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