Studying with us

The Academic year is divided into two 15 week semesters, each composed of 12 weeks teaching, followed by 3 weeks examinations on the completed units. The two semesters are separated by the Christmas holiday. In semester 1 there is a reading week, and in semester 2 there is the Easter vacation.

Students have the option of studying Physics as either a single subject or as part of a dual honours degree, which may involve teaching in another Department of the University. In addition, for most degree courses there is the option of registering for a three year (BSc) or the four year (MPhys) course.

The first two years of each degree involve many of the same modules, and students may opt out of the four year option at any time up to the end of the second year. The selection of students for the four year MPhys degree is based on performance in the second year examinations.

Unless you are sure on first entry to the University that you wish to study for only three years, we advise you to register for the appropriate MPhys course. There is just one first year Physics course, which is taken by all Single and Dual Honours students, and all students taking Physics as a principal subject must also take Mathematics.

Teaching in the Department of Physics & Astronomy is arranged in modules. A full module will typically involve 35 or more lectures. Each module has a unit code, e.g. PHY101, and a credit assignment; generally 20 credits or 10 credits.

A 10 credit module would typically involve 22 lectures, course work, and a few hours per week self study.

The student work load is 120 credits in each year of study, preferably 60 credits in each semester, although a 70:50 or 50:70 split is acceptable.

In order to be awarded the credits for a module a student must obtain a minimum of 40 per cent overall, and satisfy any special requirements – for example, some modules require that each individual component of the assessment must be passed. A student must obtain 120 credits at level 1 in order to proceed automatically to level 2.

Three types of module can appear in a degree programme:

1. Core modules, which are a compulsory part of a degree course.

2. Approved modules, which are selected from a list compiled by the Department and added to your record during Intro Week.

3. Unrestricted modules, which are selected by the student from the University Directory of Modules. The choice of modules is restricted by timetabling constraints, and individual modules may have pre-requisites (e.g. specific A levels) which must be satisfied. Acceptance on to modules which are not provided by the Department of Physics and Astronomy is subject to approval from the host department.