Physics Courses, Assessment and Degree Structure
In each academic year, your courses add up to a total of 120 ‘credits’. Each of the following is a 20-credit course, unless otherwise stated. It is possible to take a placement year following successful completion of level 5 (second year). See also an overview of the different types of Physics Degrees.
Click on any course title below to find more detailed information on syllabus, texts and full module specification (including assessment information). Course titles have their Course Reference Numbers (CRN’s) in brackets.
Reading Lists (see also individual course pages below, in the first instance)
Physics Foundation Year (level 3)
Semesters 1 & 2
Foundation Physics A (50142)
[ mechanics.matter.waves ]
Foundation Physics B (50143)
[ electricity.fields.atoms ]
Foundation Physics Laboratory (50158) †
[ design.analysis.experiments ]
Foundation IT and Study Skills (50159)
[ careers.skills.exercises ]
Semester 1
Foundation Mathematics 1 (52551)
[ algebra.geometry.matrices ]
Semester 2
Foundation Mathematics 2 (52552)
[ vectors.calculus.series ]
† Introduction to Probability and Statistics replaces Foundation Physics Laboratory for Mathematics with Foundation Year students
Physics First Year (level 4)
Semesters 1 & 2
Mechanics, Relativity and Quantum Physics (59402)
Electricity, Magnetism and Light (59403)
Physics Laboratory 1 (59407)
Physics in Context (59406)
Modelling of Physical Systems (59404)
Mathematics (59405)
Electronic Engineering students only:
Semester 1
Mathematics 39013 (39013) [ foundation.to.calculus ]
Semester 2
Mathematics and Computing (31140) [ theory.analysis.simulation ]
Physics Second Year (level 5)
Semesters 1 & 2
Electromagnetism (59408)
Thermal Physics (59410)
Quantum Physics (59411)
Waves and Optics (59412)
Semester 1
Physics Laboratory 2 (59409)
Semester 2
Group Project (59413) †
† or Principles of Acoustics or Foreign Language (S1 & S2)
Physics Third Year (level 6)
Semesters 1 & 2
Project in Physics (13748) – 40 credits
Semester 1
Nuclear and Particle Physics (60831)
Physics Laboratory 3 (60692)
Semester 2
Condensed Matter Physics (60832)
and
Astrophysics & Planetary Physics (60694) or Photonics & Nanotechnology (60695)
Degree Classification
The class of degree awarded for BSc is calculated with a weighting of 75% from final year results and 25% from results of the previous year. While students are required to achieve all the necessary credits of their course, the 3-year BSc degree class is calculated using individual year results from the best 100 (of 120) credits.