Physics Enrichment Pack

So, you want to study a Physics based subject at a top university? This pack contains loads of resources to help you extend your learning beyond the syllabus. It also has information about the physics based courses on offer at Oxbridge, as well as some courses you might not have considered

Oxbridge Course InformationOxford Physics

Standard Offer: A*AA (A* in Physics or Maths)

Interviewed: 43%

Successful: 18%

Admissions Test: PAT

More information: http://www2.physics.ox.ac.uk/study-here/undergraduates

We offer two physics degrees: the three-year BA and the four-year MPhys, with an average combined intake of 180 each year. In addition, a further degree course is offered jointly with the Philosophy department and has an average annual entry of 16.

The 3-year BA Honours Course (3 Years)

This course provides a general education in the basic principles of physics, their formulation and manipulation in mathematical terms and their application in the laboratory to experiments. This is probably the more appropriate degree for those not seeking a possible career in physics e.g. teaching or commerce.

Physics courses investigate the basic principles of modern physics with a strong emphasis on its mathematical foundation. They also include a significant amount of experimental work and the possibility of studying a non-physics subject. There is also a common emphasis on individual development, discussion and the ability to work with others in the laboratory.

Course Structure:

The first year (foundation) and second year (core physics) courses are the same for both the BA and the MPhys. In the third year, BA students choose some of the third year subjects, and do a project. In each of years one, two and three, all students choose additional 'Short Options' from a range of courses.

The 4-year MPhys (Master of Physics) course (4 Years)

Physics courses investigate the basic principles of modern physics with a strong emphasis on its mathematical foundation. They also include a significant amount of experimental work and the possibility of studying a non-physics subject. There is also a common emphasis on individual development, discussion and the ability to work with others in the laboratory.

This is an extended course allowing time in addition to the 3-year BA course to pursue two or more fields up to the research frontier. It should be of interest to those who seek a possible career in physics and/or who want a degree comparable in level with advanced European degrees.

Students on the two Physics courses follow exactly the same programme of study for the first two years. After the Part A exams at the end of the second year, students must choose which degree they wish to take. Those who have achieved less than a 2:1 standard in their Part A exams are not normally allowed to take the four-year course.

Students unsure of which course to apply for would normally be advised to apply for the four-year course. This is because funding agencies and colleges are more likely to approve a change from a four-year to three-year course than the reverse.

Physics and Philosophy (4 Years)

This course will be of interest to those who seek a deeper philosophical understanding of the basis of physics and who want a degree comparable in level with advanced European degrees. In the physics and philosophy course some of the physics subjects in each year are replaced by topics in philosophy. The Joint Honours degree in Physics and Philosophy is intended to restore the long-standing connection between natural science on the one hand and the study of its foundations in metaphysics and the theory of knowledge on the other hand. The course is also intended to equip those who take it with the ability to think scientifically, to handle difficult concepts and to present their conclusions incisively and effectively. It is a course which aims to bridge the Arts/Science divide.

Oxford Engineering Science (4 Years)

Standard Offer: A*A*A (A*s in Physics, Maths or Further Maths)

Interviewed: 53%

Successful: 17%

Admissions Test: PAT

More information: http://www.eng.ox.ac.uk/study-here/undergraduate

The first two years of the four-year MEng programme are devoted to topics which we believe all Engineering undergraduates should study. In the third and fourth years there is scope for specialisation into one of six branches of engineering: Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Information and Mechanical. Decisions about which of these will be your specialisation can be deferred until the third year. University examinations are held at the end of each year

As a guide, you will have up to about ten lectures, two college tutorials or classes, and up to five hours of practical work each week of term for the first three years. In the fourth year, the research project will take up roughly half your time.

Oxford Materials Science (4 Years)

Standard Offer: A*AA (A* in Maths, Physics or Chemistry)

Interviewed: 79%

Successful: 28%

Admissions Test: PAT

More Information: http://www.materials.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/

Modern society is heavily dependent on advanced materials: lightweight composites for faster vehicles, optical fibres for telecommunications and silicon microchips for the information revolution. Materials scientists study the relationships between the structure and properties of a material and how it is made. They also develop new materials and devise processes for manufacturing them. Materials Science is vital for developments in nanotechnology, quantum computing and nuclear fusion, as well as medical technologies such as bone replacement materials.

This diverse programme spans the subject from its foundations in physics and chemistry to the mechanical, electrical, magnetic and optical properties of materials, and the design, manufacture and applications of metals, alloys, ceramics, polymers, composites and biomaterials. This work is supported by excellent laboratory and teaching facilities.

In a course taught partly by the Sad Business School, the programme also offers an opportunity to develop an understanding of entrepreneurship (learning how to write a business plan, raise capital and start a company). There are also voluntary options to learn a language .

The Oxford Materials degree includes the special feature in its fourth year of an eight-month full-time research project, when you join a research team here at Oxford in one of the strongest Departments of Materials in the UK or, occasionally, at an overseas university or in an industrial laboratory (additional costs may be associated with a project outside Oxford). Significant scientific publications sometimes result from these projects. You will learn how to break down a complex problem, design an experiment or model, manage a project and communicate your results. These research skills are transferable to many career paths and are valued highly by employers.

Cambridge Natural Sciences (3/4 Years)

Standard Offer: A*A*A

Successful: 20%

Admissions Test: None

More Information: http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/natural-sciences

Natural Sciences (NST) is the framework within which most science subjects are taught at Cambridge. If you want to study any of the biological and physical sciences, this is the course for you.

Natural Sciences (NST) offers a wide range of physical and biological science subjects from 16 departments in a unique and demanding course. A broad first year is combined with increasing specialisation in the second year, and the possibility of total specialisation in the third year.

The breadth of the course reflects the blurring of boundaries between the different sciences, and before committing yourself to one department you study a variety of subjects, some of which may be new to you. This is a huge advantage because it gives you the flexibility to change your mind about which subject to specialise in, and is extremely valuable in alerting you to the important issues in other branches of science.

The flexibility of the course makes it possible to take purely biological sciences, purely physical sciences or a combination of both, according to your interests.

You choose your subjects at the start of the first term in discussion with your Director of Studies, but you should indicate in your Supplementary Application Questionnaire (SAQ) whether your interests lie broadly in biological or physical sciences. The choice isn't absolute, and many students change direction before they start or as they progress.

In Year 1 (Part IA), you study three science subjects (from a choice of eight), plus one mathematics subject (from three options), chosen at the start of the first term.

Many students discover a passion for the new subjects that they start in the first year, such as Earth Sciences or Materials Science, and continue with these in subsequent years.

In Year 2 (Part IB), you choose three subjects from 19 options available. Some build directly on Part IA and some introduce what are essentially new areas.

Most students pursue a single advanced subject in Year 3 (Part II), concentrating on specific areas and undertaking a research project or dissertation in that field. Alternatively, in Year 3 you can take the broader Biological and Biomedical Sciences option or the Physical Sciences option.

Some Part II options have a competitive entry due to restrictions on laboratory space, meaning youre not guaranteed your Part II subject choice. However, more than 80 per cent of students are typically able to study their first choice of subject.