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BSc Maths to MSc Physics - is that possible??

Hello all!

I am a first-year Open University student studying Maths. My initial plan was to study Physics at uni, but I had to stick with OU for financial reasons and it only offers either a NatSci degree or "Mathematics and Physics", neither of which I really liked the sound of. So I went with Maths and am really enjoying the course, but I'd like to get a Master's degree later on and was hoping that I could possibly somehow pursue an MSc in Physics or a related field by applying with what I have. So here is what I would like to know:

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What are the chances that I will get accepted into an MSc Physics course with a BSc in Mathematics? (I am mostly looking at Europe and the US)

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What would I have to do for sure to even get the smallest chance of being accepted? e.g. I imagine I would have to complete separate courses or read certain books, etc.

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What can I do to appear more desirable to the uni?

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And if not Physics, are there any other non-Maths MSc degrees that I could try for with a BSc in Maths? e.g. I am also interested in computers, so Computer Science or some kind of engineering degree would be an interesting option.



I realise that it is very unlikely and will still pursue an MSc in Maths if I have no other options, but I was just wondering if anyone knew if this is possible.

Thanks in advance!
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greenery
1
Clearly it will depend primarily on your grades and on how much physics you have studied for your degree. It is strange that you passed over the BSc in Mathematics and Physics, since it sounds like that would have been the most appropriate choice for you. Maybe you should consider switching over if your main interest is in physics.

I can't find up to date information on the OU's frustrating new website, but while I was doing my BSc in Mathematics there were several physics or physics-related options on the syllabus including SM358 The Quantum World, SMT359 Electromagnetism, MST326 Mathematical methods and fluid dynamics, and MS324 Waves, Diffusion and Variational Principles (which included a treatment of basic Lagrangian mechanics). MS324 will probably be retired by the time you reach level 3, if it hasn't been already, but there was talk of a replacement course featuring partial differential equations and Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics. It used to be the case that one could also choose free options up to a certain number of credits; if you can still do this (which I think you probably no longer can) then S383 The Relativistic Universe would be an appropriate choice. If you were to take all of these courses along with some relevant mathematics, such as M337 Complex Analysis, then you would have experienced most of the major components of a degree in physics besides thermodynamics/statistical mechanics. In this case it would be quite realistic to apply to an MSc in Physics.

Note that many European universities offer the opportunity to study physics (or something else) as a second subject within a mathematics MSc. Also note that there is a certain amount of shared subject matter between mathematics and physics and, depending on which course you were to choose, it could be possible to do a named MSc in Mathematics that mainly consisted of topics in mathematical physics.

The short answer is, in order to study either mathematics or physics you need to know all of the mathematics at OU levels 1 and 2. After this, orient your choices towards physics and you may have a realistic chance of specializing in physics later. You'll need to consult the current OU mathematics syllabus (if you can find it...) to determine exactly how best to proceed in terms of module selection. It sounds to me like the simplest option would be for you to switch to the BSc in Mathematics and Physics, if you can do so.
Original post by greenery
Clearly it will depend primarily on your grades and on how much physics you have studied for your degree. It is strange that you passed over the BSc in Mathematics and Physics, since it sounds like that would have been the most appropriate choice for you. Maybe you should consider switching over if your main interest is in physics.

I can't find up to date information on the OU's frustrating new website, but while I was doing my BSc in Mathematics there were several physics or physics-related options on the syllabus including SM358 The Quantum World, SMT359 Electromagnetism, MST326 Mathematical methods and fluid dynamics, and MS324 Waves, Diffusion and Variational Principles (which included a treatment of basic Lagrangian mechanics). MS324 will probably be retired by the time you reach level 3, if it hasn't been already, but there was talk of a replacement course featuring partial differential equations and Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics. It used to be the case that one could also choose free options up to a certain number of credits; if you can still do this (which I think you probably no longer can) then S383 The Relativistic Universe would be an appropriate choice. If you were to take all of these courses along with some relevant mathematics, such as M337 Complex Analysis, then you would have experienced most of the major components of a degree in physics besides thermodynamics/statistical mechanics. In this case it would be quite realistic to apply to an MSc in Physics.

Note that many European universities offer the opportunity to study physics (or something else) as a second subject within a mathematics MSc. Also note that there is a certain amount of shared subject matter between mathematics and physics and, depending on which course you were to choose, it could be possible to do a named MSc in Mathematics that mainly consisted of topics in mathematical physics.

The short answer is, in order to study either mathematics or physics you need to know all of the mathematics at OU levels 1 and 2. After this, orient your choices towards physics and you may have a realistic chance of specializing in physics later. You'll need to consult the current OU mathematics syllabus (if you can find it...) to determine exactly how best to proceed in terms of module selection. It sounds to me like the simplest option would be for you to switch to the BSc in Mathematics and Physics, if you can do so.


Thanks so much for the detailed and case-specific answer! I tried to find a similar thread on the Physics Forums, but all they had to say was "you'll have to find out for yourself".

Unfortunately, it's too late for my to switch to Mathematics and Physics, since I have to have taken S104 for Level 1 and I've already used up all my Level 1 credit. I don't have the money or time to do an extra Level 1 unit, sadly. Plus, I would rather switch to NatSci with a specialisation in Physics, since it has more astronomy units, but once again, I can't make the switch due to the modules I have already completed.

I am studying full-time, so I will actually still be able to do MS324. I have to choose 4 out of the following for Level 3:
- M303 Further Pure Mechanics
- MS324 Waves, diffusion and variational principles
- MST326 Mathematical methods and fluid mechanics
- M337 Complex analysis
- M343 Applications of probability
- MST365 Graphs, networks and design
- M373 Optimization

There is also MS327 Deterministic and stochastic dynamics, but that one is new and the start dates aren't given yet.
So, just to give myself an idea, I would want to take MS324, MST326, M337 and... perhaps M303? Though I wouldn't mind taking MST365. It seems like an interesting module.

You definitely gave me a great idea, though, about doing an MSc in Maths and being able to study physics within it, or perhaps specialising in mathematical physics. I am definitely going to do some research on that for the unis I have been looking at in Europe and the US.

Thanks again! This was really helpful!

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