BSc or MPhy?

steerpike1985

Sorry didn't read your question properly. the MPhy is a 4 year course as opposed to the three year course that a BSc is. If you want to specifically use Physics in your career - such as going into research, then I would recommend going for an MPhy

Yeah, master's courses are more for research cos you do a research project in the 4th year. However, you can still do a PhD after doing a BSc. It's "MPhys" btw.

Reply 5

OP

Yes you're right - it's MPhys, my mistake... how easy is it to swap then? And what about degrees that are only offered as a MPhys or as a BSc?

Reply 6

Princess Ana

Yes you're right - it's MPhys, my mistake... how easy is it to swap then? And what about degrees that are only offered as a MPhys or as a BSc?

It should be really easy to swap. Usually, you'll choose whether to stay on a BSc course or change to the MPhys (or vice versa) at the end of the 2nd year. You might need better marks to go on to the MPhys though. Not sure about courses only being offered as BSc or MPhys, most places do both (actually, my course is only a BSc but I am gonna ask if I can do the MSci). What universities are you looking at?

Reply 7

OP

I haven't found anything that mentions the abilty to swap in the Oxford prospectus... and Manchester and Inperial both only offer the "Physics with a Year in Europe" as an MPhys

Reply 8

Princess Ana

I haven't found anything that mentions the abilty to swap in the Oxford prospectus... and Manchester and Inperial both only offer the "Physics with a Year in Europe" as an MPhys

Ah. Ask elpaw about Physics at Oxford. With Manchester and Imperial, the year in Europe courses are MPhys cos their 3rd year abroad counts towards the degree. I'm doing a year in Europe at Birmingham, but that year won't count so I'll get a BSc. I've checked Imperial's site and they do do the Physics course (without the year abroad) as an MSci (as well as the BSc): http://www.ic.ac.uk/p1892.htm. Manchester also offer both BSc and MPhys: http://www.manchester.ac.uk/undergraduate/findadegree/atoz.htm.

Reply 9

OP

I know that, but I really want to do a year abroad... I'm only looking at other courses cos my parents insisted :/

Reply 10

Princess Ana

I know that, but I really want to do a year abroad... I'm only looking at other courses cos my parents insisted :/

So what's wrong with doing the master's? There don't seem to be many Physics courses with a year abroad though :frown:

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Reply 11

OP

Nylex

There don't seem to be many Physics courses with a year abroad though :frown:

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No, you're right... there are only 10, plus a few that offer the chance to spend 1 or 2 terms abroad in the course of a normal degree

Reply 12

Princess Ana

No, you're right... there are only 10, plus a few that offer the chance to spend 1 or 2 terms abroad in the course of a normal degree

Oh ok. I wasn't too sure cos I didn't apply for Physics. Anyways, if you've got questions about uni Physics send me a PM :smile:

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Reply 13

OP

Nylex

There don't seem to be many Physics courses with a year abroad though :frown:

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You're right, there're only 10 - excluding the ones which offer 1 or 2 terms abroad during the normal degree

Reply 14

OP

How did you get a place, if you didn't apply for it then...?

Reply 15

ChemistBoy

16

Nylex

However, you can still do a PhD after doing a BSc.

Wrong, most of the top research institutions in the UK are now requiring undergraduate or postgraduate masters in order to a PhD in the physical sciences. My advice is go for the MPhys, its' a better degree, if the going gets tough you can drop down to the BSc.

Reply 16

woox

when i was applying for uni got was told that there are pro's and cons to doing a MGeog (and i presume these are the same for the MPhys...)
Basically its good to apply for the 4 year course (or change through your degree) because it means that you'll get your student loan for the full 4 years (you don;t get a loan for a second degree) BUT its hard to tell now whether 3 years down the line you'll still want to be continuing with your course and also some people would prefer to do a masters afterwards so you appear to have more qualifications (ie a BA and a MGeog in my case).....but as people have sad uni's are fairly flexible about allowing people to change their coruse once they get there so initially what you appy for doesn;t really matter all that much so if getting the grades to do the MPhys is less certain than just for the normal degree it might be worth not applying for it and so making it ore likely you'll getin the the first place :smile:

Reply 17