Different Physics Degree Programmes and College Rankings at Oxford

Hi everyone! I'm exploring options for undergraduate studies at Oxford (for my daughter) and had a couple of questions:

How many undergraduate programmes does Oxford offer in physics? I’ve seen different lists and would love to understand the complete picture, including any special joint programmes.
Is there an informal ranking of Oxford colleges in physics? I know the colleges are all unique with their own strengths, but is there a rough consensus on their reputations for different subjects or general experiences?

Any advice on how to prioritise them during application would be greatly appreciated! May be this information is available under other links, however, I could not find it.

Reply 1

BetaVersion2.9

There are two UG courses that include physics at Oxford :
physics,
and physics and philosophy
Physics | University of Oxford
Physics and Philosophy | University of Oxford

Physics is a 4 yr course leading to a MPhys. There is an option to leave after three years with a BA. Switching between these two options is simply a matter of completing a form.
A student can begin to take different options within the course from year 1, e.g., the first year has options in astronomy, complex analysis and quantum ideas. This is typical of Oxford's courses where a student can shape their studies to follow their own interests.

There is no ranking of Oxford colleges either informally or formally. Teaching will be split between lectures, labs and tutorials. In their first year most tutorials will be with their college tutor, but in subsequent years some tutorials will be held with tutors in other colleges, depending upon where the expertise lies. When choosing a College on the UCAS form you should be aware that this is only expressing a preference, and should any offer of a place be made there is a possibility it may come from a different college. I believe the application process now shuffles about 20% of applicants to another college.
When choosing a College it's best to consider factors such as location, age, size of undergraduate community, facilities (laundry, sports clubs etc.), whether accommodation is offered for all years of the course etc. Keble is a popular choice, but only because it is directly opposite the physics dept.
You may want to look at The Complete Guide To Choosing Your Oxford College | UniAdmissions

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 2

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by Adiscoverer

As above there are two primary programmes, the physics and philosophy course (which has the philosophy of physics at its core although other philosophy options are available to) and the main physics course. There's also the fourth year mathematical physics programme, which you can swap into from either of the other two physics courses.

Lectures are delivered centrally by the department, as are labs for a course like physics as I understand. The college based teaching would be the tutorials however the format and "quality" of these should be equivalent across the colleges. Essentially on academic terms all the colleges are equal - decisions between colleges should be base on more practical considerations like availability of accommodation for the entire course, living costs in the college, food options, and less practically but more in terms of wellbeing the grounds, architecture, and "feel" of the college.

It's also possible for students to be interviewed by a second college and be made an offer by that college (or sometimes, another college entirely) so I wouldn't suggest getting too hung up on college choice since she may end up at another college anyway. Just pick one that seems to more or less fit the bill and that she likes the feel of - the academics will be as good there as any other college within the university.