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Theoretical Physics with Mathematics

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,A

A level Mathematics grade A and A level Physics grade A

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

36

with 16 points from the best 3 Higher Level subjects including 6 in Mathematics HL and Physics HL

May be considered alongside A level Mathematics and A level Physics

UCAS Tariff

144

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Theoretical physics

Taught jointly with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, this degree combines core physics and specialised theoretical physics with pure mathematics, creating a challenging and rewarding course. This provides an understanding of the mathematical foundations of physics; for example, you will learn how quantum mechanics is underpinned by the powerful mathematical concept of a Hilbert space.

Mathematical foundations are laid down early in the degree, whilst in the latter parts the focus shifts to applications of theoretical physics. In the first year, content will be one-third quantum physics and electromagnetism and two-thirds mathematics, covering modules such as Quantum Physics and Electromagnetism, and the core of Mathematics including geometry and calculus, numbers and relations, and probability.

The physics content increases in each subsequent year. Core physics modules are complemented by modules from the theoretical physics degree and mathematical topics such as Group Theory and Differential Equations. You will also carry out a group project on current research topics such as machine learning, cryptography and the spread of infectious diseases.

By the fourth year, the programme is three-quarters physics, one-quarter mathematics. MPhys students will complete an extended research project on a topic such as quantum computation, or geometry and electrodynamics, alongside advanced modules.

Example core modules:
- Statistical Physics

- Abstract Algebra

- Quantum Physics

Example optional modules:
- Hilbert Spaces

- Groups and Symmetry

- Linear Systems

The Uni


Course location:

Lancaster University

Department:

Physics

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What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

95%
Theoretical physics

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Physics

Teaching and learning

87%
Staff make the subject interesting
92%
Staff are good at explaining things
93%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
86%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

90%
Library resources
90%
IT resources
97%
Course specific equipment and facilities
91%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

89%
UK students
11%
International students
75%
Male students
25%
Female students
88%
2:1 or above
6%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
A

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Physics

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£25,000
med
Average annual salary
95%
med
Employed or in further education
78%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

15%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
14%
Business, research and administrative professionals
13%
Natural and social science professionals

Although the subject has seen a bit of resurgence in recent years, the UK is still felt to be short of physics graduates, and in particular physicists training as teachers. If you want a career in physics research — in all sorts of areas, from atmospheric physics to lasers - you'll probably need to take a doctorate, and so have a think about where you would like to do that and how you might fund it (the government funds many physics doctorates, so you might not find it as hard as you think). With that in mind, it's not surprising that just over a fifth of physics graduates go on to take doctorates when they finish their degree, and well over a third of physicists take some kind of postgraduate study in total. Physics is highly regarded and surprisingly versatile, which is why physics graduates who decide not to stay in education are more likely to go into well-paid jobs in the finance industry than they are to go into science. The demand and versatility of physics degrees goes to explain why they're amongst the best-paid science graduates.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Physics

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£25k

£25k

£28k

£28k

£33k

£33k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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