School of Physics and Astronomy Undergraduate Study 2018
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School of Physics and Astronomy Undergraduate Study 2018 ph.qmul.ac.uk Cover image: The School’s observatory is fitted with telescopes for both daytime and night- time observing, and is used in undergraduate research projects. Farouk Chousein, Physics MSci 2017, measuring thin film plastics in the School’s materials lab. 2 ph.qmul.ac.uk Contents Welcome to the School of Physics and Astronomy 5 Why choose our School of Physics and Astronomy? 6 Facilities 9 Teaching and learning 10 Student support 12 Careers and employability 14 Study abroad 17 Degree programmes 18 Essential information 24 Our student society: PsiStar 26 London Tube map 28 Campus map 29 ph.qmul.ac.uk 3 Students Kathryn Coldham and Sabrina Alam working on an experiment in the teaching laboratory. “Studying physics gives you so many valuable skills. I got on to one of the placements organised by the School, where my analysis and problem-solving skills came in really useful. I was working in a data science company, which was really interesting. The placement went so well, I even got offered a job for when I graduate!” Sabrina Alam, Theoretical Physics BSc 2017 4 ph.qmul.ac.uk Welcome to the School of School of Physics and Astronomy We know that physics and We understand that choosing where to astronomy are awe-inspiring study can be difficult and hope that the subjects, and that access to great information in this brochure will give you a better understanding of what we can teachers and excellent resources offer you. Another great way to explore enables our students to achieve life at Queen Mary University of London great things. (QMUL) is through one of our Open Days or events. For more information, please We also know that a degree in physics or visit: qmul.ac.uk/visitus astronomy is a fantastic start to a career, and that graduates from our degrees go on to apply their skills in a range of fascinating and well-paid jobs. “General relativity forever changed our view of space and That’s why our degrees combine the academic rigour of a Russell Group time. It has made the things we university, an enriching programme of always took for granted as fixed careers and employability activities, and a and inviolate, become malleable, friendly and supportive environment. This productive combination is rated highly by changeable and unfixed. To be our students; for three years running, the able to bring these ideas to a new School has been placed top in London for generation and take people to the overall satisfaction in the National Student Survey (NSS 2014, 2015, 2016). brink of contemporary physics is a true pleasure” In order to continue our success, we have Professor David Berman – Professor of Theoretical invested to provide physics and astronomy Physics, Deputy Head of School students with top-class facilities where they can excel. The wider campus provides its own unique benefits, combining the convenience of a close community with the huge wealth of opportunities afforded by our London location. ph.qmul.ac.uk 5 Why choose our School of Physics and Astronomy? Develop your passion School highlights Our areas of expertise are broad and include particle physics, astronomy, 1st in London for student materials physics and theoretical physics, allowing you to pursue your interests as satisfaction 3 years running they develop. Ultimately, you can choose (NSS 2016, 2015, 2014) to gain a degree with a wide knowledge of physics or to specialise in a particular area. Successful placement scheme offering opportunities in research You can specialise further through and industry our intercollegiate MSci programmes, which share fourth-year modules with other University of London institutions Excellent facilities including labs including King’s College London (KCL), and an observatory University College London (UCL) and Royal Holloway, University of London. All of our Involved in pioneering international programmes are accredited by the Institute research collaborations including of Physics, which ensures consistent the discovery of the Higgs boson academic standards. and exoplanet Proxima B Taught by experts You will be taught by academic staff Opportunities to study abroad who work on high-profile international collaborations and bring unique knowledge and insight to their teaching. The School of Physics and Astronomy is involved in research including the ATLAS experiment at CERN, neutrino physics at T2K in Japan, surveys with the VISTA telescope at the European Southern Observatory (ESO), and the NASA/ESA Cassini mission to Saturn. 6 ph.qmul.ac.uk Be part of our heritage Excellent facilities Our rich research heritage includes over Our facilities include teaching laboratories, 100 years of success, with our work a roof-top observatory, a study space just for playing a key role in some of the most physics students, and professional research exciting discoveries in the fields of physics facilities for use in final year projects. For and astronomy. Our early studies of atomic more information see page 8. structure fed into Rutherford’s discovery of the atomic nucleus; our researchers played Excellent training a role in the Nobel Prize-winning discovery In addition to the suite of skills that you of the W, Z and Higgs bosons; and our will develop through your study of physics or work in the development of superstring astronomy, you will also have the opportunity theory led to the first ‘superstring to build valuable work experience and revolution’. transferable skills through specialist careers and employability support. Most recently, QMUL astronomer Dr Guillem Anglada-Escudé was cited in Time Study abroad Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential You can apply to spend a semester or a full people of 2017, having led a team of year abroad on a non-credit-bearing year at scientists to discover the closest ever one of our international partner universities exoplanet to Earth, Proxima b. (see page 16 for details). There are no extra tuition fees associated with years abroad, A great learning environment though you will need to cover your transport, The School combines the academic rigour accommodation and living expenses. and high standards of a Russell Group institution with a friendly and supportive The top two students on the Astrophysics atmosphere. The School is always highly programme will be offered fully-funded rated by students in the National Student summer internships at the Skinakas Survey (NSS) and has been voted first in Observatory in Crete. London for overall satisfaction for the last three years running (NSS 2016, 2015, 2014). ph.qmul.ac.uk 7 “My favourite aspect of my degree has been the experimental work. Whether it was building an Arduino robot in my first year, or conducting my own experiments in the School’s X-ray facility for my final year project, I’ve loved being able to put into practice the physics I had been learning in lectures.” Naomi Marchant, Physics BSc 2017 8 ph.qmul.ac.uk Facilities Teaching lab Built for you to use in practical modules and project work, the teaching lab features a host of modern physics equipment including X-ray sources, spectral emission tubes, radioactive sources and detectors, and open-source electronics hardware. The lab is equipped with IT facilities at each workstation. School observatory Fitted with equipment for night-time and daytime (solar) observing, the School observatory allows access to very high level astronomical imaging equipment for use in undergraduate projects. The motorised dome houses a Celestron C14 and Coronado Solarmax telescopes. These payloads are fitted to an automated tracking mount with guidance software, allowing instant targeting and tracking of an extensive catalogue of known astronomical objects. Research laboratories Primarily used for academic research, the School’s professional lab facilities can also be used by some undergraduate students for their final year research projects. Facilities include materials and chemistry labs for use in material physics research, a laser lab, x-ray diffraction and crystallography facilities, and a muon physics lab. ph.qmul.ac.uk 9 Teaching and learning You will learn through a Independent study combination of lectures, laboratory At university, you will be expected to sessions and tutorial classes. Your undertake a large amount of independent total contact or teaching time will be study. Your individual study time could be around 17 hours per week in your spent preparing for tutorials and lectures, reading, assessing data from experiments, first year. You will be expected to completing lab reports and revising for spend time on independent study exams. and coursework or lab reports. Overall, this means that you should The practice you will have carrying out be spending 30-40 hours on your this independent work is fantastic for developing important transferrable skills studies each week. like time management, critical thinking and the ability to overcome challenges Modular structure independently. Your degree will be taught in modules, each covering a different topic. Typically, modules Research projects will be taught through a number of hours For many students, the most exciting part each of lectures and problems classes/ of their degree is their final year research tutorials. Practical laboratory modules, such project. This project will be chosen from as ‘Scientific Measurement’, have fewer a large range of high-level, open-ended lectures and are almost entirely delivered in research topics that are developed by our the teaching laboratory. academic staff so as to be closely aligned with their own research interests. Your Assessment research project is therefore a chance to Modules are assessed depending on the develop your interests in your chosen topic nature of the work being carried out. For of physics, supervised by an academic example, if the module involves practical member of staff who is an expert in that work only, the assessment will be based area.