Particle Physics MSc(Res)

Particle physics has been at the centre of some of the 21st century's biggest scientific discoveries. You'll study in a department that has worked on the discovery of the Higgs boson and the detection of gravitational waves. Our researchers are involved in searches for dark matter and ground-breaking neutrino experiments.

Course description

This course covers the complex theories and experimental techniques that particle physicists use to explain the nature of the universe. It will develop your understanding of the Standard Model by going into even greater depth on topics you might have covered in your undergraduate degree, such as quantum mechanics, electrodynamics and dark matter.

You’ll learn about the methods particle physicists use to study the universe, the experiments that led to the discoveries of neutrons, positrons and neutrinos, and the experimental evidence for quarks and gluons. You can examine the possible explanations for dark matter with scientists who are leading searches for it, and take modules led by researchers who were involved in the Higgs boson and gravitational wave discoveries.

You might also be able to do your research project at a facility where our scientists work off campus, such as CERN.

Your career

The advanced topics covered and the extensive research training make this course great preparation for a PhD. Physics graduates also develop numerical, problem solving and data analysis skills that are useful in many careers, including computer programming, software engineering, data science, and research and development into new products and services.