Physics with Theoretical Physics BSc (Hons)

Imperial College London

**This degree is professionally accredited by the Institute of Physics. As well as your main Imperial degree (BSc), you will also receive the award of the Associateship of the Royal College of Science (ARCS) on completion of this course.**Physics at Imperial covers a broad range of topics in both fundamental and applied physics. This course is ideally suited to those with a specific interest in mathematics and its application, and places less emphasis on experimental work than our standard Physics courses.You will follow a similar curriculum to the standard Physics courses for the first two years, covering key topics such as electromagnetism, relativity and quantum physics. As a Theoretical Physics student, you will take an extra mathematics module in both years in place of a physics module.This core programme provides you with a good grounding in physics, mathematics and experimental methods, and prepares you for advanced study.In your final year you will have greater flexibility to specialise, with a wide choice of theoretical optional modules in areas such as group theory, general relativity and quantum field theory. You will also have the chance to complete a substantial project on a theoretical physics topic in one of our research groups.Many of our modules are directly linked to our research so you’ll be learning at the very cutting edge of the subject. Research in our Department has contributed to ground-breaking discoveries in many different fields, from astrophysics to quantum optics and laser science.Practical work is an important part of the Physics curriculum at Imperial, and you will have access to state-of-the-art facilities as well as data collected from major experiments such as CERN. You will also gain a solid understanding of how to use computers as tools to help model and understand the physics of complicated phenomena. This includes using computers to make advanced calculations and analyse data, and how to use the programming language Python.The high level of shared content in the first two years of our Physics degrees means that transfer to another degree within the Department is usually possible in the first two years. If you are an international student, transferring to a different course could have an impact on your Tier 4 visa, but our International Student Support Team are here to help advise and support you.Please note there is no benefit in applying to multiple courses within the Department of Physics, and you should only apply to one course from this department.