This two-year MSc is offered by Royal Holloway as part of its South East Physics Network Partnership (SEPnet). SEPnet is a consortium of six universities: University of Kent, Queen Mary University of London, Royal Holloway University of London, University of Southampton, University of Surrey, and University of Sussex. This consortium consists of around 160 academics, with an exceptionally wide range of expertise linked with world-leading research.
The first year consists mainly of taught courses in the University of London; the second research year can be at Royal Holloway or one of the other consortium members. This is a unique opportunity to collaborate with physics research groups and partner institutions in both the UK and Europe. You will benefit from consortium led events as well as state of the art video conferencing.
The Department of Physics at Royal Holloway is known internationally for its top-class research. Our staff carry out research at the cutting edge of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Experimental Quantum Computing, Quantum Matter at Low Temperatures, Theoretical Physics, and Biophysics, as well as other areas.
With access to some of the leading physics departments in the world, there is a wide choice of accommodation options, sporting facilities, international student organisations and careers services. South East England, with its close connections to continental Europe by air, Eurotunnel, and cross channel ferries, is an ideal environment for international students.
Year 1
All modules are optional
Year 2
Optional modules
In addition to these mandatory course units there are a number of optional course units available during your degree studies. The following is a selection of optional course units that are likely to be available. Please note that although the College will keep changes to a minimum, new units may be offered or existing units may be withdrawn, for example, in response to a change in staff. Applicants will be informed if any significant changes need to be made.
Year 1
You will take six from the following:
Year 2
Only core modules are taken.
This high quality European Masters programme follows the European method of study and involves a year of research working on pioneering projects.
Assessment is carried out by a variety of methods including coursework, examinations and a dissertation.
This course equips you with the subject knowledge and a solid foundation for continued studies in physics, and many of our graduates have gone on to study for a PhD.
On completion of the course graduates will have a systematic understanding of knowledge, and a critical awareness of current problems and/or new insights at the forefront of the discipline a comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to their own research or advanced scholarship originality in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in the discipline.
Our graduates are highly employable and, in recent years, have entered many different physics-related areas, including careers in industry, information technology and finance.
The programme aims to train physicists capable of working in research institutes or corporate environments. Upon successful completion of the programme, students will have acquired:
This is an initial Master's programme and can be followed on a full-time or part-time basis.
After a semester with advanced courses in different disciplines of physics, you choose a major research specialization consisting of advanced and specialized courses and a master’s thesis of 30 ECTS.
The remaining 30 ECTS allow you to follow one of two options: Research or Physics in Society.
The mission of the Department of Physics and Astronomy is exploring, understanding and modelling physical realities using mathematical, computational, experimental and observational techniques. Fifteen teams perform research at an international level. Publication of research results in leading journals and attracting top-level scientists are priorities for the department.
New physics and innovation in the development of new techniques are important aspects of our mission. The interaction with industry (consulting, patents...) and society (science popularisation) are additional points of interest. Furthermore, the department is responsible for teaching basic physics courses in several study programmes.
The master students will grow into independent and critical scientists. Masters of physics will have developed sufficient knowledge and skills to participate in competitive national or international PhD programmes. Moreover the acquired research methodology will prepare the student for employment as a scientist in any chosen profession.
The curriculum is constructed in a way that the student can specialize in an area of choice by joining one of the research groups of the department. This specialization can be in the field of nuclear physics, condensed matter physics ortheoretical physics. A major part of the curriculum consists of research resulting in a master thesis. The subject of the thesis is chosen by the student during the course of the second semester of the 1st Master year and students join a research team from the 3th semester onwards.
The students can choose an option to prepare themselves better for a future in research or in industry or society related fields.
In the option "research" the student can take courses from another research specialization than its major one, which can be accompanied by an internship in one of the research teams of this minor discipline. As such our students have the possibility to broaden their knowledge in at least two scientific disciplines (in physics or a related field), which is invaluable when a further research career in or out of academia is considered.
In the option "Physics for society" students can choose for an internship of a full semester in a company or they can take courses from the LCIE Entrepreneurship Academy who wants to prepare academics for entrepreneurschip.
The Erasmus programme of the European Union offers an excellent opportunity for Belgian students who would like to combine their study with experience outside the KU Leuven. All research groups of the department have a network of European collaborators and we advise interested students to integrate this exchange with their thesis research during their second Master year. Choices concerning the Erasmus programme need to be made in December of the 1st Master year. Address the Erasmus coordinator to obtain specific information on this European programme.
The Department of Physics and Astronomy at KU Leuven generates substantial research funding. Consequently, many research positions are available, and more than half the students obtaining a master’s degree in physics eventually start a PhD programme in one of the department’s research groups.
A number of graduates prefer to pursue a second master’s degree, with medical radiation physics, environmental sciences, and statistics as the most popular subjects. There are also excellent career opportunities in industry (ICT, material research, electronics), consulting, government, banking (statistics), and higher education. Unemployment is nonexistent among newly graduated physicists.
Our Medical Physics MSc programme is well-established and internationally renowned. We are accredited by IPEM (Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine) and we have trained some 1,000 medical physicists, so you can look forward to high-quality teaching during your time at Surrey.
The syllabus for the MSc in Medical Physics is designed to provide the knowledge, skills and experience required for a modern graduate medical physicist, placing more emphasis than many other courses on topics beyond ionising radiation (X-rays and radiotherapy).
Examples of other topics include magnetic resonance imaging and the use of lasers in medicine.
You will learn the theoretical foundations underpinning modern imaging and treatment modalities, and will gain a set of experimental skills essential in a modern medical physicist’s job.
These skills are gained through experimental sessions in the physics department and practical experiences at collaborating hospitals using state-of-the-art clinical facilities.
Why not discover more about our programme in our video?
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year. It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation project. Part-time studemts study the same content over 2 academic years.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that all modules are compulsory, there are no optional modules, and may be subject to change.
Common room
A student common room is available for the use of all Physics students.
Computers
The University has an extensive range of PC and UNIX machines, full internet access and email. The University has invested in resources to allow students to develop their IT skills. It also has an online learning environment, SurreyLearn. Computers are located in dedicated computer rooms. Access to these rooms is available 24 hours per day.
Hounsfield Prize
A prize of £200 is awarded annually for the best dissertation on the Medical Physics programme. Sir Hounsfield was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1979 for his work on Computed Tomography.
Mayneord Prize
A prize of £200 in memory of Professor Valentine Mayneord will be awarded to the student with the best overall performance on the Medical Physics course. Professor Mayneord was one of the pioneers of medical physics, who had a long association with the Department and encouraged the growth of teaching and research in the field.
Knoll Prize
A prize of £300 in memory of Professor Glenn Knoll is awarded annually to the student with outstanding performance in Radiation Physics and Radiation Measurement on any of the department's MSc programmes. Professor Knoll was a world-leading authority in radiation detection, with a long association with the department
IPEM Student Prize (MSc Medical Physics)
A prize of £250 is awarded annually to a student with outstanding performance in their dissertation.
The programme integrates the acquisition of core scientific knowledge with the development of key practical skills with a focus on professional career development within medical physics and related industries. The principle educational aims and outcomes of learning are to provide participants with advanced knowledge, practical skills and understanding applied to medical physics, radiation detection instrumentation, radiation and environmental practice in an industrial or medical context. This is achieved by the development of the participants’ understanding of the underlying science and technology and by the participants gaining an understanding of the legal basis, practical implementation and organisational basis of medical physics and radiation measurement.
We give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities and through our international research collaboration. Hence, it may be possible to carry out the dissertation project abroad.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
University of Aberdeen Environmental and Forest Management programmes comes from one of the oldest forest management research areas in the UK. Aberdeen has been teaching Forestry for decades. Forestry is combined with environmental management to provide a very useful range of skills and knowledge to apply across environmental areas. With increasing deforestation there are also opportunities to provide more forests, sustainable forests and carefully managed forests. You visit local forests and take a resident field trip with a project you can undertake anywhere in the world. There will always be a requirement for specialists within forestry management to ensure the longevity of crops and sustainability of environmental resources.
On this MSc programme you will to study the principles of forest and woodland management as well as general environment management and their application both in the UK and overseas. The programme is aimed at people interested in a career in environmental management, environmental services, timber production, community forestry or a combination of these. You learn the important aspects affecting forestry which include plant ecology, environmental pollution, GIS mapping, harvesting, statistical information, remediation , EIA, Analysis, Ecology and conservation and environmental management planning. All of these modules allow you to specialist and become a specialist in your chosen area.
Semester 1
Optional
Semester 2
Optional
Semester 3
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
Find out about international fees:
Find out more about fees on the programme page
*Please be advised that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities
Find out more about:
Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs
There is a growing need for qualified professionals with expertise in environmental modelling. The UCL Environmental Modelling MSc is a cross-disciplinary degree that provides rigorous technical and scientific training for the next generation of environmental modelling professionals.
You will gain a well-rounded training in the role, implementation and application of models in environmental science. Core modules provide a critical perspective on model-based science, and introduce essential computational and numerical methods. The programme is contextualised with reference to the challenges of understanding both natural and human-induced changes to a variety of environmental systems.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of four core modules (60 credits), optional modules (60 credits) and a research dissertation (60 credits).
A Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits, full-time nine months, part-time two years) is offered.
A Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits, full-time 12 weeks, part-time one year) is offered.
Core modules
Optional modules
Options may include:
Other MSc modules offered across UCL may be taken at the discretion of the MSc convenor
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project, culminating in a dissertation of approximately 12,000 words and an oral presentation.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, and laboratory and computer-based practical classes. Assessment is through independent project work, practical-based and written coursework, written examinations and the dissertation.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Environmental Modelling MSc
The programme has been designed to provide an ideal foundation for PhD research, or for employment with environmental monitoring and protection agencies, industry and environmental consultancies. Graduates have gone on to careers as management consultants, business analysts and university researchers.
Recent career destinations for this degree
Employability
Modelling was identified as the highest priority UK skills gap in a government review of the environmental sector. This MSc programme exposes students to the full range of environmental modelling which places graduates in a strong position to find employment. We anticipate that graduates of this MSc are either employed in the private environmental consulting sector or undertake a PhD.
Careers data is taken from the ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey undertaken by HESA looking at the destinations of UK and EU students in the 2013–2015 graduating cohorts six months after graduation.
The Environmental Modelling MSc is run by UCL Geography which enjoys an outstanding international reputation for its research and teaching. Research groups contributing to the MSc include those concerned with environmental modelling and observation, past climates, and recent environmental change and biodiversity.
The programme draws on the unrivalled strengths of UCL in environment modelling. Our expertise encompasses state-of-the-art global climate models, regional ocean models, advanced hydrodynamic and hydrological simulations, palaeoclimate reconstruction over geological to recent historical timescales, earth observation-derived vegetation and carbon cycle modelling, and model-based assessment of climate change impacts on coastal, estuarine and freshwater systems.
The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.
The following REF score was awarded to the department: Geography
81% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.
Our programme will give you a thorough grounding in the radiation and environmental protection aspects of nuclear physics.
This includes in-depth knowledge of radiation protection and showing you how the technical and organisational procedures of the discipline may be applied to the broader concept of environmental protection.
The substantial practical element of this programme enables you to relate taught material to real-world applications. Formal lectures are complemented with work in specialist radiation laboratories that were recently refurbished as part of a £1m upgrade to our facilities.
Here you will work with a wide range of radioactive sources and radiation detectors. There is also an extended project in the spring and an eleven-week MSc dissertation project in the summer.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time students must study at least two taught technical modules per academic year. It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
The programme material is taught by a combination of academics from the Department of Physics at Surrey and specialists provided by industrial partners. The Surrey academics are part of the Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Physics which houses the largest academic nuclear physics research group in the UK.
In addition to the formal lectures for taught modules, the programme provides a wide range of experimental hands-on training. This includes a nine-week radiation physics laboratory which takes place in the specialist radiation laboratories within the Department of Physics at the University of Surrey.
These were recently refurbished as part of a £1 million upgrade to the departmental teaching infrastructure. Within the Department, we also have a common room and a departmental library, which contains copies of earlier MSc dissertations.
As well as the laboratory training, you will also undertake a research project at the beginning of the Spring semester as a precursor to the eleven-week research dissertation project which makes up the final part of the MSc.
There are many opportunities for both the spring research project and summer dissertation project to be taken in an external industrial environment.
The programme has produced over 500 UK and overseas graduates, many of whom have gone on to well-paid positions in companies in the nuclear and radiation sectors. In the UK we need to decommission old reactors and build new ones to provide a low-carbon source of energy.
This, together with, for example, the importance of radioisotopes in fields such as medicine, means that the career prospects of our graduates are excellent.
The programme integrates the acquisition of core scientific knowledge with the development of key practical skills with a focus on professional career development within medical physics and radiation detection, and related industries.
The principle educational aims and outcomes of learning are to provide participants with advanced knowledge, practical skills and understanding applied to medical physics, radiation detection instrumentation, radiation and environmental practice in an industrial or medical context.
This is achieved by the development of the participants’ understanding of the underlying science and technology and by the participants gaining an understanding of the legal basis, practical implementation and organisational basis of medical physics and radiation measurement.
Knowledge and understanding
Intellectual / cognitive skills
Professional practical skills
Key / transferable skills
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
If you want to protect species against decline and extinction by working in either research, consultancy or conservation professions this programme gives you advanced skills in Ecology and linked subject areas such as Environmental Science, GIS, EIA and Catchment Management Planning. You attend a field research trip at Bettyhill on the North coast of Sutherland followed by training in plant ecology, animal population GIS design and analysis. You learn applied Ecology and conservation in an interdisciplinary context. Many environmental consultancies and government bodies require Ecologists as part of their environmental teams, and there are further charities and activist organisations which require Ecologists as part of their teams. The degree provides many useful and overlapping skills within environmental science such as EIA Environmental Impact Assessments. These are reports and studies used to determine issues and challenges to the natural environmental from economic development of all types.
You learn relevant skills environmental policy, legislation, risk assessment models, environmental analytical instrumentation and implementing models. Employment options may be within consultancies, regulators and NGOs. Regulation of economic impact on the natural world has never been so highlighted across the worlds media as it is now in terms of how to protect species and highlight decline.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Semester 3
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
Find out about international fees:
Find out more about fees on the programme page
*Please be advised that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities
Find out more about:
Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs
The Masters in Physics: Nuclear Technology provides an understanding of the application of nuclear processes and technology to energy generation, medical physics and environmental monitoring, and at a level appropriate for a professional physicist.
*For suitably qualified candidates
Modes of delivery of the MSc Physics: Nuclear Technology include lectures, seminars and tutorials and allow students the opportunity to take part in lab, project and team work.
The programme in Physics: Nuclear technology lasts 1 year and contains a minimum of 180 credits. You will undertake a minimum of 120 credits in Semesters 1 and 2 and be assessed on these courses either via continuous assessment, or unseen examination in the May/June examination diet, or a combination thereof. The remaining 60 credits will take the form of an extended MSc project, carried out on a specific aspect of theoretical, computational or experimental physics which has current or potential application in the areas of nuclear technology, nuclear energy, radiation detection or environmental monitoring. You will conduct this project while embedded within a particular research group – under the direct supervision of a member of academic staff.
Your curriculum will be flexible and tailored to your prior experience and expertise, particular research interests and specific nature of the extended research project topic provisionally identified at the beginning of the MSc programme. Generally, however, courses taken in Semester 1 will focus on building core theoretical and experimental/computational skills relevant to the global challenge theme, while courses taken in Semester 2 will build key research skills (in preparation for the extended project).
Career opportunities in academic research, based in universities, research institutes, observatories and laboratory facilities; industrial research in a wide range of fields including energy and the environmental sector, IT and semiconductors, optics and lasers, materials science, telecommunications, engineering; banking and commerce; higher education.
Highly skilled environmental scientists are critical for the safe and responsible governance of our environment. The ability to accurately monitor environmental data and assess predicted change sits at the heart of this diverse course which focuses on developing the professional skills required for a career as an environmental scientist in this fast-changing industry.
The MSc Environmental Monitoring and Assessment course provides graduates with the knowledge and professional skills required for a career as an environmental scientist in this fast-growing and rapidly-changing industry. Through this challenging and innovative masters degree you will learn how to accurately monitor environmental data and assess predicted change for the safe and responsible management of our environment.
In your first semester, you will engage in practical work such as developing an Environmental Management System for a real-life client organisation. As this manual will meet the requirements of the international standard ISO14001 you will have a unique skills set from a postgraduate course making you more employable as an environmental professional. You will also study modules in Environmental Impact Assessment and Sustainable Resource Management, developing critical skills sets for students aiming to pursue a career as an environmental scientist.
In your second semester, you will learn to interpret environmental data and apply innovative research techniques. You will study Environmental Law and Management which will enable you to apply your understanding of environmental data, processes and impacts to the legal and policy mechanisms around our environment. Throughout both semesters we aim to equip you with a diverse range of professional and transferable skills.
Each semester, you have the option to specialise in modules related to your interests and career aspirations, from Energy Resources & Engineering to Geographical Information Systems to Air Quality and Environmental Pollution.
The final part of the year will focus on your individual research work. You will complete an advanced research project and be encouraged to work with industry to apply your newly developed knowledge.
View the specification document for this course
“Without my masters, I wouldn’t have got my job offer with HS2 Ltd, they wouldn’t even have considered me if I didn’t have the skills I developed at Southampton. ”
Joss Watson - High Speed Two (HS2) Limited
Our Environmental Monitoring, Modelling and Management MSc is a multidisciplinary course that will give you a deeper understanding of the processes and techniques for managing environmental change. You will develop skills to assess the causes and manage the consequences of environmental, climatic and land use changes, choosing either a research or a consultancy pathway to frame your study.
The Environmental Monitoring, Modelling and Management MSc course offers advanced-level core training in environmental modelling and monitoring, remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and in the research methods required to use them effectively.
You will examine how to assess the causes and consequences of environmental, climatic and land-use change, with the choice to follow a research pathway or a consultancy pathway. The two paths share key training elements but offer modules designed to support career development in two distinct spheres:
The course is made up of optional and required modules. You will be expected to obtain the minimum of 180 credits to complete the course.
If you are studying full-time, you will complete the course in one year, from September to September. If you are studying part-time, your course will take two years to complete. You will take the combination of required and optional modules over this period of time, with the dissertation in your second year.
For those seeking a deeper understanding of environmental processes and techniques for managing environmental change. Provides advanced-level training in the application of environmental modelling and monitoring, remote sensing and geographical information systems (GIS) to environmental management and the prevention, mitigation or adaptation to environmental change.
Teaching
We will teach you through a combination of lectures and seminars, and you will typically have 20 hours of this per module. We also expect you to undertake 180 hours of independent study for each module. For your 12,000 word dissertation, we will provide four workshops and five hours of one-to-one supervision to complement your 587 hours of independent study. Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Assessment
Performance on taught modules in the Geography Department is normally assessed through essays and other written assignments, oral presentations, lab work and occasionally by examination, depending on the modules selected. All students also undertake a research-based dissertation of 12,000 words.
Many of our graduates have gone on to undertake further doctoral research as well as work as research assistants for international development agencies. There are good career opportunities with government agencies, international and national non-governmental organisations and academic research institutes.
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