Research degrees may be undertaken in the three main areas of research interest in the Laboratory. The growing number of academic staff are supported in their research by the technical staff and post-doctoral research fellows.
We make every attempt to allocate you to a supervisor directly in your field of interest, consistent with available funding and staff loading. When you apply, please give specific indications of your research interest – including, where appropriate, the member(s) of staff you wish to work with – and whether you are applying for a studentship or propose to be self-funded.
Visit the website
https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/212/physics About The School of Physical Sciences
The School offers postgraduate students the opportunity to participate in groundbreaking science in the realms of physics, chemistry, forensics and astronomy. With strong international reputations, our staff provide plausible ideas, well-designed projects, research training and enthusiasm within a stimulating environment. Recent investment in modern laboratory equipment and computational facilities accelerates the research.
The School maintains a focus on progress to ensure each student is able to compete with their peers in their chosen field. We carefully nurture the skills, abilities and motivation of our students which are vital elements in our research activity. We offer higher degree programmes in chemistry and physics (including specialisations in forensics, astronomy and space science) by research. We also offer taught programmes in Forensic Science, studied over one year full-time, and a two-year European-style Master’s in Physics.
Our principal research covers a wide variety of topics within physics, astronomy and chemistry, ranging from specifically theoretical work on surfaces and interfaces, through mainstream experimental condensed matter physics, astrobiology, space science and astrophysics, to applied areas such as biomedical imaging, forensic imaging and space vehicle protection. We scored highly in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with 25% of our research ranked as “world-leading” and our Functional Materials Research Group ranked 2nd nationally in the Metallurgy and Materials discipline.
Study support
- Postgraduate resources
The University has good facilities for modern research in physical sciences. Among the major instrumentation and techniques available on the campus are NMR spectrometers (including solutions at 600 MHz), several infrared and uvvisible spectrometers, a Raman spectrometer, two powder X-ray diffractometers, X-ray fluorescence, atomic absorption in flame and graphite furnace mode, gel-permeation chromatography, gaschromatography, analytical and preparative highperformance liquid chromatography (including GC-MS and HPLC-MS), mass spectrometry (electrospray and MALDI), scanning electron microscopy and EDX, various microscopes (including hot-stage), differential scanning calorimetry and thermal gravimetric analysis, dionex analysis of anions and automated CHN analysis. For planetary science impact studies, there is a two-stage light gas gun.
- Interdisciplinary approach
Much of the School’s work is interdisciplinary and we have successful collaborative projects with members of the Schools of Biosciences, Computing and Engineering and Digital Arts at Kent, as well as an extensive network of international collaborations.
- National and international links
The School is a leading partner in the South East Physics Network (SEPnet), a consortium of seven universities in the south-east, acting together to promote physics in the region through national and international channels. The School benefits through the £12.5 million of funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), creating new facilities and resources to enable us to expand our research portfolio.
The School’s research is well supported by contracts and grants and we have numerous collaborations with groups in universities around the world. We have particularly strong links with universities in Germany, France, Italy and the USA. UK links include King’s College, London and St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. Our industrial partners include British Aerospace, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, and Ophthalmic Technology Inc, Canada. The universe is explored through collaborations with NASA, ESO and ESA scientists.
- Dynamic publishing culture
Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books. Among others, they have recently contributed to: Nature; Science; Astrophysical Journal; Journal of Polymer Science; Journal of Materials Chemistry; and Applied Optics.
- Researcher Development Programme
Kent's Graduate School co-ordinates the Researcher Development Programme (
http://www.kent.ac.uk/graduateschool/skills/programmes/tstindex.html) for research students, which includes workshops focused on research, specialist and transferable skills. The programme is mapped to the national Researcher Development Framework and covers a diverse range of topics, including subjectspecific research skills, research management, personal effectiveness, communication skills, networking and teamworking, and career management skills.
Careers
All programmes in the School of Physical Sciences equip you with the tools you need to conduct research, solve problems, communicate effectively and transfer skills to the workplace, which means our graduates are always in high demand. Our links with industry not only provide you with the opportunity to gain work experience during your degree, but also equip you with the general and specialist skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the workplace.
Typical employment destinations for graduates from the physics programmes include power companies, aerospace, defence, optoelectronics and medical industries. Typical employment destinations for graduates from our forensic science and chemistry programmes include government agencies, consultancies, emergency services, laboratories, research or academia.
Find out how to apply here -
https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply/
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