Engineering Physics (with integrated year in industry)

Why study Engineering Physics at Aberystwyth University?

• Graduate with a Masters qualification furthering your career options
• Focus on a strong practical and IT component
• Gain specialised knowledge in topics such as: micro and nano-electronics, applied photonics, materials design and production, quantum technology, robotics, solar energy and space instrumentation
• Prepare for a career as an engineer or scientist in areas such as industrial research and development, product development and work in national research laboratories
• Our researchers are involved in the current European Space Agency ExoMars 2020 Project and engineering low dimensional materials, namely graphene.

Our Staff

Department of Physics Lecturers are all qualified to PhD level and have a track record of research in their fields of specialisation.

What can I do with a degree in Engineering Physics?

This course is designed to allow students to progress and pursue a career in engineering, research and development.

But other graduates from the Physics department have discovered other pathways:

• Medical Physicist
• Radiation Protection Practitioner
• Research Scientist
• Systems Developer
• Product Development
• Technical Author
• Meteorologist

Employability is embedded across all of our teaching and ethics. We instill these skills to our students:

• Research and data analysis skills
• Enhanced mathematical and computational skills
• Effective problem-solving and creative thinking skills
• Ability to work independently
• Time-management and organisational skills, including the ability to meet deadlines
• Ability to express ideas and communicate information in a clear and structured manner, in both written and oral form
• Self-motivation and self-reliance
• Team-working, with the ability to discuss concepts in groups, accommodating different ideas and reaching agreement

What work experience opportunities exist whilst studying? 

Click here to find out about the various opportunities that our Aberystwyth University Careers team offer.

Enhance your employability prospects with GO Wales and YES (Year in Employment Scheme) managed by our Careers department.

What will I learn?

The breakdown below will provide you with an illustration of what you may study during the five year degree scheme.

In your first year you may explore:

• Calculus
• Classical Dynamics
• Classical Physics
• Introduction to Computational and Experimental Physics
• Algebra and Differential Equations 
• Communication Technology
• Forces and Energy
• Modern Physics 
• Introduction to Computational and Experimental Physics

In your second year you may discover:

• Mathematical Physics
• Thermodynamics
• Data Handling and Statistics
• Instrumentation, Electronics and Sensors
• Opitcs
• Electricity and Magnetism 
• Experimental Physics 
• Quantum Mechanics

In your third year you will undertake your industrial year placement. 

In your fourth year you may research:

• Concepts in condensed matter physics
• Numerical Methods
• Systems Engineering 
• Engineering Control Theory 
• Semiconductor Technology
• An individual project
• Probing Atoms and Molecules
• Professional issues industry
• Modern Optics and Photonics
• Condensed Matter Structure Determination 
• Machine Learning 
• Space Robotics

In your fifth year, you may explore: 

• A major project
• Electromagnetic Theory
• Communicating Topics in Physics
• Quantum Technology
• Advanced Numerical Methods 
• Fundamentals of Intelligent Systems 
• Machine Learning for Intelligent Systems 
• Internet Technologies 

How will I be taught?

You will be taught through lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops, practicals, individual and group-based project work.

You will be assessed through coursework, presentations, lab reports, lab diaries and examinations.

Further information:

You will be assigned a personal tutor throughout your degree course, who will help you with any problems or queries, whether these are academic-related or personal issues. You should feel free to contact them at any time for help and advice.

You will also have the opportunity to complete a Personal Development Plan (PDP) at Aberystwyth. This is a structured process of self-appraisal, reflection, and planning, which will enable you to chart your personal, academic and professional development throughout your time at university. By recording your academic performance, and highlighting the skills you already have and those you will need for future employability, the PDP portfolio will equip you with the necessary tools to plan effectively, develop successful approaches to study, and consider your future career options and aspirations.

Students wishing to study through the medium of Welsh may do so by choosing our Welsh medium modules.