Studying Physics at Salford

Whilst students are responsible for securing their own work experience and industry placements, our tutors will guide and support you through the process. Industry experience not only enables you to apply your knowledge in real-world situations but allows you to form those vital connections early on in your career. We have links with a range of leading organisations and, where possible, will assist students in securing placements. Hear from BSc (Hons) Physics student Elizabeth Chard on her recent placement experience.

Read Elizabeth's blog here >>

All of our Physics programmes are accredited by the Institute of Physics (IOP), so you will be educated to the highest  standards. This accreditation also means that upon graduation, you will meet the academic requirements for IOP membership and have a route towards Chartered Physicist status.

Due to the analytical and problem-solving nature of the courses, a wide range of career paths will be open to you. Our alumni have found roles in a variety of sectors, including medical physics, defence, finance, research, education, engineering and the nuclear industry. 

For Physics students their first year will consist of 19 hours in-contact teaching a week. This will include six hours of mathematics (mixed teaching styles), three hours of physics keynote lectures, four hours of classroom based problem solving, three hours of laboratory and three hours problem based learning. There is also a weekly seminar from an external speaker. The teaching on each module is normally split into two hours of classroom teaching and one hour of seminar.

We would recommend spending about ten hours per week on independent study and homework. There is plenty of support if you need extra help and guidance, both from the physics staff and MathScope - a study space manned by staff to help scientists and engineers with maths.

First year students spend two half days in the labs. One session will cover laboratory skills and skills based investigations. This will be assessed through lab based observations and a follow up lab report. The second session is a problem based learning laboratory. Students will complete a number of group activities, some will be practical, while others will be research and presentation based.

The University of Salford Physics Society organise an annual trip abroad that typically takes place after the May exams. The location of this trip changes each year, but students have previously been to CERN and Berlin. First year students are also usually taken to Accelerator Science at Daresbury Labs.

For Physics students any standard scientific calculator is fine, as we will use computers for any more demanding calculations.