King's College London

The degree in Physics with Theoretical Physics provides a robust foundation of all of the fundamental aspects of modern and theoretical physics. You’ll explore topics including relativity, quantum mechanics, fields and waves, electromagnetism, nuclear and particle physics, with the theoretical physics modules equipping you with the advanced mathematical tools for pursuing complex theoretical physics problems. You’ll gain key analytical and practical skills such as problem-solving, creative thinking, team work, and data analysis, preparing you for a wide-range of future-facing careers

You'll join a friendly and supportive department, learning from internationally renowned scientists, including with links to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN and the LIGO gravitational wave observatory. In your first two years, you'll sample core physics modules including theoretical physics fields and develop experimental techniques through integrated lab work. In the third year, you’ll apply this knowledge and skills to complex research or industry-inspired problems, enabling you to undertake novel research and develop crucial employability skills.

You can also choose to study for our integrated Master’s course (MSci) - adding a fourth year to your degree during which you’ll get to choose from a huge array of modules, and undertake a substantial research project on a topic of your choice, enhancing key employability skills including project management, creative thinking, working as a team, and communication and presentation skills.

You also have the opportunity to transfer to the Study Abroad pathway and spend your third year at a partner institution before returning to King’s for the final year. This depends on you reaching a certain grade average and being accepted by a partner university.

Physics has been studied and taught at King's since its foundation in 1829 with many distinguished physicists, including Nobel Laureates, joining our ranks over the last 200 years. Today, physicists at King's are developing new ways to study the molecular processes in biological cells which cause cancer and other diseases, working to understand how the focus between individual atoms and molecules at the nanoscale shape our macroscopic world, and continuing King’s physicist Maxwell's work in the unification of physics.

The Physics with Theoretical Physics BSc course will give you a strong foundation across the key areas of modern physics, whilst allowing you to tailor and shape your degree to your interest, with a choice of modules from year one through to third year. In later years you will be able to tailor your degree to your own interests and specialise in a particular area, including medical and biophysics, astrophysics including general relativity and galactic dynamics, and the fundamentals of nanotechnology.

In addition, the course emphasises applied learning and skills acquisition through individual and group project work, with the option of taking a group project in second year. In your third year, you can choose to tackle a real-world problem with a research group in Physics, or outside of the Department with the King’s Randall Centre for Cell & Molecular Biophysics, Biomedical Engineering or a problem inspired by industry, including from the National Physics Laboratory. Through this, you’ll develop key workplace skills including project management, creative thinking, working as a team, and communication and presentation skills.

You’ll be assigned a personal tutor to support your development and our department encourages an atmosphere in which students feel able to easily approach academic staff. Our Student-Staff Liaison Committee provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and feedback on teaching. Staff and students are members of the Maxwell Society, which is the Department of Physics’ social and lecture society.