Study Physics and Astronomy at Sussex and you will find a unique learning environment that brings the best and brightest students into contact with the frontiers of research as quickly as possible – undergraduates on our Research Placement courses spend their summers working in close contact with world-leading physicists and astronomers. No other university in the UK offers a comparable course.
Sussex students are amongst the very best in the country, and we have outstanding lecturers supporting them. Physics student Debbie Hill won the national Science, Engineering and Technology Student of the Year Award in 2009. This was the second time in three years that we had two physics finalists, and the second time a Sussex Physics student won the whole competition. Physics Lecturer Dr Mike Hardiman also won the prestigious Lecturer of the Year Award.
Our world-class research ranges from the first instants of the Big Bang to mapping the universe at the largest scales; we develop and test theories of fundamental physics at the Large Hadron Collider and other multinational experiments; and we explore and exploit the strange properties of atoms and ions for the quantum technologies of the future. You can find out more on the web pages of our four research groups: the Astronomy Centre; Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics; Theoretical Particle Physics; and Experimental Particle Physics.
The excellence of our research in Physics and Astronomy is officially recognised by the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise: we are placed in the top 10 UK departments by proportional world-class research, and 12th by Grade Point Average, the best in the South-East region. We consistently appear near the top of the UK rankings for research impact in both Physics and Space Science. In 2006 we were Number 1 in both, beating the traditional research powerhouses of Oxbridge and Imperial College. We are one of the top departments nationally for citation impact.
The excitement of our research carries over into our teaching, and we are always looking for talented and enthusiastic young physicists who want to learn more about the wonders of the universe. To show our appreciation to new undergraduates we offer scholarships worth around £1,000 to students arriving with top grades in Maths and Physics A level.
Sussex is a member of SEPnet, a partnership of six Physics departments in the South East of England, which has received a joint award of £12.5 million for the academic years 2008-13, to enhance collaboration in graduate teaching and learning, and help promote contributions to the wider economy through engagement with commerce and industry.
If you are looking for an undergraduate degree to prepare you for a research career in physics or astronomy, or just to study a subject that you love on your way to a career in the wider world, Sussex is the place for you.
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Philip Harris, Head of Department
Department Office
T 01273 678557
E physicsoffice@sussex.ac.uk
Andrew's perspective
'Physics is one of the most fundamental subjects. It allows us to understand weird and wonderful phenomena as well as allowing us to understand events which occur every day. It's one of the most challenging subjects to study and requires lots of work and effort, but as a result is also the most rewarding.
'Physics sets you up for after you finish university with a large skill base for many workplaces. This is a reason physicists are wanted by employers. It's a really great subject and I couldn't imagine doing anything else.'
Andrew Trim
Physics BSc student