Physics (research placement) MPhys

Explore the universe’s big questions to uncover impactful answers. Examine the latest discoveries, and develop expertise and real-world research skills.

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This course is available in Clearing.

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Key information

Why choose this course at Sussex?

  • Develop in-demand skills to open doors to exciting careers in industry or as a researcher, from aerospace engineering to technology.
  • Make your own discoveries through summer research projects to build practical skills, gain funding and prepare for a research career.
  • Explore fascinating subjects, learn from world-leading researchers and apply your skills to real scientific questions using equipment in our specialist labs.

From subatomic particles to entire galaxies, physics allows us to explore the big questions, while having a significant impact on our daily lives.

This course is for you if you’re an academic high-flyer. It offers you the exciting opportunity to work on a cutting-edge research project here at Sussex each summer and get funding to cover your living expenses during that time. 

At Sussex, you’ll explore fascinating subjects, learning from world-leading researchers. Their work includes developing next-generation quantum computers, investigating quantum gravity and black holes, searching for fundamental particles at CERN and studying our universe from the Big Bang to modern times. You could be working with researchers who are part of a team using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. You’ll join our experts and immerse yourself in world-class research.

You’ll use the latest equipment and state-of-the-art laboratories, and gain a broad understanding of the core principles of physics. Options enable you to specialise in areas you find most fascinating. You’ll apply this knowledge across a range of areas including:

  • astrophysics
  • quantum physics
  • particle physics
  • advanced materials
  • mathematical physics.

In your integrated Masters year, you’ll develop advanced physics skills through working with one of the expert research groups in our Department. 

Our department is a friendly hive of activity. You’ll join a close-knit community. Our open-door policy means that whatever you need, we’ll be there to support you.

During your research placement and integrated Masters year, you’ll develop new research skills – particularly relevant if you're interested in going on to a research career at universities or in industry.

Accreditation

  • Accredited by the Institute of Physics (IOP) for the purpose of fully meeting the educational requirement for Chartered Physicist. Find out more

MPhys or BSc?

We also offer this course without the research placements, as five-year MPhys with an industrial placement year, as a four-year BSc with an industrial placement year, or as a three-year BSc. Find out about the benefits of an integrated Masters year.

How to apply

Campus tours

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On campus - in person

You’ll study for this degree on our campus, joining our academics and fellow students. With in-person contact time, digitally supported educational resources, library collections and independent study, this course is designed to give you an inclusive education. Your learning experience may also include work placements, field trips, studying abroad and internationalisation experiences.

Find out about our beautiful campus

Virtual tour

Want to learn more about life at Sussex?

Our 360° virtual tour has been designed to introduce you to life in our diverse, supportive and inclusive community. Join our students for an immersive experience as they reveal why Sussex offers a space to follow your passions, find your voice, and discover people and places that will inspire you.

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ResearchPlus

As a founding partner of ResearchPlus, a collaboration of research-focused universities, we engage with government, industry and civil society to support economic growth, prosperity and wellbeing across the whole of the UK.

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Modules

This is a single-honours course, allowing you to focus in depth on your core subject. Find out more from our guide to undergraduate study

  • Year 1 at Sussex

    Your modules

    Core modules

    Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

    Autumn teaching
    Spring teaching

    Options

    Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.

    While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.

    Autumn teaching

    Your degree

    In your first year, you’ll explore classical and modern physics. You’ll learn to work with large sets of data, find out about the programming language Python and get to experiment in our teaching laboratories.

    Teaching

    Teaching methods typically include:

    60%: Lecture
    40%: Practical

    Assessment

    Assessment methods typically include coursework and examination.

    Contact hours and workload

    This year of study includes approximately 1,200 hours of work. This breaks down into about 420 hours of contact time and about 780 hours of independent study.

    Engage and actively participate throughout your studies to get the most out of your course. 

  • Year 2 at Sussex

    Your modules

    Core modules

    Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

    Autumn teaching
    Spring teaching

    Options

    Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.

    While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.

    Spring teaching

    Your degree

    In Year 2, you’ll use your developing problem-solving skills to solve more complex issues. You’ll work on laboratory experiments or data analysis projects.

    Teaching

    Teaching methods typically include:

    50%: Lecture
    20%: Seminar
    30%: Practical

    Assessment

    Assessment methods typically include coursework and examination.

    Contact hours and workload

    This year of study includes approximately 1,200 hours of work. This breaks down into about 320 hours of contact time and about 880 hours of independent study.

    Engage and actively participate throughout your studies to get the most out of your course. 

  • Year 3 at Sussex

    Your modules

    Core modules

    Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

    Autumn teaching
    Spring teaching

    Options

    Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.

    While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.

    Spring teaching

    Your degree

    In Year 3, you’ll apply the knowledge you’ve gained to longer and more complex projects. You’ll cement your core physics knowledge with solid state, atomic and nuclear physics, and also take forward your own interests.

    Teaching

    Teaching methods typically include:

    59%: Lecture
    9%: Seminar
    32%: Practical

    Assessment

    Assessment methods typically include coursework and examination.

    Contact hours and workload

    This year of study includes approximately 1,200 hours of work. This breaks down into about 420 hours of contact time and about 780 hours of independent study.

    Engage and actively participate throughout your studies to get the most out of your course. 

  • Year 4 at Sussex

    Your modules

    Core modules

    Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

    Autumn and spring teaching

    Options

    Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.

    While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.

    Autumn teaching
    Spring teaching

    Your degree

    In your integrated Masters year, you’ll work at the forefront of research. You’ll take the lead on a self-directed project, supported by a supervisor. You’ll also choose options relevant to your project to support you in the discovery process.

    Teaching

    Teaching methods typically include:

    52%: Lecture
    48%: Practical

    Assessment

    Assessment methods typically include coursework, examination, practical work and written assessment.

    Contact hours and workload

    This year of study includes approximately 1,200 hours of work. This breaks down into about 300 hours of contact time and about 900 hours of independent study.

    Engage and actively participate throughout your studies to get the most out of your course. 

Spirit of Sussex Award

Feel involved in life at the University, make friends and enrich your experience with us – the Spirit of Sussex Award is our way of recognising your extracurricular and voluntary achievements.

Find out more about the Spirit of Sussex Award

  • Video transcript

    Hi everyone! As I'm sure you've all heard by now, the Spirit of Sussex Award is now live.

    Students across the Sussex community are already earning their points

    What will you do to earn yours?

    There's so many ways to get involved.

    Head over to the website to start your Spirit of Sussex journey.

    Text: The Spirit of Sussex Award is an exciting new programme designed to recognise and celebrate the things you do outside your course.

    Participating in the Award makes it easy and fun for you to get involved and make the most of university life.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2026/27. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

We’ll do our best to provide as much optional choice as we can, but timetabling constraints mean it may not be possible to take some module combinations. The structure of a small number of courses means that the order of modules or the streams you choose may determine whether modules are core or optional. This means that your core modules or options may differ from what’s shown here.

Research placements (each summer throughout this degree)

Our MPhys course with a research placement is a stimulating intellectual challenge for well-qualified students, providing unique training for a future research career. You can apply to work on a research problem with a member of faculty in the Department of Physics and Astronomy each summer before Years 2, 3 and 4.

During the summer research placements, you receive funding to cover your living expenses. 

Find out more about our research placements and summer projects at Department of Physics and Astronomy: Undergraduate Research

In the summer, you work in a research group or alongside a supervisor on a project where you can learn new skills and techniques that other undergraduates would never get to do, and contribute to science at the same time.”Daniel Pollard
Physics (research placement) MPhys 

Find out more about studying Physics at Sussex, including astrophysics, theoretical physics and particle physics

How to apply

Our experts

I work on the ATLAS experiment at the CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, seeking answers to fundamental questions such as ‘What is the nature of dark matter?”Professor Antonella De Santo
Professor of Physics
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Careers

  • 86% of Sussex undergraduates have completed work experience by the end of their course (University of Sussex Career Readiness data at point of graduation 2023/24)

We are a core part of the SEPnet (South East Physics Network) consortium, which gives us links to universities and industries across the region. 

On your course, you’ll develop versatile and transferable skills. This prepares you for finding jobs in industry or academia. Many of our graduates go on to postgraduate research and PhD study. Others find graduate jobs in a diverse range of fields, including:

  • aerospace
  • consulting
  • geophysics
  • teaching
  • the scientific Civil Service.
During your course, you’ll get dedicated careers and CV advice. With careers fairs, forums and a dedicated careers officer, we support your career development from day one. You’ll have opportunities to meet potential employers.
 
You’ll have a wide range of paid work opportunities within the Department – from teaching and research opportunities in the summer, to outreach roles throughout the year.

Where do our graduates work now?

Surveyed 15 months after finishing their courses, our recent graduates from the Department of Physics and Astronomy worked for employers including: 

(Graduate Outcomes Survey 2017-2022) 

Working while you study

Our Careers and Entrepreneurship team can help you find part-time work while you study. Find out more about career development and part-time work

My job involves a lot of data analysis and research into ATLAS Supersymmetry. The research placement gave me a real idea of what it is like to do research as a job.”Emma Kuwertz
Research Fellow at CERN

Design your future at Sussex

Taking the next step in your career can feel daunting, but we’ll help you to explore, connect and flourish throughout your studies and beyond.

As a Sussex student, you’ll learn how to tackle real-world challenges and have access to tailored programmes of careers support:

  • our Career Lab helps you to explore your options, build key skills and connect with employers. Take part in internships, community consultancy projects and insight visits, where you can learn about life at organisations such as Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, the Knepp Rewilding Project, and fashion brand Puig
  • one-to-one appointments with your Faculty Careers Consultant can enable you to identify your career goals, write an effective CV and prepare for future interviews
  • entrepreneurship initiatives like StartUp Sussex and Ideas Lab can empower you to turn your concepts into reality.

Explore how our Careers and Entrepreneurship team can support you

How to apply
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Entry requirements

Find your place in Clearing

This course will be available in Clearing. Explore your options at Sussex – right here, right now.

How to apply
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Fees

Note that your fees, once they’re set, may be subject to an increase on an annual basis. Find details on our Tuition fees page.

Home students

£9,790 per year

Channel Islands and Isle of Man students

£9,790 per year

On 19 March 2026 the UK Parliament set out that the tuition fee cap for 2026 entry will be £9,790. As the University of Sussex keeps fees for Home students and Channel Islands and Isle of Man students in line with UK Government-approved levels, fees will be £9,790 in 2026. In line with our terms and conditions, the University charges fees at the maximum levels set by the UK Government.

International students

£27,300 per year

Additional costs

Note about additional costs

Additional costs to your tuition fees may include field trips, equipment, materials, bench fees or studio hire. These costs are best estimates based on current market values which we review each year. These costs may be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances where the University has limited control such as a change in a service provider or government guidance. We will let you know at the earliest opportunity if there is any change to these costs. We will also tell you if these costs are mandatory for passing your course or optional. Find out how to budget for student life.

Placements

You will take part in research placements during the summer, usually on the University campus. You will get bursaries for your placements:

Year 1: £1,750 for a four-week placement
Year 3: £3,500 for an eight-week placement.

In Year 2, if you're applying for the Junior Research Associate (JRA) Scheme, you'll receive either JRA funding or £2,000. If you don't apply for the JRA, you won't receive a bursary. Find out more about the Junior Research Associate (JRA) Scheme

Living costs

We know the rising cost of living is on everyone’s mind, and affects us all in different ways. Our guide to living costs has been designed to help you plan and budget for life as a Sussex student.

Learn more about typical living costs

Scholarships

Our goal is to ensure that every student who wants to study with us is able to regardless of financial barriers, so that we continue to attract talented and unique people.

How to apply

Contact us

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Enquiries

Contact us with any questions about your course:

+44 (0)1273 876787
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Find out more about the Department of Physics and Astronomy

Prospectus

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Legal information

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities described in this prospectus. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to government or regulatory requirements, or unanticipated staff changes, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.

Find out about our terms and conditions, including the student code of conduct and your cancellation rights

Find out about our complaints and appeals process

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