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Physics
Each year Pembroke admits eight students to study Physics or Physics and Philosophy at undergraduate level. The College is home to a vibrant Physics community; whose subject society meets several times each term to discuss current research and papers. Pembroke’s two senior academic tutors in Physics are actively engaged in dynamic research and teach at all levels of the course.
Professor Alfons Weber, the College's Rokos-Clarendon Fellow in Physics, is a particle physicist and has specialised in studying neutrinos and developing instrumentation for research as well as for security applications. He teaches at all levels and especially the sub-atomic part of the course.
Professor Tim Woollings is an Associate Professor of atmospheric physics, with interests in fluid dynamics as applied to both weather and climate science. Within the Department of Physics he leads a research group on Atmospheric Dynamics. He teaches mathematics and fluid dynamics from the first year up to graduate level.
Physics is one of the most fundamental sciences, it involves analysing nature to understand how the universe works. Studying physics in Oxford will equip students with all the tools needed to understand the world around us ranging from very small sub-atomic particles to the large scale structure of the cosmos and everything in between.
Recommended A-level subjects beyond physics and maths are further maths or other sciences. The language of physics is mathematics and to succeed in physics it is almost more important to be comfortable with maths than to be excellent in physics.
Please visit the Physics page on the University of Oxford's website for full course details and information on the application process.
Leander Thiele talks about the course, advice for applicants and his experience of studying at Pembroke.
Read about Cesca's experience of studying Physics at Pembroke
This demanding course brings together the most fundamental subjects in the arts and the sciences. In historic times it would have been a single subject: Natural Philosophy.
Will Fawcett, DPhil candidate in Particle Physics, reflects on Professor Alberto Vecchio's visit to Pembroke and his inspiring talk on Gravitational Waves.
Our Open Days in June and September each year provide an opportunity for prospective applicants to talk to staff, tutors and students.
The experiment will study the properties of mysterious particles called neutrinos, potentially unravelling a greater understanding about how the universe works and why matter exists at all.
Pembroke undergraduate and Scholar, Cesca Webb (MPhys Physics, 2015) was awarded a prize for the best talk delivered by a second year physicist in College.
Becky Smethurst, D.Phil candidate in Astrophysics at Pembroke, was interviewed on BBC Radio Oxford earlier this month to talk about the annual event ‘Stargazing Oxford’.
Current 2nd year undergraduate Ruixian Zhang (Mphys, Physics 2017) recently joined the Quill project for a week to help with AI and programming.
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Course Details
Half of the first year course concentrates on giving our students a solid foundation in maths, while at the same time introducing them to the concepts and methods of classical physics. The second year will re-enforce the mathematical methods, while at the same time moving to the concepts of modern physics covering quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, advanced electro-magnetism and more.
The physics course can be studied in 3 years finishing with a BA or in 4 years to MPhys level. These later years see some specialisation according to the interests of the students as well as a more in-depth research project.
Physics students have a very wide skill set that allows them not only to follow a career in academic research, but also in industries reaching from computing, finance, medical instrumentation to product development. Further information can be found on the University website and departmental web pages.