Three reasons to study a degree in Physics at Imperial
Choosing where to study for your undergraduate degree is an important decision that will help determine your career path and shape your future. Here are three reasons why you should study Physics at Imperial College London.
Study a broad Physics degree at an elite institution
As an elite University, Imperial offers a Physics degree from one of the most research active and driven Physics departments in the UK. Our degrees are ranked 10th in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023 and 12th globally in the QS World University Rankings 2023.
Studying Physics at Imperial will be a stepping stone to a bright career in physics and beyond. Our students are exposed to some of the most challenging questions of physics and beyond, and learn to devise creative new solutions to tackle them.
We also offer maximum flexibility during your degree. You can switch between our two programme pathways (Physics, and Physics with Theoretical Physics) during the first two years, and can then tailor your course, specialising in the aspect of physics that most interests you, or you can keep your degree broad through your choice of modules. Our popular ‘Comprehensives’ module in your third year challenges you to apply what you’ve learned so far in an intuitive way, and demonstrates how everything in physics is connected. You can also choose between a three-year BSc or add a Master’s-level year with a four-year MSci.
Join a lively community of students and staff
Our Department of Physics is the second largest in the UK and offers a dynamic, friendly community. We are housed in the Blackett building: a space dedicated to Physics at Imperial’s South Kensington campus in central London.
With a cohort of 250 students a year – and around 1,000 undergraduates in total – you’ll immediately become part of a bustling community at Imperial. There’s a busy programme of dinners and guest lectures run by the Department while the active Physics Society, run by students, offers regular social meet-ups. Depending on your interests there are a range of other societies you can join, including a Robotics Society, Space Society, and Women and Non Binary Individuals Society. Imperial’s Black Physicists Society – the first in the country of its kind – has become the blueprint for similar societies for Black physicists across the UK.
Get set for an exciting career in research or any other sector
Our degrees are an excellent training for a career in research and any other sector. You will be taught by the people who are leading the way internationally and uncovering new discoveries which change the way we see the world. These include Tejinder Virdee, who led the CMS experiment that discovered the Higgs Boson in 2012, and John Pendry, an expert in optics who is renowned for creating the first ‘invisibility cloak’.
As part of your final year project, you will benefit from lectures and small group work designed to help you understand what’s required to undertake successful research, think critically about new questions and how to challenge our own understanding. Many of our students also undertake a paid summer research project within the Department, contributing to a piece of real-world research and working alongside a researcher. 42% of our graduates go on to a Master's or PhD.
On the other hand, over half of our graduates go into other sectors, including communication, education, medicine, finance, and take on in a wide range of roles in organisations such as European Space Agency, EDF Energy, Morgan Stanley, Optima Connect and Toshiba Europe Ltd. They follow in the footsteps of alumni such as Nicola Fox (who was recently named as head of NASA Science), space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock (presenter of The Sky at Night) and popular science author and theoretical and particle physicist Simon Singh.
Discover more reasons to study Physics at Imperial and browse our diverse range of Physics undergraduate courses.
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