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Undergraduate electives

Find out about the Communicating Physics course

Electives 2025-26

Electives (sometimes called Options) are the modules students choose to take in their 2nd, 3rd or 4th year.

Year 1 students will use Blackboard to select their second year electives.

Year 2 and Year 3 MSci students will select their third and fourth year electives via our electives app. Please take the time to read our guidance document for the elective preferences app.

These documents will help students understand how their third and fourth years fit together:

It is important students keep us informed of their choices as the Admin team do use the statistics generated from the system throughout the year - this includes creating the exam timetable.

Please contact Derryck and Victor at ph.options@imperial.ac.uk should you have any questions about the Elective selection process.

Year 1

A student's degree programme determines whether electives are available in Year 1. For more detail, please check degree programmes.

Students on F300, F303, F325 and F390 have a choice between Maths Analysis and Advanced Electronics.
Fluent F309 students do have a choice - either Maths Analysis or Advanced Electronics. F309 students taking a language do not have a choice of electives in Year 1.
Advanced Electronics is capped at 80 students due to the number of oscilloscopes we have in the department.

Year 1 students select their choices towards the end of Term 1 of their first year.

Year 2

These electives are to be initially submitted to the department in Term 3 of Year 1. For more detail, please check degree programmes.

Important things to remember

Year 1 Electives Talk‌ 2025
The deadline is 13th June 2025.
FHEQ 5 Physics elective modules are worth 5 ECTS. These are Communicating Physics, Environmental Physics, Maths Methods and Sun, Stars and Planets.
Imperial Horizons
Students must take an iExplore module in Year 2. Students will be able to select their i-Explore module from the 7th May. This is a separate process from selecting physics elective modules. If you have any questions about the iExplore programme, they can be contacted by email - iexplore@imperial.ac.uk.
- i-Explore module switching rules.
The only non-Physics modules allowed in Year 2 are via the i-Explore route. Students have a maximum of 15 ECTS of non-physics options that can count towards their degree.

Year 3

These options are to be initially submitted to the department in Term 3 of Year 2. For more detail, please check the degree programmes.

Electives talk to students - May 2025
Slides from May 2025 Year 2 Electives Talk
Elective Soundbites
F309 students - you will be abroad in your third year, so no action required this academic year.
The deadline infoming us of your elective preferences is 18th June 2025.
You must have a minimum of 60 ECTS to graduate or progress. The maximum ECTS allowed for Year 3 is 62.5 ECTS.
There has been some feedback from non-theory students who have found ACP to be very beneficial as they encounter important aspects of physics not found in the non-theory route.
The Module Leaders for ACP and GR strongly recommend that GR isn't taken in Year 4 without haven taken ACP in Year 3, or alongside it in Year 3 as part of a BSc degree. Students that take GR without ACP are likely to struggle and this is likely impact their marks profile. Students should be reminded that the pass mark for GR is 50%, even if taken in Year 3.
Students will not normally be able to take FHEQ 7 courses if they failed to achieve over 60% at the end of Year 2 (weighted Year 1 and 2 average).
The following modules have a cap on numbers: Computational Physics, Data Science & Machine Learning for Physics, Principles of Instrumentation, and Year 3 Lab, Year 3 Self-Study Project.
Whilst Foundations of Quantum Mechanics (FHEQ 6) is not a prerequisite for Quantum Optics (FHEQ 7), students are recommended to Foundations of Quantum Mechanics in Year 3 if they wish to take Quantum Optics in Year 4.
Whilst Lasers (FHEQ 6) is not a prerequisite for Laser Technology (FHEQ 7), as there is a substantial handout covering the core lasers material provided at the start of Laser Technology, students are advised that taking Lasers in Year 3 would better prepare them for the more advanced module.
Complexity & Networks, Entrepreneurship for Physicis, and Plasmonics & Metameterials are no longer available as they have been withdrawn from our programmes.
BPES modules might clash with Physics lecture courses. You are strongly advised not to take a BPES course that clashes with a Physics option you have selected.
When changing electives (from November in Term 1) you must inform your Academic Tutors. Your Year 3 tutorial groups are based on your electives choices. Changing an elective could lead to a clash with your tutorials.
Computational Physics has a deadline for you to commit to the course. After these dates you will not be able to drop the course in order to swap to another and your mark will count towards your degree. These dates are normally the deadlines of the first pieces of assessment to be submitted.
A FHEQ 6 Language course maps to a FHEQ 6 Physics course. There are no Masters level Horizons courses, except the Advanced Humanities Project. The Advanced Humanities Project is not available to students in their third year.
If you want to take a FHEQ 6 option in Year 4, you MUST take a FHEQ 7 Physics option in Year 3 with the same ECTS value.
It is possible to take an elective from a different department (e.g. Computing or Maths) in Year 3. We have some guidance notes and a form for students to completeshould they whish to take this module.
It is not possible to take a postgraduate course (e.g. Differential Geometry) as an elective in Year 3. This is due to the postgraduate exam board taking place in November.

Year 4

These options are to be initially submitted to the department in Term 3 of Year 3.‌

Electives talk to students - May 2025
Slides from May 2025 Year 2 Electives Talk
Elective Soundbites
The deadline is 18th June 2025.
You must have a mimimum of 60 ECTS to graduate. The maximum ECTS allowed for Year 4 is 62.5 ECTS.
7.5 ECTS Self-Study Projects are not available as electives in Year 4.
The following modules have a cap on numbers: Computational Physics, Data Science & Machine Learning for Physics, Principles of Instrumentation, and Year 3 Lab.
Complexity & Networks, Entrepreneurship for Physicis, and Plasmonics & Metameterials are no longer available as they have been withdrawn from our programmes.
The Module Leaders for ACP and GR strongly recommend that GR isn't taken in Year 4 without haven taken ACP in Year 3. Students that take GR without ACP are likely to struggle and this is likely impact their marks profile.
Some student feedback informs us that Advanced Classical Physics should be taken in Year 3 if Advanced Particle Physics is to be taken in Year 4.
Whilst Foundations of Quantum Mechanics (FHEQ 6) is not a prerequisite for Quantum Optics (FHEQ 7), students are recommended to Foundations of Quantum Mechanics in Year 3 if they wish to take Quantum Optics in Year 4.
Whilst Lasers (FHEQ 6) is not a prerequisite for Laser Technology (FHEQ 7), as there is a substantial handout covering the core lasers material provided at the start of Laser Technology, students are advised that tasking Lasers in Year 3 would better prepare them for the more advanced module.
You may take a language elective only if: French, German, Spanish, Italian at FHEQ 4 or above. Mandarin, Japanese or Arabic at FHEQ 3 or above.
Computational Physics has a deadline for you to commit to the course. After these dates you will not be able to drop the course in order to swap to another and your mark will count towards your degree. These dates are normally the deadlines of the first pieces of assessment to be submitted.
The Horizons Advanced Humanities Project is at FHEQ 7. It is available only to Year 4 students. You must have approval from both departments to select this as an elective.
It is possible to take an elective from a different department (e.g. Computing or Maths) in Year 4. We have some guidance notes and a form for students to complete should they whish to take this module.
It is not possible to take a postgraduate module (e.g. Differential Geometry) as an elective in Year 4. This is due to the postgraduate exam board taking place in November.
BPES electives are only available in Year 4 for F303 and F390 students if a FHEQ 7 option was taken in Year 3.

Year 4 - Year Abroad

The deadline for selecting your electives is 18th June 2025.
Useful notes on how to select electives for YA students currently abroad.
F309 students are only allowed to take a language module two levels above the one taken in Year 2.
F309 students are not allowed to start a new language in Year 4 for degree credit.
7.5 ECTS Year 3 Self-Study Projects are not available as electives in Year 4
In Year 4, you will typically follow the core modules: ‘Nuclear and Particle’ and ‘Solid State’. If you have taken an equivalent module abroad, you may replace one (or both) of these with an alternative module at Imperial. If you are considering this please discuss with your Academic Visitor, and any replacement must be agreed by the YA coordinator.

Things to remember

BPES and Horizons

Business School (BPES) and Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication (Horizons/Humanities) websites.
BPES electives are 5 ECTS.
BPES courses are not available for non-credit.
Term 1 BPES options have exams in week 1 of Term 2. Students could end up with a clash of lectures or lab in order to sit an exam.
Term 2 BPES options have exams in week 1 of Term 3. Students could end up with a clash of lectures or with a Physics exam. Students should not assume we can avoid clashing exams as we do not set the BPES exam timetable.
Horizons options are a variety of ECTS values.
Register for a Horizons course.
There are no Masters level Horizons courses, except the Advanced Humanities Project.
Horizons exams normally take place in the last week of Term 2.
If you wish to drop a BPES or Horizons course you must do so before the third Friday in Term 1. We will be strictly enforcing this rule.
Students are required to formally register with the Business School and the Imperial Horizons team. Selecting one of their electives on the Physics online form does not do this for you. They are all separate systems.
Final year students may only do a language option if it is a higher level course in the same language as done in a previous year.

MSc Degree Planning

We have a number of MSc programmes available in the department.
MSc Presentation to UG students - from December 2023
MSc online open day
If you would like to discuss a postgraduate programme with a member of staff, please contact the Programme Directors.

Other information

Students can discuss changing electives with their Personal Tutor.
Check the number of electives you want to take. Does it match your degree programme rules?
Students are advised not to overload themselves in either term.
Students who wish to take the Communicating Physics course are required to submit an application form (the deadline for submitting the form varies year to year but is usually the end of May). Application forms are available at the options fair and online. Please e-mail Rupes Bains for details on applying including application deadlines. Once applications have been considered, selected students are then invited to a brief interview usually held in June. In exceptional circumstances, late applications will be considered from any student who has certified mitigation which has prevented him/her from applying for the course by the published deadline. Please note that all students who are accepted onto the Communicating Physics course are required to complete a CRB check. Late applications can only be considered if there is enough time for a CRB check to be processed prior to the commencement of the course.
Email questions to ph.options@imperial.ac.uk

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