Course Overview

Lancaster's Space Scientists develop and deploy cutting-edge experiments in the Earth's Arctic Circle and exploit measurements from the latest NASA and ESA space missions. These include Earth-orbiting satellites that constantly sample the solar wind streaming from the sun and space probes that orbit our neighbouring planets. Our academics share their expertise with you on this exciting course, based on our core BSc Physics degree scheme.

In addition to gaining a thorough grounding in areas such as Quantum Physics and Electromagnetism in your first year, this degree programme will teach you about the physics underpinning processes in the space environment that stretches from the surface of the sun to the limits of our solar system. Second and third year topics include Astronomy, Introductory Astrophysics, Space Physics, Stellar Astrophysics, Solar Wind and Aurora-Atmospheric Physics.

Students on our four-year MPhys degree scheme will study Solar Planetary Physics during their final year. You will also collaborate with one of our researchers on your final-year project and explore in depth an area of space physics that most interests you.

The course selection is really good and you can get all the help you need as the departmental staff are very helpful.

Career opportunities

As a Lancaster Physics graduate, you will have a wide range of possible career options. Our graduates often go into careers where Physics is a requirement for example, as meteorologists, geophysicists, astronomers or medical physicists. Others develop careers in teaching, research or industry, where they carry on using their Physics knowledge.

Others make the most of the transferable skills they have acquired and take up employment in the financial service industries, the military, the police and management.

A substantial number of our graduates stay on to undertake research degrees at Lancaster and elsewhere. For example, recent graduates are now studying Physics, Theoretical Cosmology, Gravitational Physics, Particle Physics, Experimental and Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics, Ultralow Temperature Physics, Biomedical Physics, Accelerator Physics and Mathematical Physics to PhD level.