Honours Physics 2000

To: Members of the Physics 2 Class

From: Dr. D.V. Land, Class Head, Physics 3

You will soon have an opportunity to discuss with your Adviser of Studies possible honours courses starting in October 2000. The Physics and Astronomy Department offers a wide range of courses which include Physics at B.Sc. and M.Sci. Honours and Designated Ordinary degree level. For those of you studying Astronomy 2, the possibility of a combined Mathematics and Astronomy degree may also be of interest.

A number of changes have recently been made to the honours degree courses, with the introduction of the M.Sci. and Designated Ordinary degrees in addition to the Honours B.Sc. The purpose of introducing these changes is to provide a wider choice of degrees to students in Physics, Astronomy and Physics related areas. The changes are in line with those that are being made in other U.K. universities. The M.Sci. degree is significantly more demanding than the B.Sc., having a greater breadth of subject areas and has a project which requires the student to study more widely so that the project work can be clearly related to its area of physics. There are also changes within the degree courses, so that annual learning hours are close to the Faculty target of 1200 and 1500 for B.Sc. and M.Sci. respectively, and combined honours loads are close to half that of the single honours degree. We are continuing to offer the Combined Honours courses with Astronomy, Mathematics, Electronic Engineering, Geology and Arts Faculty subjects, and may be introducing an Honours BSc. in Physics and Computing Science.

 Honours Courses (available for entry to Level 3 in October 2000)

 Degree Course

M.Sci.

B.Sc.

Physics

yes

yes

Physics and Astronomy

yes

yes

Physics and Mathematics

yes

yes

Physics and Applied Mathematics

yes

yes

Astronomy and Mathematics

yes

yes

Chemical Physics

yes

yes

Physics and Geology

no

yes

Physics and Electronic Engineering

yes

no

Physics and Computing Science

no

yes

Physics + Music or Philosophy

yes

M.A.

 

Physics and Astronomy course entry requirements:

 

BSc

MSci

Single Physics

P2X/Y + M2X/Y/W(or2R) at gpa 10

P2X/Y + M2X/Y/W(or2R) at gpa 14

Physics & (Applied) Mathematics

P2X/Y at gpa of 10

P2X/Y at gpa of 14

Physics & Astronomy

P2X/Y+A2+M2X/Y(orM2R) gpa 10

P2X/Y+A2+M2X/Y(orM2R) gpa 14

Astronomy & Mathematics

A2 at gpa of 10

A2 at gpa of 14

Chemical Physics

P2X/Y at gpa of 10

P2X/Y at gpa of 14

Physics & Geology

P2X/Y at gpa of 10

 

Physics & Computing Science

P2X/Y at gpa of 10

 

Physics & Electronic Engineering

 

P2X/Y + M2X/Y/W(or2R) at gpa 14

Physics & Arts

(MA) P2X/Y at gpa of 10

P2X/Y at gpa of 14

 (gpa = grade point average taken over all classes, but excluding F, G and N grade points.)

For entry to M.Sci. and BSc. Hons. the appropriate requirements should normally be met at the first available diet of examinations.

For Combined and Joint Honours degrees you must satisfy the entry requirements of both departments.

Lectures:

The table below shows the lecture modules that will be available as part of the Physics curriculum and the expected lecture load for honours students. Each "module" comprises 20 lectures. S denotes "single" and C/J denotes "combined/joint". TP denotes teaching period and is for guidance only; individual modules may span both TPs but where possible a module will be contained within a single period so that the load on students is approximately constant throughout the year. Core course lectures are at 10 or 11 am on Mondays, and at 10 am Tuesdays to Fridays. The option lecture courses for Single Honours students will also use 9 am and 11 am lecture slots. Lectures start on the Friday of week 0, Term 1, and may continue to the end of week 2 of Term 3.

Term

Physics 3

Course

BSc C/J

BSc S

Msci C/J

Msci S

1

Mathematical Methods

301

x

x

x

x

1

Waves &Diffraction

303

x

x

x

x

1

Thermal Physics

303

 

x

x

x

1

Circuits and Systems

304

 

x

 

x

1

Electromagnetism (M)

305

 

 

 

x

2

Quantum Mechanics (M)

306

 

 

x

x

2

Quantum Mechanics (B)

307

x

x

 

 

2

Electromagnetism (B)

308

x

x

 

 

2

Electromagnetic Waves

309

 

 

x

x

2

Numerical Methods

310

 

 

 

x

2

Option

 

 

x

 

x

Term

Physics 4

Course

BSc C/J

BSc S

Msci C/J

Msci S

1

Solid State

401

a

x

c

x

1

Nuclear & Particle Physics

402

a

x

c

x

1

Statistical Physics

403

 

 

c

x

1

Quantum Mechanics & Atomic Systems

404

 

 

c

x

1

Atomic Systems & Microanalysis

405

a

x

 

 

2

Option

 

b

x

d

x

2

Option

 

b

x

d

x

2

Option

 

 

x

 

x

2

Option

 

 

x

 

x

2

Option

 

 

 

 

x

 

Lecture hours levels 3 & 4

 

140

280

180

360

 "x" denotes compulsory

BSc combined/joint students (excluding Geology) must do either 2 modules designated "a" and 1 module designated "b" or 1 module designated "a" and 2 modules designated "b".

Students doing Physics & Geology can do Circuits & Systems in Level 4 in place of one of the designated "a" and "b" modules.

M.Sci. combined/joint students must do either 3 modules designated "c" and 1 module designated "d" or 2 modules designated "c" and 2 modules designated "d".

 The options below are all appropriate for Level 4 students; those denoted 3 are also appropriate for that level. Two Astronomy modules have been identified as suitable only for students undertaking an Msci degree (M).

Numerical methods

3

Modern optics

3

Dynamics & relativity

3

Magnetic & superconducting properties of materials$

4

Semiconductor devices$

4

Electronic signals transmission

4

Particle physics%

4

Nuclear physics & radiation detectors%

4

Medical imaging

3

Astronomy 1

3

Astronomy 2

3

Astronomy 3 (M)

3

$ there is a prerequisite of "Solid State Physics"

% there is a prerequisite of "Nuclear and Particle Physics"

All Astronomy modules will follow a two year (year A and year B) cycle. The three modules, denoted Astronomy 1, 2 and 3 above, are only available as "Physics" options for students not doing combined Physics & Astronomy. Two will be delivered in TP(2) along with the other options whilst the remaining one will be split between TP(1) and TP(2).

 

Year A

Year B

Astronomy 1

Stellar physics

Instruments for optical & radio astronomy

Astronomy 2

X-ray astrophysics

Cosmology

Astronomy 3(M)

Natural & laboratory plasmas

Gravitation & relativity

 

Chemical Physics is the only joint honours degree in which the Department participates. It is run jointly with the Department of Chemistry. The Physics modules from which students can choose have been detailed above. The topics covered in Chemistry can be found in the appropriate Chemistry handbooks.

 

Laboratories and Supervisions:

Single Honours students attend the Honours Laboratory for ten hours per week for 8 weeks in both Terms 1 and 2. For other students, attendance in the laboratory varies depending on the degree course being followed; for Combined and Joint Honours degrees it is normally 80 hours in either Term 1 or Term 2. In the laboratory students undertake both a range of practical experimental work and an information technology course.

All students undertake a project in their fourth year; this project may be in the other department of study in the case of some joint and combined degrees. These projects may be associated with a research group in this department so there is an opportunity to see at first hand some of the research in which staff members are involved.

Another opportunity of learning more about the department, as well as discussing your course work, is from your supervisor whom you will meet weekly or fortnightly along with another two or three students.

 

Examination Structure:

In Honours Physics courses, there are degree examinations at the end of each year on the whole year's work and the final assessment is made up of the results of these Level 3 and Level 4 sets of examinations together with marks gained in laboratory and project work.

Career Opportunities:

It is always difficult to estimate what job prospects will be in two years time. It is true to say, however, that employers greatly value the analytical, problem-solving and transferable skills that the Glasgow physics courses seek to develop, which can applied in a very wide variety of careers.

Alternatively:

You may be one of a number of students who intend to complete a designated degree, perhaps with a view to taking a postgraduate teaching qualification. If you have found Physics 2 stimulating and rewarding, you might like to consider taking a third year of Physics to obtain a designated B.Sc. Students undertaking a designated degree in "Physics" take 5 or 6 modules, depending on whether they are aiming for 80 or 120 credits in Physics at level 3, whilst students aiming for a combined degree in "Physics and X" will do 3 modules. In all cases one of these must be Mathematical Methods whilst the others can be chosen from any of the available level 3 modules open to B.Sc. students. Whilst there is only a modest increase in the number of modules taken by students seeking 120 rather than 80 credits in Physics, the laboratory load of the latter is doubled.

More Information:

If I can be of any help please do come and talk with me. I can usually be found in Room 251a. Please remember that final decisions concerning choices for your third year of study can only be taken in consultation with your Adviser of Studies.

The Physics 3 Web site (www.physics.gla.ac.uk/Physics3/) gives information about the current Physics 3 lecture courses, laboratories, examinations, departmental requirements, timetables and aims and objectives for courses. This information will be being updated for any changes necessary from October 2000.

Physics 3 class enrolment will be at 10 am on the Thursday of week 0, Term 1, in lecture theatre 312 in the Kelvin Building.

Dr D.V. Land

March 2000