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Physics with Renewable Energy

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B

BBB in three A Levels including B in Maths or Physics

Access to HE Diploma

D:30

122 UCAS points in an Access to HE Diploma with Physics or Maths related content, including Distinction in at least 30 Level 3 credits. Please contact the University Admissions Team for advice on whether your chosen course would qualify.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

You will also need: 4 / C in GCSE Maths or Level 2 Functional Skills Maths, plus an English language qualification

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

30

555 in three Higher Levels including 5 in Maths (any) or Physics, OR 30 points including 5 in Higher Level Maths (any) or Physics

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDM

DDM in any of the following BTEC Extended Diplomas / National Extended Diplomas: Engineering or Applied Science

T Level

M

Merit in any of the following T Levels: Engineering and Manufacturing

UCAS Tariff

120

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

4 years | Sandwich with time abroad | 2024

4 years | Sandwich including industrial placement | 2024

Subject

Physics

Gain the solid physics background, technical knowledge and problem-solving skills required to play a central role in designing the energy systems of the future. Our distinctive Physics with Renewable Energy BSc will provide you with the numerical, programming, critical-thinking, digital and presentational skills needed to pursue a career in the ever-expanding low-carbon and sustainability employment sector.

**Why choose this course?**

- Specialise in a topic of global societal and ethical importance at a University that is sector leading in sustainability

- Global Sustainability Institution of the Year (International Green Gown Awards, 2021)

- Dedicated first year modules will equip you with the fundamental mathematical, programming and practical skills required for effective academic study

- Develop the core skills in mathematics and physics to focus on tacking some of the worlds renewable energy and climate change problems

- 13th in England for Physics (Guardian University Guide, 2022)

Addressing climate change by switching from hydrocarbon reliance to renewable energy generation is a pivotal national and global challenge for the next 20 years and beyond. Physicists play a vital role in de-carbonising the economy by designing, developing and deploying technologies that generate, distribute and store renewable energy at scale.

Based on the solid foundation of our existing accredited Single Honours Physics degree, our BSc will focus on:

- the physics of renewable energy from wind, solar, hydroelectric, tidal, nuclear fission and fusion;

- the distribution of renewable energy, the national grid and smart energy networks;

- energy efficiency, materials for renewable energy, storage solutions and batteries;

- computing, data-analysis and the application of Physics to solving real-world and world-changing problems.

In year one, to ensure you develop the fundamental skills and practical experience that underpin this programme, you will be supported to explore modules such as applied mathematics and statistics, scientific programming and scientific practice. To enable you to gain a variety of practical, computational and transferrable skills that employers value, laboratory work is embedded within the programme.

Throughout your second year you will continue to expand your knowledge in the fundamentals of physics and further develop skills in mathematical and computational analysis. There are specialised modules in the generation, transmission and storage of renewable energy and you will explore the application of physics to the generation of nuclear power, radiation protection and medical technologies.

During year three you will study more advanced modules including electromagnetism and materials for renewable energy. You will also have the opportunity to carry out a major experimental project and a dissertation focused on renewable energy topics such as wind turbine design, small-scale fission reactors or tidal barrages. To broaden your scientific literacy you will also have the opportunity to explore a variety of optional modules that align with your career aspirations and interests.

**About Keele**

Keele University was established in 1949 by the former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. Founded to meet the needs of a changing world, Keele has always had a pioneering vision to be a different kind of university. We excel in both teaching and research, with some of the most satisfied students in England, and research that is changing lives for the better at a regional, national and global level.

Our beautiful 600-acre campus is one of the biggest in Britain – but all the most important services and facilities are on your doorstep, with accommodation, teaching spaces, facilities including a medical centre, sports centre and pharmacy, and a range of shops, eateries and entertainment venues – including the Students’ Union – clustered around the centre.

Modules

For a list of indicative modules please visit the course page on the Keele University website.

The Uni


Course location:

Keele University

Department:

Keele (Central)

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

96%
Physics

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Physics

Teaching and learning

77%
Staff make the subject interesting
88%
Staff are good at explaining things
90%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
83%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

90%
Library resources
79%
IT resources
92%
Course specific equipment and facilities
79%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

96%
UK students
4%
International students
77%
Male students
23%
Female students
60%
2:1 or above
11%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Physics

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£19,000
med
Average annual salary
96%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

16%
Science, engineering and production technicians
14%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
11%
Natural and social science professionals

Although the subject has seen a bit of resurgence in recent years, the UK is still felt to be short of physics graduates, and in particular physicists training as teachers. If you want a career in physics research — in all sorts of areas, from atmospheric physics to lasers - you'll probably need to take a doctorate, and so have a think about where you would like to do that and how you might fund it (the government funds many physics doctorates, so you might not find it as hard as you think). With that in mind, it's not surprising that just over a fifth of physics graduates go on to take doctorates when they finish their degree, and well over a third of physicists take some kind of postgraduate study in total. Physics is highly regarded and surprisingly versatile, which is why physics graduates who decide not to stay in education are more likely to go into well-paid jobs in the finance industry than they are to go into science. The demand and versatility of physics degrees goes to explain why they're amongst the best-paid science graduates.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Physics

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£28k

£28k

£27k

£27k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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Course location and department:

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here