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Physics with Nuclear Technology

Entry requirements


A level

C,C,D

Including Maths and Physics. Entry to Year 2 with BBC including Maths and PHysics

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

24

Must include Maths and Physics. For year 2 entry, 28 points including Maths and Physics

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H3,H3,H3,H4

Including Maths and Physics.

Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)

DDM

Year 2 entry

Scottish Advanced Higher

C,C,D

For entry to Year 2, including Maths and Physics

Scottish HNC

Pass

Entry to Year 2 with a HNC in either Physics or Applied Science.

Scottish HND

Pass

Entry to Year 3 with a HND in either Physics or Applied Science.

Scottish Higher

B,C,C,C

Including Maths/Applications of Maths and Physics, OR BBBC with Maths at B and National 5 Physics at B

T Level

M

UCAS Tariff

90

Including Maths and Physics

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Physics

**OVERVIEW**
The professionally-accredited BSc Physics with Nuclear Technology course is the only one of its kind in Scotland. UWS has been undertaking nuclear physics research for some 30 years. On joining this degree you will be taught by researcers at the forefront of the discipline. In addition, you final year research project will be fully integrated withthe UWS Nuclear Physcis Research Group.

UWS is a key member of Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA) which is a research alliance with the aim of placing Scotland at the forefront of international physics research. You can be assured that you will be taught by research-active academics who are specialists in their field.

In addition, you will also have the opportunity to undertake a 12-month paid placement with an industrial or scientific employer in the UK or abroad.

**PRACTICAL FOCUS**
Specifically designed for students with an interest in nuclear physics and its applications, the course offers options for placements in the UK and Europe, ensuring wide-ranging career opportunities. In recent years students have undertaken placements with Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and CERN Accelerator in Switzerland.

In addition to work-based learning the Honours sandwich programme also offers you the opportunity to complete a year’s paid work experience with an industrial or scientific employer in the UK or abroad.

**PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION**
This course is accredited by the Institute of Physics (IOP). It partially meets the educational requirements for Chartered Physicist (CPhys). You can also apply to become a Registered Scientist (RSci) through the IoP upon completion of the course.

**CAREER PROSPECTS**

**Jobs**
Nuclear technology has far-reaching applications for our world; in medical imaging, environmental monitoring, radioactive dating, and nuclear energy generation. Nuclear physics and radiation detection are also prerequisites in conducting research in nuclear and particle physics at large laboratories such as CERN, the European organisation for Nuclear Research.

You will graduate from the programme well equipped for a career in nuclear power, nuclear medicine, environmental monitoring, fundamental and industrial research, or nuclear decommissioning. Graduates from this programme have gone on to work in roles including:

Nuclear Engineer / Nuclear Safety Consultant / Nuclear Waste Advisor / Radiological Consultant

**Further Study**
Some graduates choose further study at MSc, MRes and PhD level.

Modules

Our BSc Physics with Nuclear Technology degree has been developed to provide you with the knowledge necessary for a career in the nuclear industry or nuclear research. Across the duration of your studies, you will cover core physics subjects, including:

Wave motion / Classical mechanics / Quantum mechanics / Electromagnetism / Atomic, nuclear and particle physics / Thermodynamics

In addition, the degree has a focus on nuclear science and technology including:

Imaging and nuclear medicine / Applications of nuclear physics / Nuclear and particle physics / Research topics in nuclear physics

Optional Sandwich year - you have the option to undertake a paid period of up to 12 months in industry or a relevant scientific research laboratory after your third year of study.

Assessment methods

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials and workshops.

You will also have the opportunity to take part in group work and independent learning to develop your transferable skills such as research, presentation, communication and working as part of a team.

This degree is assessed using a variety of assessment methods including:

Written examinations / Coursework / Practical assessments

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£18,000
per year
International
£18,000
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£1,820
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Paisley Campus

Department:

Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences

Read full university profile

What students say


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

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

81%
UK students
19%
International students
73%
Male students
27%
Female students
75%
2:1 or above
40%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
B
A

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.

£17,200
low
Average annual salary
89%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

22%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
19%
Science, engineering and production technicians
12%
Engineering 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.

£27k

£27k

£28k

£28k

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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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?

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