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Physics MSc

Key information

Study mode: Full time, Part time Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time Credit value (UK/ECTS equivalent): UK 180/ECTS 90 Application status: Open Start date: September 2025

Course essentials

The Physics MSc is an interdepartmental course that covers significant research elements of rapidly developing and exciting fields of particle physics and cosmology, experimental biophysics and nanotechnology as well as theory and simulation of condensed matter. This course will equip you with expertise in planning, administration, execution and dissemination of research, and will also provide you with the background knowledge and skills required to become an active scientist. The course is made up of optional and required modules. You must take modules totalling 180 credits to complete the course, including 60 credits that will come from a research project and dissertation. Full time students will complete the course in one year, from September to September. Part-time students will complete the course in two years and will study a combination of required and optional modules in both years, including the research module in your second year. You will study modules offering group projects, literature reviews and there are opportunities to explore an extensive range of innovative optional modules, allowing you the freedom to develop your study pathway to reflect your interests. The majority of learning for this degree takes place at the Strand Campus, with occasional lectures and practical sessions taking place at the Waterloo Campus. Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the optional modules you select.

Base campus

Strand Campus

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.

Regulating bodies

King's is regulated by the Office for Students

Entry requirements

UK applicants

Standard requirements

A minimum 2:1 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree

If you have a lower degree classification, or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a Masters or PGDip).

Programme-Specific Requirements

Bachelors degree with 2:1 honours degree in Physics. Alternatively, a 2:1 in a degree subject related to physics will be considered on a case by case basis.

In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree or international equivalent. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme.

International applicants

Equivalent International qualifications

Select a country Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua & Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australasia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Virgin Islands Brunei Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Cook Islands Costa Rica Cote d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia (Czech Republic) Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Fiji Finland France Gabon Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Home Fee Status Students Honduras Hong Kong SAR Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda Samoa San Marino São Tomé and Príncipe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka St Kitts and Nevis St. Helena St. Kitts & Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent & the Grenadines Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand The Gambia Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Türkiye Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Wales Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe

English language requirements

English language band: D

To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.

Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.

Selection process

Applications must be made online using King's Apply, the Admissions Portal. A non-refundable application fee of £85 applies.

Applicants with a non-Physics background or achieving a lower degree classification than the entry requirement may be invited to interview wit the department before a decision is made.

Personal statement and supporting information

You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:

• Personal Statement: Yes
  • A personal statement is required. You must answer the following two questions on the application form:
    1. Why are you applying for this specific programme, and how does it fit with your future plans? (max 250 words)
    2. How does your experience and education make you a suitable candidate for this programme? (max 250 words)
• Previous Academic Study: Yes
  • A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents.
• References: Yes
  • One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. In some cases, we may request an additional reference from you.
• Other: Optional
  • Applicants may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application.

Teaching methods - what to expect

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Group Tutorials
• Independent study

We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Face to face teaching will be complemented and supported with innovative technology so that students also experience elements of digital learning and assessment.

We use lectures, seminars and group tutorials to deliver most of the modules on the course. You will also be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study.

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work, e.g. 150 hours work for a 15-credit module. These hours cover every aspect of the module, including independent study.

Assessment

• Coursework
• Written/Practical Examinations
• Essays
• Class Tests
• Assignment Reports
• Oral Presentations

Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and written/practical examinations. Forms of assessment may typically include written exams and essays, with some class testing, assignment reports and oral presentations.

The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.

Structure

Courses are divided into modules, and students on this course take modules totalling 180 credits.

Required modules

You are required to take:

• Scientific Critical Thinking and Debating (15 credits)
• Advanced Topics in Physics (15 credits)
• Research Project in Physics (60 credits)

Part-time students should plan to take a minimum of 45 credits in their first year since they are required to have passed a minimum of 45 credits to progress into the second year. Students can select modules from the Required or Optional modules listed. The modules in the Required list must be taken in either year 1 or year 2. The Research Project in Physics (60 credits) will be taken in the second year by the part time students.

Optional modules

Full-time and part-time students are required to take at least 30 credits from a range of optional modules, which may include:

• Theoretical Treatment of Nano-systems (15 credits)
• Experimental Techniques in Condensed Matter Physics (15 credits)
• Bio & Nanomaterials in the Virtual Lab (15 credits)
• Standard Model Physics & Beyond (15 credits)
• Advanced Condensed Matter (15 credits)
• Modelling Quantum Many-body Systems (15 credits)
• Dark Matter and Dark Energy (15 credits)
• Gravitational Wave Physics (15 credits)
• Quantum information and computing (15 credits)
• Statistical Field Theory (15 credits)

Full time students can also take:

• Photonics & Metamaterials (15 credits)

Part-time students can also take the optional module below:

• Advanced Photonics (15 credits)

Additionally, you are required to take sufficient credits to bring your total for the year to 180, from a range of optional modules, which may typically include: Modules offered by the King’s College London Department of Mathematics: • Lie Groups and Lie Algebras • Strings, Branes and Quantum Gravity • Supersymmetry and Conformal Field Theory • Theory Of Complex Networks • Equilibrium Analysis of Complex Systems • Dynamical Analysis of Complex Systems • Mathematical Biology • Elements of Statistical Learning • Quantum Field Theory

Modules typically offered by Royal Holloway, University of London: • Advanced Particle Physics • Particle Accelerator Physics • Nano-Electronics and Quantum Technology • Superconductors and Superfluids • Statistical Data Analysis • Analysing Gravitational Waves • Statistical Mechanics • Advanced Astrophysics • Order and Excitations in Quantum Materials • Advanced Quantum Theory

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Careers

Employability

Many of our graduates go on to study for a PhD in Physics, work in scientific research, teaching or work in the financial sector.

Destinations

Recent graduates have found employment within the following job roles and companies:

• Computational Financer, Lloyd's
• Code Developer, HMRC
• Consultant, Capgemini
• Data Scientist, Atos
• Senior Quant Analyst, Riskcare
• Research Scientist, Nuffield
• Quantitative Developer, Wintermute Trading
• Searce Associate Staff, Chinese Space Agency
• Machine Learning Specialist
• Banking
• PhD
• Teacher

Fees & Funding

Tuition Fees

UK:

Full time: £13,500 per year (2025/26)

Part time: £6,750 per year (2025/26)

International:

Full time: £37,800 per year (2025/26)

Part time: £18,900 per year (2025/26)

Please note that the tuition fees for subsequent years of study may be subject to increases in line with King’s terms and conditions.

Deposit

If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. Deposit payments are credited towards the total tuition fee payment.

The Home deposit is £500. The International deposit is £2000.

• If you receive an offer before March, payment is due by 20 March.
• If you receive an offer between 1 March and 20 May, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 21 May and 15 July, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer between 16 July and 10 August, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
• If you receive an offer from 11 August onwards, payment is due within three days of receiving the offer.

If you are a current undergraduate King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary this academic year, you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.

Additional Costs

In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:

• Books if you choose to buy your own copies
• Clothing for optional course related events and competitions
• Library fees and fines
• Personal photocopies
• Printing course handouts
• Society membership fees
• Stationery
• Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses
• Graduation costs

Funding

To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.

Application closing date guidance

We encourage you to apply as early as possible so that there is sufficient time for your application to be assessed and we may need to request further information from you during the application process. In addition, if you receive an offer, this programme requires all non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals (with some exceptions) to have an ATAS certificate before they can enrol at King’s and this can take some time. We therefore advise applying as soon as possible to avoid any delay in obtaining this certificate.

Our first application deadline is on 9 March 2025 (23:59 UK time). The final application deadlines for this programme are:

• Overseas (international) fee status: 25 July 2025 (23:59 UK time)
• Home fee status: 25 August 2025 (23:59 UK time)

After the first application deadline in March:

• if the programme is not yet full, we will continue to accept applications until all available places are filled up to the final application deadlines above
• if the programme becomes full before the final application deadlines stated above, we will close the programme to further applications

Please note, you will not be eligible for an application fee refund if you apply after the first application deadline, and we are unable to process further offers because places are filled and we close the course before the final application deadline.