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Admissions

UCAS Course Code: VF53

Brief Course Outline

Duration of course: 4 years
Degree awarded: MPhysPhil

Course statistics for 2012 entry

Intake: 18
Applications shortlisted for interview: 44.7%
Successful applications: 14.6%

Open days

26 and 27 June, and 20 September 2013
There will be a Physics and Philosophy enquiry desk in the Physics Department on University open days.
18 February there will be a Phyics admissions talk. For details and booking see February events.

Contact details

Physics
Department of Physics,
Clarendon Laboratory,
Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3PU
+44 (0) 1865 272200
Please email us at enquiries@physics.ox.ac.uk
View Physics website
See also http://users.ox.ac.uk/~ppox


Philosophy
Faculty of Philosophy,
10 Merton Street, Oxford OX1 4JJ
+44 (0) 1865 276926
Please email us at enquiries@philosophy.ox.ac.uk
View Philosophy website

 

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Physics and Philosophy

Courses tab icon About the course Course outline Entrance requirements How to apply

A typical weekly timetable

Your work is divided between tutorials and classes (two or three per week), lectures (about eight weekly) and private study. The private study will take up the majority of your working time.

1st year
Courses

Physics

  • Mechanics and Special Relativity
  • Differential equations and linear algebra
  • Calculus and waves

Philosophy

  • Elements of deductive logic
  • Introduction to philosophy

Assessment

First University examinations:
Three written papers in Physics;
Two written papers in Philosophy

2nd year
Courses

Physics

  • Thermal physics
  • Electromagnetism
  • Quantum physics
  • Mathematical methods
  • Three physics practicals

Philosophy

  • History of philosophy from Descartes to Kant, or Knowledge and reality
  • Philosophy of special relativity

Assessment

Final University examinations, Part A:
Three papers in Physics; satisfactory lab work

3rd year

Courses

One elective paper in either Physics or
Philosophy
Physics

A choice of three (or five if the elective paper is in Physics) of the following subjects:

  • Classical mechanics
  • Flows, fluctuations and complexity
  • Symmetry and relativity
  • Quantum, atomic and molecular physics
  • Sub-atomic physics
  • General relativity and cosmology
  • Condensed-matter physics

Philosophy

  • Philosophy of science option
  • Philosophy of quantum mechanics
  • Choice of Philosophy option (if the elective paper is in philosophy)

Assessment

Final University examinations, Part B:
Three or four written papers in Philosophy;
One or two written papers and one short paper in Physics

4th year

Courses

Three units chosen in any combination from the lists for Physics and Philosophy.
Advanced philosophy of physics is an option.

Assessment

Final University examinations, Part C:
A mix (three in all) of written papers and essays, or thesis (in Philosophy), or project (in Physics)

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