= Physics course of the University of Oxford
From the 2020/2021 <Oxford physics course handbooks> we can determine the following structure:
* Year 1 (CP, "Coure Preliminaries", "Prelims"). Take all of:
* CP1 Classical mechanics, Special relativity
* CP2 Electromagnetism, circuit theory and optics
* CP3 Mathematical methods 1. Complex Numbers and Ordinary Differential Equations. Vectors and Matrices.
* CP4 Mathematical methods 2. Multiple Integrals and Vector Calculus. Normal Modes, Wave Motion and the Wave Equation.
* Year 2 (Part A). Take all of:
* A1 Thermal physics. Kinetic Theory, Heat Transport, Thermodynamics.
* A2 Electromagnetism and optics
* A3 Quantum physics. Quantum Mechanics and Further Quantum Mechanics.
* Short options: at least one of:
* Mathematical Methods
* Probability and Statistics
* S01 Functions of a Complex Variable
* S07 Classical Mechanics
* S10 Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy
* S13 Teaching and Learning Physics in Schools
* S14 History of Physics
* S20 History of Science
* S21 Philosophy of Science
* S22 Language Options
* S25 Climate Physics
* S27 Philosophy of Space-Time
* S29 Exploring Solar Systems
* S33 Entrepreneurship for Physicists
* Year 3 (Part B). Take all of:
* <Michaelmas term>
* <B2 Oxford physics course>[B2 Symmetry and relativity]
* <B4 Oxford physics course>[B4 Nuclear and particle physics]
* <B6 Oxford physics course>[B6 Condensed-matter physics]
* <Hilary term>
* B1 Fluids
* <B3 Oxford physics course>[B3 Atomic and laser physics]
* B5 General relativity
* B7 Classical Mechanics (for <MPhysPhil> only?)
* B8 Computational Project
* B9 Experimental Project
* Year 4 (MPhys). Select two from:
* C1 Astrophysics
* <C2 Oxford physics course>[C2 Laser Science and Quantum Information Processing]
* <C3 Oxford physics course>[C3 Condensed Matter Physics]
* C4 Particle Physics
* C5 Physics of Atmospheres and Oceans
* <C6 Oxford physics course>[C6 Theoretical Physics]
* C7 Biological Physics
<Trinity term>, the third and final <term of the University of Oxford>[term] of each year, contains mostly revision from the previous two terms, after which students take their final exams, which basically account for their entire grade. Trinity is therefore a very tense part of the year for the students. After that they have summer holidays, until coming back for the next year of madness.
The official external course landing page: https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses/course-listing/physics[]. 2021 archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20221208212856/https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses/course-listing/physics[]) In those pages we see the rough structure, except that it does not have the course codes "A1" etc., and some courses are missing.
At https://web.archive.org/web/20221229021312/https://www2.physics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2011-06-03/course_v3_pdf_80151.pdf page 11 we can see the global course structure giving the two options, 3 year BA or 4 year <Oxford physics masters>:
``
Year 1
(Prelims)
|
|
v
Year 2
(Part A)
|
+-----------+
| |
v v
Year 3 BA Year 3 (MPhys)
(Part B) (Part B)
| |
| |
v v
BA Year 4
(Part C)
|
|
v
MPhys
``
Practical courses notes: https://www-teaching.physics.ox.ac.uk/
Some others with lecture notes:
* Andrew Steane https://users.physics.ox.ac.uk/~Steane/teaching/lecture_course.html also books. No license. Cute HTML <quantum error correction> one: https://users.physics.ox.ac.uk/~Steane/qec/QECtute.html
Back to article page