Theoretical Physics, MSc by Research

Start dates: MSc by Research - 1st October, 1st January, 1st April & 1st July. The MSc by Research in Theoretical Physics allows you to undertake a year-long individual programme of personally and professionally enriching research. Your theoretical physics research project will be shaped by participation in activities such as seminars, workshops, laboratory activity and fieldwork, as well as your involvement in one of our established research groups.

Over 80% of our research outputs from experimental and theoretical groups were judged to be world-leading or internationally excellent (REF 2014-2021). We have three main research groups. The Atomic, Molecular and Quantum Physics Group (AMQP) is supported by grants from EPSRC, the EU, The Royal Society, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales and various industrial and government sources.

The areas of research are: Analytical laser spectroscopy, Ultrafast Dynamics, Imaging and Microscopy, Optomechanics Antihydrogen, positronium and positrons Cold atom physics Nano-scale physics and the life sciences The Applied Physics and Materials (APM) Group is supported by grants from the European Union, Welsh Government, National Science Foundation, Australian Research Council, Welsh European Funding Office, and EPSRC. The areas of research include: Biophotonics: Nano- and micro-structured materials, biomimetics, analyte sensing and light-tissue interaction Nanomedicine Sustainable Advanced Materials: next-generation semiconductors, bioelectronic materials and devices, optoelectronics including photodetection, solar energy conversion, advanced electro-optics and transport physics of disordered solids The Particle Physics and Cosmology Theory (PPCT) Group is one of the five largest particle physics groups in the UK. It is supported mainly by STFC, but also has grants from EPSRC, the EU, the Royal Society and the Leverhulme Trust.

The areas of research include: Amplitudes in gauge and supergravity theories Hot and Dense matter, High-performance computing Gauge/string duality, Higher spin holography, Integrability, Large-N gauge theories, supersymmetry and duality Holography and lattice theories in physics beyond the Standard Model Quantum fields in curved spacetime and t heoretical cosmology We are ranked: Top 201-250 in the World (QS World University Rankings 2025)