MSc by Research Particle Physics

The Department of Physics and Astronomy at Manchester is one of the largest and most active departments of physics in the UK.  We have a long tradition of excellence in both teaching and research, and have interests in most areas of contemporary research.

The Department has a strong presence in a number of Manchester-based centres for multidisciplinary research: The National Graphene Institute, the Photon Science Institute, the Manchester Centre for Non-Linear Dynamics, the Dalton Nuclear Institute, and the Mesoscience and Nanotechnology Centre.  In addition, the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire is a part of the Department.

The Manchester Particle Physics group performs theoretical and experimental research into the fundamental constituents of matter and the interactions that govern them. The group includes over 50 academic, research, and technical staff and over 50 postgraduate research students, making it one of the largest groups in the country. Opportunities exist for prospective postgraduates to directly contribute to the world-class experimental and theoretical particle physics research conducted by our group members, including projects that span experiment and theory. Our theoretical research spans the development of models of Beyond the Standard Model physics and their testing at existing and future experimental facilities, connections to the study of particle cosmology and the early Universe, and research into high-precision quantum chromodynamics calculations and Monte Carlo modelling. Our experimental research spans the LHCb and ATLAS experiments at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the DUNE experiment and short-baseline neutrino experiment programme at Fermilab in the USA, the IceCube/PINGU detectors at the South Pole, the Mu2e and g-2 experiments at Fermilab, the SuperNEMO experiment on the French/Italian border, the BES-III experiment in China, and the Darkside-50/20k dark matter direct detection experiments in Italy. The group holds leadership responsibilities in 11 international experiments, and hosts the spokespeople of three major international collaborations. As well as playing a leading role in the exploitation of existing facilities, the group has key roles in the design and development of future experiments including Liquid Argon TPC detector development, particle tracking detector upgrades for the LHCb and ATLAS experiments, and 3D diamond detector technologies. The group has strong links with national and international facilities, a very well-equipped laboratory space and state-of-the-art clean rooms, and hosts one of the largest and most successful Tier-2 distributed computing centres in the UK. Through our 4IR Centre for Doctoral Training in Data Intensive Science we provide training opportunities in advanced data analysis, modelling and machine learning as well as opportunities for industrial placements and engagement.

You can also download our  Postgraduate Project Booklet  (PDF document, 2.6MB) which contains details of research projects available within the department.

The postgraduate research environment is well funded and world-class as demonstrated by our ranking in REF2014. Supervision is provided by academic staff, who are leaders in their fields, with independent pastoral back-up. Transferable skills training is available and there are some department teaching opportunities.

Note: Although the course requires 1 year full time study, students should expect the process of examination of the dissertation may take several months. MSc degrees are usually awarded several months after the end of the programme.

1. Identify the research project, CDT or dual-award you'd like to apply for or determine your own research proposal (including research project title)
2. Find a supervisor and speak to them about supervising your research
3. Decide how you will be funding your research and discuss this with your supervisor

In your application you'll need to include; your chosen research project or the name of the project you are proposing (and your research proposal) , the name of your supervisor , how you will be funding your research , details of your previous study , names and contact details of your two referees . Once you have all of this information, you’re all set to apply online:

Apply now

Before you start your application, you should have:

• Identified the specific research project, CDT or dual-ward you’d like to apply for, or, determined your own research proposal and project title and discussed this with a supervisor.
• Found a supervisor and spoken to them about supervising your research.
• Decided how you’re planning on funding your research and discussed this with your supervisor.
• The names and contact details of your two referees.

You’ll also need to make sure you have the following to hand:

• Certificates: Certificates and final transcripts of any completed university-level qualifications and interim transcripts for qualifications in progress. If your transcripts are in a language other than English, you must provide an official English translation.
• CV: Summarising your academic record and highlighting experience that demonstrates your potential to conduct research.
• Research proposal: If you are proposing your own project, your proposal should typically range between 1,000-1,500 words and should clearly outline your project title and supervisor. For information on how to write a research proposal, visit our research proposal page .
• English language proof: All applicants are required to demonstrate proficiency in English language so you'll need to include a certificate or evidence of your English language ability. Applications can be considered without this evidence but any offer would be conditional on meeting minimum requirements.

The Department of Physics and Astronomy at Manchester is one of the largest and most active departments of physics in the UK.  We have a long tradition of excellence in both teaching and research, and have interests in most areas of contemporary research.

The Department has a strong presence in a number of Manchester-based centres for multidisciplinary research: The National Graphene Institute, the Photon Science Institute, the Manchester Centre for Non-Linear Dynamics, the Dalton Nuclear Institute, and the Mesoscience and Nanotechnology Centre.  In addition, the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire is a part of the Department.

The Manchester Particle Physics group performs theoretical and experimental research into the fundamental constituents of matter and the interactions that govern them. The group includes over 50 academic, research, and technical staff and over 50 postgraduate research students, making it one of the largest groups in the country. Opportunities exist for prospective postgraduates to directly contribute to the world-class experimental and theoretical particle physics research conducted by our group members, including projects that span experiment and theory. Our theoretical research spans the development of models of Beyond the Standard Model physics and their testing at existing and future experimental facilities, connections to the study of particle cosmology and the early Universe, and research into high-precision quantum chromodynamics calculations and Monte Carlo modelling. Our experimental research spans the LHCb and ATLAS experiments at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the DUNE experiment and short-baseline neutrino experiment programme at Fermilab in the USA, the IceCube/PINGU detectors at the South Pole, the Mu2e and g-2 experiments at Fermilab, the SuperNEMO experiment on the French/Italian border, the BES-III experiment in China, and the Darkside-50/20k dark matter direct detection experiments in Italy. The group holds leadership responsibilities in 11 international experiments, and hosts the spokespeople of three major international collaborations. As well as playing a leading role in the exploitation of existing facilities, the group has key roles in the design and development of future experiments including Liquid Argon TPC detector development, particle tracking detector upgrades for the LHCb and ATLAS experiments, and 3D diamond detector technologies. The group has strong links with national and international facilities, a very well-equipped laboratory space and state-of-the-art clean rooms, and hosts one of the largest and most successful Tier-2 distributed computing centres in the UK. Through our 4IR Centre for Doctoral Training in Data Intensive Science we provide training opportunities in advanced data analysis, modelling and machine learning as well as opportunities for industrial placements and engagement.

You can also download our  Postgraduate Project Booklet  (PDF document, 2.6MB) which contains details of research projects available within the department.

The postgraduate research environment is well funded and world-class as demonstrated by our ranking in REF2014. Supervision is provided by academic staff, who are leaders in their fields, with independent pastoral back-up. Transferable skills training is available and there are some department teaching opportunities.

Note: Although the course requires 1 year full time study, students should expect the process of examination of the dissertation may take several months. MSc degrees are usually awarded several months after the end of the programme.

A research project is undertaken under the supervision of a staff member throughout the year together with lectures. Full time is spent working on the project unless attending lectures. A dissertation will be submitted at the year-end. We provide a range of skills training which is particularly focussed on the needs of physics research. 

For further information about coursework and assessment please visit our  Course handbook

A research degree in physics is highly regarded by employers as evidence of a thorough training in numerate problem-solving and opens a wide range of possible career choices.  In addition to continuing physics research in industry, an MSc provides the entry level training to undertake a PhD in physics.

Visit the Careers Service website for more information.