Master of Physics (MPhys)

MPhys Physics

Join a physics Department of international renown that offers great choice and flexibility, leading to master's qualification.

  • Duration: 4 years
  • Year of entry: 2025
  • UCAS course code: F305 / Institution code: M20
  • Key features:
  • Scholarships available
  • Accredited course

Full entry requirementsHow to apply

Fees and funding

Fees

Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2025 will be £9,535 per annum (subject to Parliamentary approval). Tuition fees for international students will be £36,500 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

The University of Manchester is committed to attracting and supporting the very best students. We have a focus on nurturing talent and ability and we want to make sure that you have the opportunity to study here, regardless of your financial circumstances.

For information about scholarships and bursaries please visit our undergraduate student finance pages and our Department funding pages .

Course unit details:
Origin of the Solar System

Course unit fact file
Unit code EART32201
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 6
Teaching period(s) Semester 1
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

In this course unit students will trace the evolution through nucleosynthesis of the galactic chemical composition from the big bang to the formation of our solar system. They will gain an insight into how the elements heavier than He were produced through stellar nucleosynthesis. They will learn how a portion of a molecular cloud collapsed to form a solar nebula in which the planets began to form, and understand how the analysis of meteorites sheds light on this time period. They will learn how a range of processes combined to produce the diverse population of planetary bodies we are familiar with today.

 

There is an emphasis in the course on developing your own understanding, applying it in new contexts, and supporting your opinions with evidence. Students are encouraged to read around the subject, following their interests and starting from some recommended papers on the blackboard site.

 

Pre/co-requisites

Pre-requisite Units:

Core second year units on the planetary science pathway of the Earth Sciences degree programme.

OR

First two years of Physics programmes.

Aims

For students to develop and be able to explain an evidence-based understanding of the processes that led to the emergence of our solar system in its current configuration, and of the bodies within it.

 

Learning outcomes

On the successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

Developed

Assessed

ILO 1

Provide an up-to-date account of the properties of the solar system and of the bodies within it.

X

X

ILO 2

Critically discuss the processes proposed to have determined the properties of planetary bodies.

X

X

ILO 3

Comment on areas of uncertainty in this area, and on the things we don’t know.

X

X

ILO 4

Support their opinions in this area with evidence from scholarly reviews and primary sources.

X

X

ILO 5 Reflect on the benefits obtained through and pitfalls encountered by working as a team. X  

 

Syllabus

The lecture series takes the form of a narrative covering the events that led to the formation of our solar system and the planetary bodies within it. The narrative will reference the current evidence base and discuss areas of uncertainty. It will cover…

  • Galactic chemical evolution producing the solar system composition from the products of big bang nucleosynthesis.
  • Molecular cloud collapse.
  • The formation and properties of an accretion disk/solar nebula.
  • The formation of dust, emergence of planetesimals and processes thereon.

Teaching and learning methods

20 x 1 hour lectures.

Blackboard site with links to recommendations for further reading, notes, material supporting lectures and a discussion board.

Students will work as a team to develop a wiki covering subjects central to the course unit.

 

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Written assignment (inc essay) 50%
Report 50%

Feedback methods

Assessment type

% Weighting within unit

Hand out and hand in dates

Length

 

How, when and what feedback is provided

ILO tested

Essay

50%

TBD

As appropriate

Via turnitin within expected time limit

1-4

Essay

50%

TBD

As appropriate

Via Turnitin within expected time limit

1-4

 

Recommended reading

The blackboard site and lecture slides provide links to the current research literature.

 

Study hours

Independent study hours
Independent study 100

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
James Gilmour Unit coordinator

Additional notes

 

Type

Example student activity

Total Hours

New material

Consolidation and Practice
Contact time (students are in front of staff)Lecture (new material)Mostly listening & taking notes (mostly new material)15150
 Lecture (revision/examples)Mostly listening & taking notes (no new material- revision of course)505
 Practical (new material and practice. Typically 25-50% of practical time is spent on new material)Interactive individual or group work (problem solving, experiments, watching demonstrations, describing and interpreting samples, paper-based exercises, computer-based exercises)000
 TutorialInteractive small group work000
 Seminar/examples classWorking on and discussing questions (here: field seminar)000
Independent study time

Pre/post lecture work

Reading own notes, re-solving examples, prep work, revisit podcast20020
 Pre/post practical work/write upComplete practical work, prep work, reading feedback0  

 

Return to course details