- UCAS course code
- F305
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Master of Physics (MPhys)
MPhys Physics
Join a physics Department of international renown that offers great choice and flexibility, leading to master's qualification.
- Typical A-level offer: A*A*A including specific subjects
- Typical contextual A-level offer: A*AA including specific subjects
- Refugee/care-experienced offer: AAA including specific subjects
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 38 points overall with 7,7,6 at HL, including specific requirements
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:
Quantum Field Theory (M)
Unit code | PHYS40481 |
---|---|
Credit rating | 10 |
Unit level | Level 4 |
Teaching period(s) | Semester 1 |
Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
Quantum Field Theory
Pre/co-requisites
Unit title | Unit code | Requirement type | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Lagrangian Dynamics | PHYS20401 | Pre-Requisite | Recommended |
Electrodynamics (M) | PHYS30441 | Pre-Requisite | Compulsory |
Advanced Quantum Mechanics | PHYS40202 | Pre-Requisite | Compulsory |
Follow - Up Units
PHYS40682 - Gauge Theories
Aims
To understand the unifying framework of quantization of fundamental forces and particles in agreement with special relativity.
Learning outcomes
Syllabus
1. Preliminaries (3 Lectures)
Classical Lagrangian Dynamics; Lagrangian Field Theory; Global and Local Symmetries; Noether's Theorem.
2. Canonical Quantization (4 lectures)
From Classical to Quantum Mechanics; Quantum Fields and Causality; Canonical Quantization of Scalar Field Theory; Complex Fields and Anti-Particles.
3. The S-Matrix in Quantum Field Theory (5 lectures)
Time Evolution of Quantum States and the S-Matrix; Feynman Propagator and Wick's Theorem; Transition Amplitudes and Feynman Rules; Particle Decays and Cross Sections; Unitarity and the Optical Theorem.
4. Quantum Electrodynamics (6 lectures)
Dirac Spinors; Quantization of the Fermion Field; Gauge Symmetry; Quantization of the Electromagnetic Field; the Photon Propagator and Gauge Fixing; Feynman Rules for Quantum Electrodynamics.
5. Renormalization (6 lectures)
Renormalizability; Dimensional Regularization, Renormalization of a Scalar Theory; Anomalous magnetic moment and the Lamb shift.
Assessment methods
Method | Weight |
---|---|
Written exam | 100% |
Feedback methods
Feedback will be available on students’ individual written solutions to selected examples, which will be marked, and model answers will be issued.
Recommended reading
Cheng, T. P. and Li, L. F. Gauge Theory of Elementary Particle Physics, Oxford University
Press, 1984.
Mandl, F. and Shaw, G. Quantum Field Theory, Wiley, 1992.
Peskin, M. E. and Schroeder, D. V. Quantum Field Theory, Perseus Books Group, 1995.
Pokorski, S. Gauge Field Theories, Cambridge University Press, 2000, Second Edition.
Study hours
Scheduled activity hours | |
---|---|
Assessment written exam | 1.5 |
Lectures | 24 |
Independent study hours | |
---|---|
Independent study | 74.5 |
Teaching staff
Staff member | Role |
---|---|
Apostolos Pilaftsis | Unit coordinator |