Physics with Medical Physics BSc

London, Bloomsbury
Physics with Medical Physics BSc (2024)

This three-year programme offers an excellent education in a thriving field of science and engineering. The foundation in core physics together with the major areas of physics applied to medicine prepare you for a wide variety of careers inside and outside medical physics, including those in scientific research and industry.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
Duration
3 academic years
UK tuition fees (2023/24)
£9,250
Overseas tuition fees (2023/24)
£35,000
Programme starts
September 2023
Application deadline
25 Jan 2023
UCAS course code
F351

Entry requirements

Grades
AAA
Subjects
Mathematics and Physics required at grade A.
GCSEs
English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 5.

Contextual offer information

Grades
AAB more about contextual offers
Subjects
Mathematics and Physics required at grade A.
GCSEs
English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 5.
Points
38
Subjects
A total of 18 points in three higher level subjects including grade 6 in Mathematics and Physics, with no higher level score below 5. The programme will accept either 'Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches' or 'Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation' at higher level.

Contextual offer

Points
36 more about contextual offers
Subjects
A total of 17 points in three higher level subjects including grade 6 in Mathematics and Physics, with no score below 5. Grade 6 in Higher Level Mathematics required. The programme will accept either 'Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches' or 'Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation' at higher level.

UK applicants qualifications

For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:

Equivalent qualification

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

Successful completion of the WBQ Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate plus 2 GCE A levels at grades AAA to include Mathematics and Physics.

A,A,A at Advanced Highers (or A,A at Advanced Higher and A,A,A at Higher). Mathematics and Physics at Advanced Higher required.

D3,D3,D3 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects. Mathematics and Physics required.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

International applications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

Access and widening participation

UCL is committed to widening access to higher education. If you are eligible for Access UCL you do not need to do anything in addition to the standard UCAS application. Your application will be automatically flagged when we receive it.

Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates

The Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPC) prepare international students for a UCL undergraduate degree who don’t have the qualifications to enter directly. These intensive one-year foundation courses are taught on our central London campus.

Typical UPC students will be high achievers in a 12-year school system which does not meet the standard required for direct entry to UCL.

For more information see: ucl.ac.uk/upc.

English language requirements

The English language level for this programme is: Level 1

Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.

A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.

Course overview

We offer the option of studying a three-year Physics with Medical Physics BSc or a more in-depth four-year Medical Physics MSci programme. The first two years of study for both programmes are identical and transfer between the two is possible up to the end of the second year. We advise applying for the MSci initially which makes it easier to defer your decision.

In the first year, you will receive an exciting introduction to all the major medical imaging techniques employed in modern hospitals, including X-ray imaging, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, nuclear isotope imaging and electroencephalography.

In your second year, you will explore the physics of the human body - covering such topics as blood flow, lung function and thermal regulation - and biophysics, in which you will focus on topics including biological polymers, gas and fluid transport processes, membranes and nerve signals.

During your final year, you will choose three medical physics options and will work on a major project with one of the department's research groups.

What this course will give you

We have close links to several major teaching hospitals and our staff work side-by-side with doctors and health professionals.

With our highly rated research, the expert knowledge of our staff will be of direct benefit in the lectures and teaching sessions you attend.

Most medical physics classes are small (fewer than 35 students) providing you with an informal, interactive teaching environment in which you can easily raise questions.

The programme is accredited by the Institute of Physics (IOP) providing the first step to chartered physicist status.

Teaching and learning

In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

Upon successful completion of 360 credits, you will be awarded a BSc (Hons) in Physics with Medical Physics.

Modules

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Your learning

As well as attending lectures, you will also undertake tutorials and practical work, including projects. Projects are conducted in active, well-equipped research groups, often involving collaborations with local hospitals. Many medical physics lectures and projects are taken by a mix of medical physics and medical students, reflecting the multidisciplinary nature of the work performed in hospitals and universities.

Assessment

Modules are normally assessed by a combination of coursework and end-of-year examination.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.

The foundation of your career

Medical physicists can work in hospitals directly with clinicans and their patients, or take a research approach and develop new techniques and technologies within industry or academia.

Learn more about graduate career paths, and find out where some of our alumni are working, on our website.

Employability

Physicists tend to be logical, numerate problem solvers and there is a demand for people who have developed such skills in a wide range of careers. Following a degree in medical physics, students tend to pursue careers in clinical, industry or research settings.

Accreditation

This programme is accredited by the Institute of Physics. Holders of accredited degrees can follow a route to Institute of Physics membership and the Chartered Physicist (CPhys) professional qualification. Graduates of accredited integrated undergraduate Master's (MPhys or MSci) degrees have fulfilled the educational requirements for CPhys status, while graduates of accredited Bachelor's (BSc) degrees have partially fulfilled these requirements.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2023/24) £9,250
Tuition fees (2023/24) £35,000

The fees indicated are for undergraduate entry in the 2023/24 academic year. The UK fees shown are for the first year of the programme at UCL only. Fees for future years may be subject to an inflationary increase. The Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2023/24 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.

Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/undergraduate/funding-your-studies.

Additional costs

This programme does not have any additional costs outside of purchasing books or stationery, printing, thesis binding or photocopying.

A guide including rough estimates for these and other living expenses is included on the UCL Fees and funding pages. If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc., please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).

Funding your studies

Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.

Scholarships

The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.

Next steps

How to apply

Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.

Selection

For further information on UCL's selection process see: How we assess your application.

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.