Physics
Associate Professor Jenni Adams, UC astroparticle physicist, has been part of the International IceCube project for 10 years, which has been studying high-energy particles (neutrinos) that stream through the earth under the surface of the South Pole.
Qualifications
Overview
What type of student might consider a Physics degree? As a child, famous UC alumnus Ernest Rutherford was intrigued by seeing a stick apparently bend when dipped into a farm bucket of water; Albert Einstein asked how his face would appear in a hand-held mirror if he ran at some significant fraction of the speed of light. A budding physicist may share this fascination with and curiosity about the natural world.
Physics aims to understand the behaviour of matter and energy from the scale of subatomic particles to that of the Universe itself. From computers to communication systems, architecture to agriculture; modern life is overwhelmingly built using the understanding of nature that physics provides.
We are currently in an incredibly exciting period in Physics. The technological advances of the last 20 years have had an enormous impact on all our lives and almost all of these rely on advances in Physics. Modern physics provides a framework for understanding – and contributing to – major advances in technology now and in the future.
- UC physicists are currently involved in the following exciting projects:
- building huge laser equipment to study gravitational waves
- creating tiny nanoelectronic devices that can act as transistors or sensors
- measuring the behaviour of the upper atmosphere in order to understand global warming
- obtaining fundamental theoretical understandings of cosmology and sub-atomic physics.
- The School of Physical and Chemical Sciences | Te Kura Matū has many collaborations nationally and internationally that give access to some of the best facilities around the world. For example, UC is a member of CERN, the enormous particle accelerator centre in Geneva and also collaborates with the Van der Veer Institute and hospitals on medical imaging and radiation therapy.
Certain courses require a strong background in Year 13 physics and calculus. If students don't have a strong background in physics and calculus, they may need to take both PHYS 111 Introductory Physics for Physical Sciences and Engineering and MATH 101 Methods of Mathematics.
Where you start in first year will depend on your school results. See 'Courses' below for more details.
100-level courses
We offer Physics courses suitable for four different purposes:
- for studying Physics or Astronomy
- for studying Engineering
- for studying Biological or Environmental Sciences
- for philosophical or general interest.
The core first-year Physics courses are offered as a sequence. Where you start Physics depends on how well you have done in NCEA Level 3 physics and calculus (or an equivalent background eg, IB/Cambridge or overseas qualifications).
Students with 14 credits of NCEA Level 3 physics and calculus (or IB/Cambridge equivalent) can enrol in PHYS 101 Engineering Physics A: Mechanics, Waves and Thermal Physics, in order to advance into a full second-year Physics or Astronomy programme, or to meet the Engineering Intermediate Year Physics requirements.
Those students who have not gained this credit standard will be advised to enrol in an introductory Physics course, PHYS 111 Introductory Physics for Physical Sciences and Engineering. This course will build a solid foundation before enrolling in the Semester 2 Physics course, PHYS 101 Engineering Physics A: Mechanics, Waves and Thermal Physics, thus completing the Engineering Intermediate Year Physics requirements. The second semester Physics course PHYS 102 Engineering Physics B: Modern Physics and Electromagnetism (2) is also offered over the summer period.
Students intending to advance in Physics must take MATH 102 Mathematics 1A and MATH 103 Mathematics 1B in their first-year courses. It is strongly recommended that you also take COSC 121 Introduction to Computer Programming.
200-level and beyond
The Physics courses beyond first year at UC include such topics as: astrophysics, classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, electronics, atomic and molecular physics, nuclear and particle physics, optics, dynamics of atmospheres, quantum mechanics, relativity, signal analysis, solid state physics, and thermal physics.
Many of our graduates are employed as physicists and can be found at Crown Research Institutes, the National Radiation Laboratory, medical physics departments of hospitals or universities, and the Meteorological Service, among others.
Some Physics graduates are not employed as scientists – however, their analytical skills, numeracy, and all-round thinking ability are in demand in many industries. Some of these graduates are snapped up by the IT and electronics industries, but those same skills are equally valued by merchant banks, stock brokers, and other financial services companies, as well as by the armed services, police, and aerospace industries (including airlines such as Air New Zealand).
Teaching, journalism, and science communication also need people with Physics training.
Find out more about what you can do with a degree in Physics.
Contact us
School of Physical and Chemical Sciences | Te Kura Matū
Phone +64 3 369 3100
Email phys-chem@canterbury.ac.nz
Location
See the School's website for up-to-date location details.
Postal address
College of Science | Te Rāngai Pūtaiao
University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch 8140
New Zealand
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