Physics with Industrial Placement

UCAS code: F31P

Here's what Heriot-Watt University says about its Physics with Industrial Placement course.

Our Physics with Industrial Placement MPhys programme will equip you with a broad education in physics, supported by a range of computational and mathematical skills that are highly valued across modern industries. This five-year programme includes an industrial placement in Year 4, giving you the opportunity to apply your knowledge in a real-world setting and gain hands-on experience through Heriot-Watt's established network of industrial partners in the photonics, quantum technology, or engineering sectors.

From revolutionising medical imaging and developing ultra-fast computing to powering green energy solutions and shaping the future of communication, physics is at the core of many of today’s most exciting technological advances. This programme goes beyond the classroom to show how physics drives progress in emerging sectors and transforms society. You’ll learn how to translate theoretical understanding into practical outcomes, gaining insight into how physics operates in research labs, development teams, and high-tech industries.

Your industrial placement is a key part of the programme. It allows you to work alongside professional physicists and engineers on live projects, helping you to explore potential career paths, build professional networks, and develop the kind of workplace experience and problem-solving skills that significantly boost your graduate prospects.

You’ll investigate how the universe works, from the unimaginably small to the unimaginably vast. Along the way, you’ll develop your ability to measure, model, and predict the physical world, gaining the adaptable skillset of a physicist — analytical thinking, data handling, programming, teamwork, and communication.

Topics include fields and forces, photonics and optics, and thermal physics. You’ll explore the quantum world of subatomic particles, the unique properties of laser light, and the challenging ideas of quantum mechanics and cosmology. Later, you’ll build expertise in areas such as electromagnetism, laser physics, solid-state physics, and quantum theory, engaging with current research and frontier technologies.

Our MPhys programme provides a more advanced understanding of physics and a deeper engagement with specialist areas. Your final year culminates in an individual research project, where you will demonstrate your mastery of experimental, theoretical, or computational physics — preparing you to shape the future of science and technology.

Heriot-Watt has been ranked second in Scotland for Physics based on student experience by the Guardian (2024). This means you’ll have a personal learning environment, in which you can speak directly to your academic tutors about the programme, what’s happening in the wider physics industry, get extra support when necessary, and build relationships with your teaching staff.

Heriot-Watt University is top in Scotland for Physics research, with 97% of its research classed as world-leading (4*) in the REF 2021 results. The university also received the Queens Anniversary Prize in 2021, the highest honour for universities in the UK, in recognition of our research in Photonics.

Your learning will be informed by the expertise of our research-active physicists, scientists, and academics. You will be taught by passionate and engaging experts who will provide you with insight into emerging topics in quantum technologies, photonics and condensed matter physics, by relating taught material to their own research.

Our degrees are directly informed by the world class research carried out by Heriot-Watt’s Research Institute for Photonic and Quantum Sciences and the Research Institute for Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering. These research Institutes focus on promoting excellence across research themes which include:

Quantum Photonics and Quantum Information Healthcare research Ultrafast Photonics Biophysics Applied Photonics