Why study physics?
Physics is the most basic and fundamental of all the sciences. The goal of the physicist is to understand how the universe works, in every detail and at the deepest level. This includes everything from elementary particles, to nuclei, atoms, molecules, macromolecules, living cells, solids, liquids, gases, plasmas, living organisms, the human brain, complex systems, supercomputers, the atmosphere, planets, stars, galaxies, and the universe itself.
In your training as a physicist you will learn to critically analyse problems in nature, apply logical deductions, and formulate mathematical and computational solutions. You will become well versed in mathematics and computers.
Because of these abilities, physicists are perhaps the most versatile scientists, easily able to cross boundaries into other disciplines such as chemistry, biology, medicine, and earth and planetary sciences. When one has a deep understanding of nature, it is easy to apply that understanding to a variety of areas. As a result many different categories of physicist have emerged. There are biophysicists, geophysicists, astrophysicists, plasma physicists, medical physicists, etc. When new applications and devices are developed, physicists and a knowledge of physics are usually required.
Owing to their broad training, adaptibility and ability to apply themselves to a variety of different areas, physicists end up in all sorts of interesting jobs. Whenever a new technology emerges, you can be reasonably sure that physics and physicists played a major role its development. Physicists are needed in challenging projects such as space missions, remote explorations, and failure assessment.
When you have completed your degree and become a working physicist you may find yourself developing new materials for industry, working on the dynamics model and 3D computer graphics for a next generation computer game, trying to predict the stock market, testing satellites for space missions, teaching the next generation of physicists at a university, trying to predict the next major earthquake, developing flight simulation software, or launching your own new software company or product. These are just some of the possibilities. The only limitation is your own imagination.
Entrance Requirements
The subject of physics is taught within the
Faculty of Science and Agriculture as a major within the Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree, and as a service course to other faculties, such as Engineering and Nursing. The school offers undergraduate courses in physics at both campuses. In order to register for a physics major (BSc), one must be admitted into the M-stream in the Faculty of Science and Agriculture, which requires the following:
- A Total of 34 matric points
- A Higher Grade D or a Standard Grade A in Mathematics
- A Higher Grade E or a Standard Grade B in Physical Science or Biology or Agricultural Science.
Those who do not meet these requirements may still gain entrance via the Science access programme.
Duration of the degree
For the Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree, the minimum duration is three years of full-time study. A BSc (Honours) degree requires one year of of study beyond the BSc.
Structure of the BSc [and BSc (HONS)] in Physics curriculum
The physics curriculum for the Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree is structured as follows:
First year: - Introductory mechanics, optics, waves and thermodynamics. Introductory electromagnetic theory and modern physics.
Second year:
- Intermediate mechanics and mechanics of n-particle systems. Introductory Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics. Special relativity. Classical thermodynamics. Intermediate electromagnetic theory. Introduction to quantum mechanics
Third year:
- Intermediate quantum mechanics. Introductory statistical mechanics. Electromagnetic theory.
In addition, the school offers focussed BScs in
Applied Physics (Durban) and
Computational Physics (Pietermaritzburg). Please see the respective campus link for more details.
The honours
BSc (Honours) degree is achieved with a further year of study, provided a sufficiently good pass rate is obtained in the BSc. The BSc (Honours) in Physics provides the student with more depth in the core subjects of Classical Mechanics, Quantum Mechanics, Statistical Mechanics and Classical Field Theory, and provides breadth by offering a variety of optional courses, including Plasma Physics, Space Physics and others.
Prospective Postgraduate Students
The school of physics offers a BSc (HONOURS) in physics, as well as the MSc and PhD degrees at both centres (Durban and Pietermaritzburg). Plans are currently underway to launch a new coursework based MSc in Theoretical Physics, which we hope to be able to offer in 2008. Interested students should contact Professor Pillay (
pillaysd@ukzn.ac.za).
For further information, prospective postgraduate students can visit our
research page to find out more about the research activities of the school and the relevant person to contact. Alternatively they could contact Professor Pillay directly at the following email address:
pillaysd@ukzn.ac.za.
Postdoctoral Research Fellows
The School of Physics occasionally has openings for Postdoctoral Research Fellow positions. Qualified interested persons are encouraged to enquire with the Head of School, Professor Pillay (
pillaysd@ukzn.ac.za).