Physics with Medical Applications with a Year Abroad
Physics with medical applications is a degree that sits at the boundary between the physical sciences and healthcare, examining how the principles and methods of physics are applied to medical diagnosis, treatment, and research. Medical physics underpins much of modern medicine, from the imaging technologies of MRI, CT, and ultrasound that allow clinicians to see inside the body without surgery, to the radiation therapies used in cancer treatment and the instrumentation that monitors patients in intensive care. Understanding these applications requires a solid foundation in physics alongside an appreciation of the biological and clinical contexts in which physical principles are applied.
At the University of Liverpool, this programme is offered as Physics with Medical Applications with a Year Abroad, extending the degree to four years of full-time study. The year abroad gives you the opportunity to study physics in a different country and academic environment, broadening your scientific perspective and developing the international awareness that is increasingly relevant in both academic science and the global medical technology industry. You will study core physics including mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, and optics alongside specialist content in medical imaging, radiation physics, nuclear medicine, and the physics of the human body.
Liverpool's physics department has a strong research profile in several areas of medical and applied physics, and students benefit from a scientifically active teaching environment.
Graduates from Physics with Medical Applications go on to careers as clinical scientists in NHS medical physics departments, in the development of medical devices and diagnostic equipment, in radiation protection, in research, and in the pharmaceutical and healthcare technology industries. Many pursue postgraduate clinical scientist training, which leads to registration as a Clinical Scientist with the Health and Care Professions Council. Others go on to postgraduate research in medical physics, biophysics, or related fields.
This is a degree for people with strong physics ability and an interest in contributing to healthcare through science.