Physics Where Can I Study Particle Physics in Australia?

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SUMMARY

In Australia, the University of Melbourne is the premier institution for studying particle physics, offering a robust undergraduate program and research opportunities, particularly with the ATLAS collaboration. Other notable universities include the Australian National University (ANU), University of Queensland, and the University of Sydney, though their particle physics offerings are less extensive. Students are advised to pursue a general physics undergraduate degree before specializing in particle physics at the graduate level. The discussion highlights the importance of foundational knowledge in classical physics and advanced mathematics for success in this field.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of classical physics principles
  • Advanced mathematics skills
  • Familiarity with undergraduate physics programs
  • Knowledge of particle physics research collaborations, such as ATLAS
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the University of Melbourne's particle physics undergraduate program
  • Explore the Australian National University's nuclear physics offerings
  • Investigate the ATLAS collaboration and its research opportunities
  • Learn about the direct dark matter detection experiment in Stawell, Victoria
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for high school students in Australia interested in pursuing a career in particle physics, as well as educators and academic advisors guiding students in their university choices.

Junii1
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Hey!
I am a year 11 student from Australia and I am wanting to take course(s) in particle physics at university/college after high school. I am just wondering where I can do this as I haven't found many universities (In Victoria) that offer this. If anyone has experience from overseas I would love to hear it. Thanks
 
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Junii1 said:
Hey!
I am a year 11 student from Australia and I am wanting to take course(s) in particle physics at university/college after high school. I am just wondering where I can do this as I haven't found many universities (In Victoria) that offer this. If anyone has experience from overseas I would love to hear it. Thanks
A quick view on Sidney didn't look too bad. They offer courses where at least the foundations of the topic are taught. To me it seems to be a good starting point. Further information will automatically show up if you will be in such an environment. Until then there's a lot of work left to do, including classical physics and a lot of math (the kind of that is usually not being taught at school).
http://sydney.edu.au/
 
Particle physics isn't something you start with. All of the particle physicists I now started out with an undergraduate degree in physics and then specialized in graduate school.
 
Choppy is right. (And Fresh 42, Sydney isn't in Victoria - it's in New South Wales; Victoria universities would be Melbourne and Monash)
 
Vanadium 50 said:
Choppy is right. (And Fresh 42, Sydney isn't in Victoria - it's in New South Wales; Victoria universities would be Melbourne and Monash)
I know. I just looked up a university I was quite sure of it has a good physics department. And it's still closer than "overseas".
 
Junii1 said:
Hey!
I am a year 11 student from Australia and I am wanting to take course(s) in particle physics at university/college after high school. I am just wondering where I can do this as I haven't found many universities (In Victoria) that offer this. If anyone has experience from overseas I would love to hear it. Thanks
Melbourne university is The Place To Be in Australia for particle physics. They have a rather large, vibrant group that works on the ATLAS collaboration (ETA amongst other things, including BELLE II and theory stuff). Most of COEPP is there, and there are plenty of undergraduate opportunities for research. http://www.coepp.org.au/
There are also particle physics groups at USyd, and at Adelaide, though they are smaller and more theoretically focused. Further, Uni Melb and the ANU are getting together to do a direct dark matter detection experiment in Stawell, Victoria, to follow on from DAMA/LIBRE.

As far as "general" physics degrees in Australia goes, I'd go for ANU, Uni Melbourne, University of Queensland and USyd, in decreasing order of preference. But Uni Melbourne has more particle physics than ANU (ANU, on the other hand has much more nuclear physics than Uni Melbourne.)

ETA: And I can assure you that Uni Melb has a nuclear/particle physics course in undergrad, taught by particle physicists. As does ANU. But others in this thread are correct: most people who do particle physics in graduate school do a general physics undergraduate degree.
 
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