MSc in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces at Imperial College London

[hananeel]

I'm an Electronic and communication Engineer, and I'm living in the Caribbean, and i want to study MSc in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces Imperial College London, since in its description seems very likely what I'm looking for, which is,...
I'm looking a course that can place me in,... where A. Einstein and all quantum scientists stood,.. specific in the UNIFICATION problem...
and the msc at imperial college seems right,... but i would like some help,... i need to know the cost,... if can one work at the same time to pay it ?,... or some experience from anyone that has taken it ,... i need all advice possible,... thanks,..

 

[dx]

I'm not sure how much physics electronic and communication engineers generally study, but you should make sure you have the prerequisites for the course. Have you studied Lagrangian & Hamiltonian mechanics, quantum mechanics and special relativity?

 

[cristo]

but i would like some help,... i need to know the cost,... if can one work at the same time to pay it ?,... or some experience from anyone that has taken it ,... i need all advice possible,... thanks,..

Non-EU fees are £17,750, apparently (http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/pgprospectus/whatcanyoustudy). I guess you could probably get a weekend job, but anything more than that and you would be risking your studies. This will also be limited by the amount of work your student visa allows.


However, dx's point is very valid. This course only accepts students with a first class (or equivalent) in physics. You will need to contact the admissions tutor to ask whether your degree is sufficient.

 

[hananeel]

well i just don't understand, because in its description of the mSc,... says clearly,... that's a gap between UNDERGRADUATE,... and the frontier in physics (a nice way to say that put one far),... I study quantum mechanic by my own,.. but i only have ENG degree,... just that,... if someone has not taken a degree in Lagrangian & Hamiltonian mechanics, quantum mechanics and special relativity can not take that msc ? because i have studied a little bit of that, but as i said i don't have any degree particular in physics,... :(

 

[dx]

well i just don't understand, because in its description of the mSc,... says clearly,... that's a gap between UNDERGRADUATE,... and the frontier in physics (a nice way to say that put one far),... I study quantum mechanic by my own,.. but i only have ENG degree,... just that,... if someone has not taken a degree in Lagrangian & Hamiltonian mechanics, quantum mechanics and special relativity can not take that msc ? because i have studied a little bit of that, but as i said i don't have any degree particular in physics,... :(

I'm afraid a little bit won't do. You must have thorough knowledge of these areas to be able to learn quantum field theory, not to mention many other essential topics in physics and mathematics that one learns as an undergraduate.

I don't know whether they will accept people who don't have physics degrees, but either way, you must at least be able to prove to them that you have the required knowledge to undertake the course.

 

[hananeel]

OK,... thank you very much for your helps !

 

[malawi_glenn]

You could first obtain a bachelor degree in physics before considering more advanced and specified physics programs such as masters.

 

[hananeel]

You could first obtain a bachelor degree in physics before considering more advanced and specified physics programs such as masters.

... and which bachelor degree do you know that could help,.. to put me on trail,..?
in this field...

 

[hananeel]

do you think this one can help me ...?

http://www.chalmers.se/en/sections/education/masterprogrammes/programme-descriptions/fundamental-physics (that one is in Sweden)

 

[malawi_glenn]

do you think this one can help me ...?

http://www.chalmers.se/en/sections/education/masterprogrammes/programme-descriptions/fundamental-physics


(that one is in Sweden)

Just get a BACHELOR degree in PHYSICS.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachelor's_degree

3 years of studies, math and physics. A masters program reqiure this degree in my country (sweden)

The most important thing for you is to learn the adequate math and physics before even considering particle physics etc, who knows, maybe you think the formalism of particles sucks?

I wanted to do experimental nuclear physics when I started my bachelor, but now I am phd student in theoretical elementary particle physics... so it goes up and down, getting a bachelor degree and a quite broad masters degree is best one. So start to look for a bachelor degree program before even considering masters.

And since you have some engineering background, I guess you can do the 3 year bachelor program in 2years if you study more than normal speed.

If you want to come to the frontier of unification, i.e. String Theory etc, you need LOADS of math also...

for chalmers, you can always send them copies of your degrees and course plans etc and see what they say. If you don't have the classes one has in the bachelor program in physics, then you have nothing to do in a masters program.

 

[hananeel]

well the case is: I'm living in the Dominican republic,... and... here that field of physics we don't have, the government is giving post grade scholarship,... and one of those univ,.. is to Chalmers, i see you point,... to star well from the beginning but that's would be harder for me instead take the master program, I'm checking the program http://www.chalmers.se/en/sections/education/masterprogrammes/programme-descriptions/fundamental-physics/programme-plan

(please check out the link)
and its seems for me that i can (with a lot of hard work studying), achieve to come to the frontier of unification,... :/

do you think I'm making a mistake ?

 

[malawi_glenn]

without adequate background, you will have no chance to absorb or learn the material.

 

[MegaJon]

Yeah, I think they're looking for the big boys. They wouldn't let me into the QFFF MSc with a 2:1 in physics!

 

[maverick280857]

Yeah, I think they're looking for the big boys. They wouldn't let me into the QFFF MSc with a 2:1 in physics!

Whats a 2:1?

 

[malawi_glenn]

Whats a 2:1?

relative amount of physics classes I think.

 

[cristo]

Whats a 2:1?

relative amount of physics classes I think.

It's a grade classification, used in the UK. While the US have GPA and other countries have similar things, degrees in the UK are given a classification. From the top: first class, upper second class (2:1), lower second class (2:2), third class, pass.

 

[MegaJon]

It's a grade classification, used in the UK. While the US have GPA and other countries have similar things, degrees in the UK are given a classification. From the top: first class, upper second class (2:1), lower second class (2:2), third class, pass.

Yes, the classifcation depends on the average of your modules:

70+ :1st class
60 - 69% :2:1
50 - 59% :2:2
40 - 49% :3rd class

 

[George Jones]

Yes, the classifcation depends on the average of your modules:

70+ :1st class
60 - 69% :2:1
50 - 59% :2:2
40 - 49% :3rd class

I don't think that even this breakdown can be used at face value for a comparison between the UK and North America, as, I think, average marks tend to be different in the UK than in North America.

 

[cristo]

I don't think that even this breakdown can be used at face value for a comparison between the UK and North America, as, I think, average marks tend to be different in the UK than in North America.

Agreed. I don't think a mark of 70% would be given an "A" in North America, whilst it is in the UK.

 

[MegaJon]

I don't think that even this breakdown can be used at face value for a comparison between the UK and North America, as, I think, average marks tend to be different in the UK than in North America.

Good point.

 

[mal4mac]

Many MSc courses in the UK will let you in with a 2ii, or at least they did in my day (late seventies/early eighties). I had a terrible interview and was told I had to get a 2i to get on my MSc course. I did, so I did the course. Other people were let in with a 2ii.

So, MegaJon, how did the interview go?

Note that the QFFF site has book recommendations, which I found after digging around the site for a while. Read the books they recommend thoroughly, do all the questions in them, and then apply hananeel. Try to arrange a holiday when they have an open day and impress them by making a special trip from the Caribbean! Note - the books didn't look too heavy - one was PCW Davies' very thin book on Quantum Theory which was in my local library. It reads as well as his 'popular' books, with only a few equations thrown in. He misses out mathematical derivations and the stress is on using the mathematics to solve theoretical problems. Very much an engineers approach!

Look out for Commonwealth scholarships, Imperial site has some information on that kind of thing.

 

[presario]

Got into that course and going this October ? Anyone else coming ?

 

[hananeel]

Got into that course and going this October ? Anyone else coming ?

i wanted to,... but it seems for me prettyhard,... guys have been telling me that i must have a physics degree,... while I'm just an engineer elctronics,...

do you have a physics degree,... ?

 

[mal4mac]

I apologize for hijacking this thread, but I'm in a very similar predicament. I've got a BSc in EE and have developed an interest in theoretical physics. Since string theory and theoretical physics in general is heavy on math I was wondering if a possible way into the field of theoretical physics might be an MSc in Engineering Mathematics and Computational Science

No way! It's difficult enough to get into those areas without taking advanced courses *directly* relating to string theory and theoretical physics.

 

[abvgd]

Oops, sorry, I had a change of heart and decided that a dedicated topic would be better for my dilemma. I'm not sure though I understand what you mean? Are you saying that "Engineering Mathematics and Computational Science" wouldn't be a short-cut but an even longer path to theoretical physics than starting from scratch with a BSc in physics?

 

[mal4mac]

It would be a path taking you away from your goal. Like trying to become a master of cricket by taking baseball classes. You need to get onto a course like QFFF to have any chance of doing research in QFFF. Read the description of required qualifications to get onto such a course *carefully*. You may find an MSc that would 'convert' you from an electrical engineer to a QFFF specialist. But IMHO it would be a waste of time taking the MSc you mention. Far better to start 'almost from scratch' and do sufficient undergraduate courses/indeopendent strudy to get you onto a QFFF course.

Note the MSc you mention might get you into areas like, say, modelling plasma flows that require only the physics an EE is likely to have been picked up. That's theoretical physics, so if you want to do that then your path might work out. But i get the idea you want to do QFT, and to do that you ..er.. need qualifications in QFT. Then again, you might after ten years get tenure as a 'theoretical electrical engineer' in a physics department and make a sly move into QFT. But that would probably destroy promotion prospects... it would be like a famous baseball player joining a minor league cricket team 'just because he can'.

 

[getPhysical()]

Got an email from Imperial on Friday. I've been accepted to the course, starting in October. Very happy - by the sounds of it, it's going to be a challenge!

Is there anybody here who's actually attended this course? Would be interesting to get a veteran opinion on things like quality of teaching, exams, general happiness factor, female-male ratio etc etc

[ tex ] \frac{f}{m} \to\epsilon \iff g \to\infty [ /tex ]

,where g is the geek factor

?

 

[Azrael84]

I got in, but have no way of funding it, as I believe there were only 3 scholarships from the student opportunites fund, and I didnt get one. How are you all paying for it?

 

[getPhysical()]

I'm doing it part time - working 3 days a week to pay for the fees. Are you home/EU or overseas?

 

[Azrael84]

Im home. Will you be able to live on just 3 days a week of work though? and won't it take ages to complete the course?

 

[getPhysical()]

3 days a week should be manageable. The course takes 2 years part time, so that's manageable too.

 

[Azrael84]

2 years, not so bad I suppose. Personally I don't know how I'd survive on 3 days~£150 a week maybe? so £600 a month (unless I landed a really good part time job). Living in London, where the rent will be more than that alone. Plus having to pay the fees.

Guessing you must have landed a pretty good part time job!

 

[mal4mac]

2 years, not so bad I suppose. Personally I don't know how I'd survive on 3 days~£150 a week maybe? so £600 a month (unless I landed a really good part time job). Living in London, where the rent will be more than that alone. Plus having to pay the fees.

These are good points. Why not take a year out, do a PGCE, and become a part-time physics teacher? Also, when you fail to get a professional career as a string theorist*, you will then also have a respectable career to fall back on...

*OK, you might succeed, but better to cover all bases, especially the most probable ones!

 

[manstein057]

I've posted this somewhere else recently, hopefully I'm not breaching any rules by pasting it here.

Hi all ,
I recently finished the MSc in QFFF part-time while working full-time in investment banking. My background is a BSc math degree from Imperial.
I spent most of my time self-studying and took vacations for the exams. I went to almost no lectures at all and I wish I had because I would have enjoyed this degree a lot more.
Most rewarding aspect was the thesis which has some remarks I have not been able to find in the literature.
My interest in physics is not related to my field of business in investment banking and I only took this degree for personal intellectual satisfaction. I wouldn't do a PhD in theoretical physics. This degree has, however, increased the range of tools I normally use (mathematical methods etc...)
I can't say how it compares to Part III. I went to a few lectures in Cambridge when I visited a friend and it seems to me that the level of difficulty is comparable. However, there is a lot more to choose from at Cambridge whereas there's a more limited range of courses at Imperial. I believe this was Imperial's Theory Group response to Part III as most lecturers at Imperial are Cambridge educated.
Hope this helps.