George Grey Centre Physics lab

Department of Physics and Mathematics

Physics and Mathematics at Hull

Physics and Astrophysics at Hull is ranked Top 10 in the UK for Student Satisfaction.1 We have an exceptionally vibrant learning community taught by members of staff who are international experts in areas ranging from astrophysics, nanophysics, lasers and computational and theoretical physics.

Mathematics at Hull is led by renowned academics whose work underpin the modules you'll study. Their specialisms include fluid dynamics, mathematical biology, financial mathematics and industrial mathematics. All taught within our close-knit mathematical community.

A degree in Physics or Mathematics is highly valued by employers and opens doors to varied and rewarding careers. Our graduates progress into areas such as research & development, teaching, banking and finance, information and communications technology (ICT), accountancy, insurance, the Civil Service, HM Revenue and Customs and management.

First for academic support

Our latest survey scores show that our courses are best in class for satisfaction with teaching, a testament to the dedication and support from our lecturers and academics.2

Top for employability

To further strengthen our graduates career prospects, we facilitate an employability focussed project 'WRIPA+'; funded by an Office for Students grant and led by Hull as part of our partnership with the White Rose Industrial Physics Academy (WRIPA).

We are passionate

Our 'Changing face of physics' campaign was named 'Best practice in the UK' by the Equality Challenge Unit and resulted in an Athena Swan award.

Groundbreaking research

We've authored over 700 papers – gathering more than 30,000 citations over the years – in the fields of nanotechnology, laser physics and astrophysics.

Postgraduate

of courses
IIraj Vaezzadeh, Astrophysics

Our facilities

Take a 360-degree look at our physics laboratory where you'll have access to the tools for a broad understanding of modern physics, including high performance computers and industry standard equipment.

Our community

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Hands-on experience

We lead a £5.6 million Office for Students grant to deliver fantastic work experience opportunities for physics students. This includes access to an extensive range of work-based learning opportunities.

Supercomputing

Viper, our high-performance computing centre, is one of the highest rated in the north of England. This significant research investment provides a vital requirement to meet the ever growing demands of the University’s research community.

Find out more about Viper

Try for yourself

Watch: join Professor Brad Gibson and John Elliott for a virtual Mathematics taster session

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Groundbreaking research

Professor Ronald Shaw, who joined our team in Hull directly after completing his PhD at Cambridge, is one of the authors of the Yang-Mills-Shaw theory which is central to particle physics.

"It was a definite 'yes' for Hull"

Watch: find out why Katie Smith chose to study Mathematics at Hull 

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Events for all

We run over 100 events a year. These span a range of widening participation, diversity in STEM, continuing professional development for teachers and curriculum-enhancing support.

Using Mathematics to explore the galaxy

We develop essential tools for simulations to probe the formation of elements in the Universe, like our unprecedented simulation of the Universe spanning its first 8 billion years of existence.

Our people

The department is a vibrant community of extremely talented staff and students, who collaborate to craft some incredibly creative work.

staff members in the Department of Physics and Mathematics, arranged alphabetically by last name

Research

Our research is at the frontier of physics and mathematics; stretching across the breadth of topics that are embedded in the department's activity. Hull's physics and mathematics research is included in the top quartile of research volume growth in Nature Index 2020.

Top 10 in the UK for Student Satisfaction1
Students have access to Viper, one of the UK's most powerful super computers
In 1969 when we tested samples gathered from the Moon by Neil Armstrong’s historic Apollo 11 mission
IMA Mathematics is accredited by The Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications
The world's leading experts, contributing to world class research
1st Physics is ranked 1st in the UK for teaching satisfaction2

Footnote

1. (9th) The Complete University Guide 2024.

2. The Guardian University Rankings 2024.

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