Physics & Philosophy with a year abroad

Courses are divided into modules. In each year you will normally take modules totalling 120 credits.

In your first year you will take 75 credits in Physics and 45 credits in Philosophy.

You are required to take:

• Mathematics & Computation for Physics (30 credits)
• Classical Physics (30 credits)
• Introduction to Modern Physics (15 credits)

You are required to take two modules, one from each of the following groups:

Group A

• Elementary Logic (15 credits)
• Methodology (15 credits)

Group B

• Metaphysics I (15 credits)
• Epistemology I (15 credits)

There are no optional Physics modules for this course in your first year.

In addition, you are required to take one module from a range of optional modules, which may typically include:

• Greek Philosophy I (15 credits)
• Ethics I (15 credits)
• Modern Philosophy I (15 credits)
• Political Philosophy I (15 credits)
• Any of the required philosophy modules listed above

In your second year you will take 75 credits in Physics and 60 credits in Philosophy.

You are required to take:

• Mathematical Methods for Physics (15 credits)
• Thermal Physics & Properties of Matter (15 credits)
• Quantum Mechanics I (15 credits)
• Electromagnetism (15 credits)
• Relativity & Sub-atomic Physics (15 credits)

You are required to take:

• Philosophy of Physics I: Space & Time (15 credits)
• Philosophy of Science (15 credits)

There are no optional Physics modules in your second year.

In addition, you are required to take two modules from at least two of the following groups which offer a range of optional modules, which may typically include:

Group A

• Greek Philosophy II: Plato (15 credits)
• Greek Philosophy II: Aristotle (15 credits)
• Modern Philosophy II: Locke & Berkeley (15 credits)
• Modern Philosophy II: Spinoza & Leibniz (15 credits)

Group B

• Ethics II: History of Ethical Philosophy (15 credits)
• Ethics II: Contemporary Ethical Philosophy (15 credits)
• Political Philosophy II: History of Political Philosophy (15 credits)
• Topics in Applied Ethics & Politics (15 credits)

Group C

• Epistemology II (15 credits)
• Metaphysics II (15 credits)
• Philosophy of Logic & Language (15 credits)
• Philosophy of Mind (15 credits)
• Intermediate Logic (15 credits)

You will spend this year abroad at one of our partner institutions, which currently include:

• University of Chicago
• University of California
• University of North Carolina
• Université Paris Diderot-Paris 7 (basic French language required)
• University of Michigan
• University of Washington
• University of British Columbia
• National University of Singapore
• Hong Kong University
• Australian National University
• University of Sydney
• University of Melbourne
• Bielefeld University
• Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) (French language required)

Please note: The host institution will make the final decision on whether they accept you or not. This depends on you reaching a satisfactory grade in your end of year exams.

You are required to take:

• Statistical Mechanics (15 credits)
• Quantum Mechanics II (15 credits)
• Third Year Project in Physics (15 credits)

In addition, you are required to take up to a maximum of two modules from a range of optional modules, which may typically include:

• University Ambassadors Scheme (15 credits)
• Advanced Mathematical Methods for Theoretical Physics (15 credits)
• Fundamentals of Nanotechnology (15 credits)
• General Relativity & Cosmology (15 credits)
• Optics (15 credits)
• Condensed Matter Physics I (15 credits)
• Particle Physics (15 credits)

Take sufficient credits to bring your total for the year to 120, from a range of Philosophy optional modules.

If you take 45 Philosophy credits, you must select at least 30 credits from the range of Level 6 (Year 4) optional modules. If you are taking 60 to 75 Philosophy credits, you must select at least 45 credits from the Level 6 (Year 4) optional modules. You may select your remaining credits from either Level 6 (Year 4) or Level 5 (Year 2) optional modules. The range of optional Level 6 modules may typically include:

• Dissertation (30 credits)
• Philosophy of Physics II (15 credits)
• Hellenistic Philosophy (15 credits)
• Indian Philosophy: The Orthodox Schools (15 credits)
• Indian Philosophy: The Heterodox Schools (15 credits)
• Kant’s Epistemology & Metaphysics (15 credits)
• Philosophy of Mathematics (15 credits)
• Philosophy of Psychology I (15 credits)
• Set Theory (15 credits)
• 19th Century Continental Philosophy (15 credits)
• Aesthetics (15 credits)
• Topics in Greek Philosophy (15 credits)
• Topics in Modern Philosophy (15 credits)
• Topics in Political Philosophy (15 credits)
• Medieval Philosophy (15 credits)
• Philosophy of Religion (15 credits)
• Ethics & Politics of Science & Technology (15 credits)
• Modal Logic (15 credits)
• Topics in the Philosophy of Mind (15 credits)
• Gender & Philosophy (15 credits)
• Philosophy of Race (15 credits)
• Philosophy of Psychology II (15 credits)
• Topics in Metaphysics (15 credits)
• Philosophy of Biology (15 credits)
• First-Order Logic (15 credits)
• Utilitarianism (15 credits)
• Neoplatonism (15 credits)
• Morality & Convention (15 credits)
• Mathematical Logic: Limitative Results (15 credits)

For the range of optional Level 5 modules, see Year 2. The groups do not apply in fourth year.

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.