BSc (Hons) in Industrial Physics
Cork, Ireland
DURATION
4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
EUR 3,130 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* EU student contribution + capitation |2022-23 International Fee EUR 22,500 per year. Subject to change year-to-year
Scholarships
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Introduction
Industrial physicists are problem solvers, able to solve problems quickly and in a wide range of industrial settings, devising and using unconventional techniques. Advanced, high-precision manufacturing is the core of Ireland’s industrial output.
This joint University College Cork (UCC) / Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) degree combines fundamental physics with hands-on industrial training, targeting careers in some of the most exciting and innovative industries in Ireland and abroad.
This degree is ideal for students who wish to gain deep insight into the physics of modern technologies, and who enjoy applying this knowledge to problem-solving in real-world environments. With strong employer demand for qualified graduates, this ever-expanding field offers career paths for graduates who wish to use their skills in technical settings and equally those seeking a corporate management path.
The first two years of the course focus mainly on fundamental physics, and the third and fourth years place emphasis on industrial control technology.
Why Choose This Course
- Joint degree blending particular strengths of two institutions
- Long established extended placement scheme with potential employers
- High employer demand for graduates
This joint program offers students a unique training and educational experience based at two internationally regarded institutes. You will graduate with a strong grounding in fundamental physics concepts together with industrially-focussed training and expertise in areas such as instrumentation and automation.
The physics department in UCC has a very active research programme and offers exciting opportunities for further postgraduate research leading to MSc or PhD in a range of topics including astrophysics, optics, atomic physics, quantum optics, and photonics. The departmental research groups are located in the physics department and in Tyndall National Institute – UCC’s largest research institute.
Connected Curriculum
Our learning approach reflects our commitment to the Connected Curriculum where we emphasise the connection between students, learning, research and leadership through our vision for a Connected University. Our staff are at the forefront of this integrative approach to learning and will support you in making meaningful connections within and between topics such as physics, chemistry, technology, and society.
Available Scholarships
We support our postgraduate community by offering scholarships and bursaries to prospective and current students. Please see the SEFS Scholarships and Funding PG page for more information.
Placement or Study Abroad Information
All our BSc Industrial Physics students are offered a 10-week placement in Year 3 (Module PY3114). The placements are most frequently in Ireland and have often led to offers of employment, though they may also be carried out at international sites.
Gallery
Admissions
Curriculum
First-year modules:
Our Industrial Physics honours degree is a unique programme offered jointly by the Department of Physics at University College Cork (UCC) and the Physical Sciences Department at Munster Technological University (MTU). The programme combines fundamental physics with hands-on industrial training, targeting careers in some of the most exciting and innovative industries in Ireland and abroad.
This BSc degree is ideal for students who wish to gain deep insight into the physics of modern technologies, and who enjoy applying this knowledge to problem-solving in real-world environments. Industrial physicists are, at heart, problem solvers and this ability to problem-solve, devising and using unconventional techniques in a wide range of industrial settings, ensures their employability.
There is strong employer demand for our qualified graduates – both abroad and in Ireland where advanced, high-precision manufacturing is the core of Ireland’s industrial output. This ever-expanding field offers career paths for graduates who wish to use their skills in technical settings or who wish to follow the corporate management path.
The focus of the first two years is mainly on fundamental physics, taught at the UCC campus, while years three and four emphasise industrial control technology and system interfacing using the specialised teaching laboratory facilities at the MTU Physical Sciences Department. You will also benefit from a 10-week placement in Year 3, either directly in the industry or in a university or research centre laboratory, performing industrially related research and development.
In Year 1 you take core modules to the value of 55 credits and one 5-credit elective module.
Modules
Year 1 core modules:
- CM1006 Chemistry for Physicists and Mathematicians (10 credits) (run by UCC)
- MA1011 Mathematical Methods 1 (5 credits) (UCC)
- MA1012 Mathematical Methods 2 (5 credits) (UCC)
- PY1052 Introduction to Modern Physics 1 (10 credits) (UCC)
- PY1053 Introduction to Modern Physics 2 (10 credits) (UCC)
- PY1055 Introduction to Environmental Science (5 credits) (MTU)
- PY1056 Instrument Measurement (5 credits) (MTU)
- PY1057 Industrial Automation (5 credits) (MTU)
Year 1 elective modules:
- CS1061 Programming in C (5 credits) (UCC)
- CS1065 Computer Applications & Visual Basic (5 credits) (UCC)
- CS1068 Introductory Programming in Python (credits) (UCC)
Please see the College Calendar (BSc Industrial Physics) for more detailed information on the 4-year programme and the Book of Modules for a more detailed description of programme modules.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Industrial physicists work in a range of advanced manufacturing sectors, where fundamental concepts in science are applied to manufacture high-value products with precision, and an advanced level of process control and automation.
Sectors that employ our graduates include pharmaceuticals, energy, IT hardware manufacturing, food and beverage, water management, and aerospace/space. There is significant regional and national demand for these graduates, particularly in the biopharmaceutical sector.
Program Admission Requirements
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