What research areas does the Department of Physics and Astronomy at The University of Manchester cover?

The Department of Physics and Astronomy at The University of Manchester covers research across astronomy and astrophysics, biological physics, condensed matter physics, fluids and soft matter physics, nuclear physics, particle accelerator physics, particle physics, photon physics, soft matter and liquid crystals physics, and theoretical physics. The clearest evidence on the department site is the list of postgraduate research programmes, where each named area corresponds to an MSc by Research and/or PhD/MPhil route. If you are looking for a research topic or a supervisor, that programme list is the most reliable starting point on the site.

Research areas reflected in the department's research degrees

The department's own programme finder lists these research-degree subjects:

Two things follow from this table. First, the department treats these as distinct research areas rather than as a single general "physics" programme. Second, the availability of an MSc by Research versus a PhD/MPhil differs by area — for example, Particle Accelerator Physics appears with MSc by Research and PhD, while Fluids and Soft Matter Physics appears with PhD/MPhil. Check the specific programme page before assuming a particular route exists in a given area.

Astronomy and astrophysics, and the Jodrell Bank connection

Astronomy and astrophysics is one of the department's most visible research areas. The site's news section shows current work in this field, including:

• "'Born-again' star offers rare chance to watch stellar evolution in real time"
• "Astronomers use MeerKAT to directly detect faint hydrogen signal from the distant Universe"
• "Manchester astronomer helps lead NASA's Roman Space Telescope mission"
• "Growing support for Jodrell Bank from across science, culture and public life"

The repeated appearance of Jodrell Bank in the department's news and public-facing material indicates it is part of the department's astronomical research and outreach identity. If your interest is observational astronomy or radio astronomy, this is the area of the site to follow for current activity.

How to use the site to explore research

The department's navigation includes a dedicated Research section alongside Study, Latest news, and Discover. To move from a general interest to a concrete decision:

1. Open the Research section to see how the department presents its research activity.
2. Use the Study section's course and programme finder, selecting Postgraduate research, to see the research-degree list reproduced above.
3. Cross-check a specific area against its programme page for entry level (MSc by Research vs PhD/MPhil) and any stated requirements.
4. Read Latest news to see what the department is currently publishing — useful for judging whether an area is active and what kind of work it produces.

The expected result is a shortlist of research areas that match your background, plus the specific programme route available in each.

Common sticking points

• Assuming all areas offer the same degree route. They do not; the table above shows differences between MSc by Research and PhD/MPhil across areas.
• Treating "Physics" as a catch-all. The department lists a general Physics research route separately from named areas such as Photon Physics or Theoretical Physics, so check which one a prospective supervisor sits under.
• Confusing taught master's with research degrees. Taught master's courses listed on the site (for example Nuclear Science and Technology MSc, Astronomy and Astrophysics MSc by Research is listed among research routes) sit in a different part of the programme finder than the research programmes. Select the correct study level before browsing.
• Using news headlines as a full research map. News shows current highlights, not the complete set of research areas; the programme list is the more complete index.

If you already know which area interests you, go directly to that programme page and then to the Research section for the department's presentation of its work. If you are undecided, start from the postgraduate research programme list and use the news section to test which areas are producing visible output.