Postgraduate student profiles

We asked some of our students to share their experiences of studying physics and astronomy at the University of Sheffield.

Joel Gooday

The La Palma field trip was unquestionably the greatest part of the course

Joel Gooday Astrophysics MSc

Joel enjoyed studying Astrophysics at undergraduate level, but wanted to take his studies further. He particularly enjoyed the trip to La Palma, and the hands-on experience he gained there. Now he has his eyes set on a PhD.

Bridget Marchington

I have nurtured my analytical mindset and learnt new skills that are invaluable in this career

Bridget Marchington Physics BSc and Astrophysics MSc

Bridget followed her undergraduate physics degree with our Astrophysics MSc course, and is now applying her analytics skills on a graduate training scheme at Natwest.

Rhys Davies

I was drawn to the Solar Cell Technology MSc because it emphasised practical experience and the business of solar cells

Rhys Davies Solar Cell Technology MSc

Rhys has spent most of his career as an accountant, but his interest in renewables drew him onto our Solar Cell Technology course.

Rajpinder Seehra

My course hugely developed my understanding of physics relative to biology

Rajpinder Seehra Biological Imaging MSc

Raj took our Biological Imaging MSc course, which combined his favourite subjects in one degree – maths, physics and biology.

Paules Zakhary

I chose to come to Sheffield because of its reputation in high energy physics

Paules Zakhary MSc(Res) Particle Physics

Paules chose Sheffield after considering a number of UK universities and spent his masters degree working on an international search for dark matter. He hopes to use his time in Sheffield as a springboard to study in the USA.

Rongrong Song

Through my research, I have developed lots of useful skills

Rongrong Song MSc(Res) Particle Physics

During her masters course, Rongrong got the chance to study particle physics from a different perspective, and develop programming skills while working with data from CERN.

Varsha Senthilkumar

I am thrilled to do my project with such knowledgeable and experienced people

Varsha Senthilkumar MSc(Res) Particle Physics

Varsha's interest in supersymmetry drew her to Sheffield, where she's been able to work alongside CERN scientists as part of a supportive scientific community.

Jack Hall

Your project can be on basically anything the department researches – I worked on the ATLAS collaboration at CERN

Jack Hall MSc(Res) Particle Physics

As a member of CERN, Jack gets to work with data from the Large Hadron Collider as part of his masters course in Particle Physics. For his research, he works with the ATLAS collaboration to try and find evidence of supersymmetry – a phenomenon that could help explain dark matter.

REF 2021 illustration showing University building and subject areas

Research Excellence Framework 2021

We have been rated 1st in the UK in terms of the quality of our research. In the latest REF, 100 per cent of research and impact from our department has been classed as world-leading or internationally excellent.

Four students laughing while sat at a bench, outside the Students' Union

International scholarships

We offer a generous package of financial support for international students, including undergraduate and postgraduate taught scholarships towards the annual tuition fee. Applications are open for existing offer holders.

Scholarships for international students