Physics subject taster
Are you interested in hunting down elusive particles such as the Z Boson or Higgs Boson using real data analysis at ATLAS? Join us for a physics taster day, where you’ll experience life as a particle physicist and collaborate with researchers from across the globe, including those working at CERN.
Physics taster day: Find a particle at the LHC
Wednesday 1 April 2026, 9am to 4.15pm
The University of Sheffield's School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences is offering a physics taster day for year 12 and 13 students studying physics and maths. Spend a day experiencing life as a particle physicist and engaging with hands on data analysis at ATLAS. Not only will you learn more about this fascinating subject, you’ll get to take part in a particle hunt for the Z Boson and the Higgs Boson.
You’ll share your findings with researchers who work at CERN, as well as other contributors from the UK, Netherlands and Brazil. You’ll experience what it’s like to study physics at the University of Sheffield, develop transferable skills, learn about physics career pathways, and speak with current students.
It's a great and exciting experience to do stuff that just isn't possible in school
Previous taster session attendee
When: Wednesday 1 April 2026, 9am to 4.15pm
Who can attend: Year 12 and 13 students, as well as BTEC and mature students.
Location: Hicks Building, University of Sheffield
Suitable for: students interested in a degree in physics, who are studying A Level (or equivalent) Physics and Mathematics and are anticipating a grade B or above in these subjects.
Schedule
Please note that this is an approximate schedule and is therefore subject to change.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 9am | Arrival, registration and introduction to the University |
| 9.15am | Introduction to particle physics |
| 11.45am | Studying physics and Q&A |
| 12.15pm | Lunch |
| 1pm | Introduction to data analysis (45 min) and particle hunt (1hr 15 min) |
| 3pm | Video conference and interpretation of results |
| 4pm | Closing and departure |
Apply for your place
The deadline to apply is Wednesday 25 March 2026.
Contact us
For informal enquiries please email tasterdays@sheffield.ac.uk
FAQs
Have a question about an in-person taster day? You can find all of our frequently asked questions on our main page.
International undergraduate scholarships
We are offering scholarships of £2,500 for each year (subject to a 60% average) of your undergraduate degree. The maximum value is £10,000 for four-year programmes.