Physics Interview Days

Congratulations! You are invited!

If you’ve been invited to an interview with us, firstly we’d like to say congratulations! This means you have provided us with a strong application, and we look forward to meeting you soon.

We enjoy meeting applicants at Interview Days; although our interviews are optional this year, we think the day is an excellent opportunity for you to meet and talk to members of our academic staff and current students, gaining valuable insight into life as a Lancaster Physics undergraduate.

It also helps us determine the conditions of any offer that we might make, and provides us with additional information to consider during confirmation week should your exams not go as well as hoped.

What can I expect?

The interview itself makes up just a small part of your day at Lancaster; we have developed a full programme of physics-based activities, including a guest lecture from one of our renowned researchers, demonstrations from PhD students, plus an in-depth tour of our facilities.

Applicants are welcome to bring a guest who can participate in a similar programme, explore the campus, or relax with a coffee in our Atrium.

Throughout the day you’ll be chaperoned by the Department’s event coordinator, along with Physics Student Ambassadors who are available to answer any questions you may have. In addition, lunch is on us! Interviewees and guests will be joined by Student Ambassadors and academics for an informal buffet-style lunch – another excellent opportunity to learn more about who we are and what we offer.

An example of the day’s agenda is as follows:

Applicant Schedule	Guest Schedule
10:20 Registration opens	10:20 Registration opens
10:45 Optional Campus & Accommodation tours	10:45 Optional Campus & Accommodation tours
11:45 Registration closes	11:45 Registration closes
11:55 Welcome	11:55 Welcome
12:00 Department tour	12:00 Department tour
12:45 Lunch	12:45 Lunch
13:30 Interviews and taster talk/demo	13:30 Careers talk
15:30 Physics subject talk	14:15 Break for refreshments
16:00 Life at Lancaster talk	14:45 Lancaster University: A Longer-Term Perspective
16:15 Day finishes	15:30 Physics subject talk
	16:00 Life at Lancaster talk
	16:15 Day finishes

*Agenda may be subject to change

The Interview

Each applicant is allocated to a member of our academic staff, who will conduct a 1:1 interview, lasting no more than 30 minutes. We are keen to learn more about your experiences, knowledge, interests and ambitions.

How should I prepare?

We want to know why you have chosen to study Physics, so demonstrating your interest in the subject is a key factor during your interview – is there anything you’ve taken part in outside of your studies that you would like to share with us? It’s great to hear about the skills you’ve developed (through volunteering, work experience, independent research etc.), so don’t be shy in sharing your passion!

We believe that our Interview Days are an important opportunity for our applicants to discover whether Lancaster is right for them, so use your interview to ask any questions that you may have. Find out as much as you can about your chosen course, our department and life as a Lancaster student. We are more than happy to answer any questions.

“The most important factor in choosing Lancaster was visiting on the Interview Day. Getting to see what life in the department was actually like and talking to current students was so valuable when I was making my choices.”

Scholarships

The Physics Department promotes excellence by offering departmental scholarships to high-achieving applicants; successful MPhys/MSci applicants will receive £1000 and BSc applicants will receive £750 in their first year of study.

Along with the criteria noted below, applicants must take part in an interview during the application process to be considered eligible for the scholarship.

Full details of Lancaster University’s funding opportunities can be found here.

*The Physics Scholarship is available to those who select a Physics degree as their firm choice, and achieve A*A* in A Level Mathematics and Physics, plus A or higher in a third A Level (or equivalent grades for those with alternative qualifications).

“Lancaster was always my top choice after visiting campus for my interview. There was a really friendly atmosphere created by the staff and students, and this made me feel certain that I’d be happy and comfortable here.”

Arya Bhandari (BSc Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology)

Online interviews

Typically reserved for overseas applicants, we also offer online interviews. These are booked online, take place via Microsoft Teams, and are conducted by a member of the Department’s Admissions team.

These interviews follow a similar structure to the in-person interviews. A separate event will also be held later in the year for anyone wishing to visit us following participation in an online interview.

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