Condensed Matter Physics (Research)

The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (November 2025). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas.

The DPhil in Condensed Matter Physics (CMP) is a research-based course of three to four years in duration. Research in the department ranges from fundamental physics questions to interdisciplinary research and technological applications.

The course is hosted by the Condensed Matter Physics sub-department, one of six sub-departments of the Department of Physics, with most facilities and offices located in the Clarendon laboratory.

You will be assigned a specific research project, which can evolve during the course of your DPhil. You will be supervised throughout the course and join the research group of your supervisor.

Your research work begins on day one and will be underpinned by a taught graduate course in the first year that runs in parallel. You will be required to attend lectures and courses to increase your basic and specialist physics knowledge and in preparation for the research you will carry out. This taught element is tailor-made for the individual student, and will be agreed between you and your supervisor, with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. You will also have the opportunity to follow courses taught at other departments across the Maths, Physics and Life Sciences division.

In the following years, you will concentrate on your research work. Alongside this, you will be strongly encouraged to take part in further courses, including a rich palette of transferable skills courses offered by the University, and to attend seminars and colloquia in the Department of Physics and elsewhere.

Some research themes organise workshops and away days, specifically designed to give you the opportunity to present your research to a broader audience. Poster and oral presentations are also part of the ongoing student assessment.