Warwick Physics PhD students must obtain 6 graduate credits during the first two years of study.
Decide the modules you will take for credit in agreement with your Supervisor (you may take more than 6 if appropriate).
Some external courses, such as summer schools, or tutorials at major conferences, may be used for credit: see external courses.
As a PhD student, it is your responsibility to record the creditsthat you have obtained.
Masters by Research students may also undertake graduate training if they wish, but should consult with their supervisor.
If you have already completed substantial graduate level training in Physics or a related discipline (e.g. a stand-alone two-year postgraduate Masters degree, or equivalent, NOT an integrated 4 or 5 year undergraduate Master's degree) then you may be exempt from some or all of this course requirement. Please contact the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS).
Any taught, graduate-level training may be suitable for credit. For most PhD students, taught modules will be the most appropriate for the majority (e.g. 4/6) of their credits.
Choosing modules from the Midland Physics Alliance Graduate School
The physics departments of Warwick, Nottingham and Birmingham have formed the Midlands Physics Alliance Graduate School( MPAGS) to provide internationally excellent graduate physics training across a wide range of topics.
Typical MPAGS modules are worth 1 or 2 credits. A typical module lasts for 5 weeks with 2 hours of lectures per week and is assessed on a pass/fail basis via problem sheets or short assignments. This will require, on average, an additional 2 days work.
MPAGS modules will run online in 2025/26 (certain modules may take place in person) ,once registered your module convenor will contact you with details. Modules offered and how to sign up are on the Midlands Physics Alliance Graduate School website.
Level M modules offered by the Departments of Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Engineering at Warwick as part of our taught Undergraduate Masters degrees can be claimed for credit (if not taken before). Appropriate courses will have a module code beginning in 4 (undergraduate year 4) or sometimes 9 (taught masters).
Choosing taught modules from Warwick
Please check the Module Catalogue for suitable current modules, these will usually be PG modules from Physics (PX4XX or PX9XX) Chemistry (CH4XX or CH9XX) and Maths (MA4XX or MA9XX).
Undergraduate (e.g. PX3) modules are not usually acceptable as graduate level training.
Modules from our taught degrees have a specific CATS (Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme) weighting. The CATS weighting determines the number of graduate credits these modules are worth.The conversion for CATS to graduate credits (with assessment) is: 7.5 CATS=1 graduate credit; 15 CATS=2 graduate credits; Most CDT modules = 1.5 graduate credits if assessed, otherwise 1 graduate credit. In other cases please contact the DGS for an assessment of how many credits the course is worth.
To sign up for a Warwick taught module:
Contact the Module Leader and request they "audit" your completion of their course.
Determine whether there is any assessed component to the course (it isnotnecessary to take the final University-administered examination).
Where there are assessments discuss whether the Module Leader would be willing to mark the assessments, in which case passing the assessed components could provide additional graduate credit(s).
Where there are no assessed components, or the Module Leader would not have the capacity to mark your assignments, or you do not wish to take the assessments; you should provide a 2 page written summary of the module content focusing its relevance to your research topic and submit this to your supervisor for approval.
You may also be interested in graduate modules from the Institute of Advanced Teaching and Learning (IATL). (Please note for IATL modules you are able to register for the course for 10 CATS), or from a Warwick-based Centre for Doctoral Training, such as the HetSys CDT. IATL and CDT courses may require specific sign-up procedures as described on their webpages.
HetSys is the Heterogeneous Systems Centre for Doctoral Training, funded by EPSRC. Some students will be registered specifically as HetSys student and should follow their training requirements in preference to those described here. Non-CDT students are often able to take HetSys modules as described here. However this is at the discretion of the module convenor, following the same procedure as described under "Warwick Courses" above.
IATL is the Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning, which promotes interdisciplinary approaches to study and research. Relevant IATL postgraduate modules can be taken for Physics Graduate School credits. Most commonly taken is IL907 Habitability in the Universe (1.5 graduate credits). Places are limited. IATL modules must be applied for as described here, and may not run if numbers are small or registration occurs too late. PGR students are typically described as 'auditing' these courses, although some module convenors may be willing to set a pass/fail assessment for additional credit.
There are a small number of other Warwick courses (e.g. computer training) which may be considered for graduate credit on a case by case basis if and only if the course is at an appropriate level and clearly relevant to the research degree being undertaken. Most other modules (e.g. language centre courses) are considered part of the skills component of a degree rather than the graduate training component. Note that no specific funding is available for taking graduate training courses - these will need to be funded from the available funds associated with the PhD position.
Choosing Graduate Modules
Suggestions for taught modules most appropriate for students in particular research clusters can be located below:
Astronomy and Astrophysics PhD students (including those working in Space Domain Awareness) are required to take the MPAGS Astronomy Reading course (two graduate credits, contact: Pier Tremblay) and also typically expected to take the MPAGS Astrophysical Techniques module (two graduate credits, contact: Tom Wilson).
Many students choose to supplement this with other relevant MPAGS modules (e.g. Python) or with Warwick PX4 modules (e.g. PX436 General Relativity, PX458 The Distant Universe, PX443 Planets, Exoplanets and Life) or with the interdisciplinary IL907 Habitability in the Universe module.
Where a PX4 module is taken, the lecturer should be consulted. For a 30 lecture course, confirmation of attendance/engagement will contribute one credit, while if the lecturer agrees to consider a component of assessment (at pass/fail) then a second credit can be awarded.
Many students also use external workshops for credit (see below). The STFC Introductory Summer School in Astrophysics, for example, is worth one graduate credit.
Most CFSA students secure significant credits from external training schools:
STFC Solar and Solar Terrestrial Physics Summer Schools (typically 1 credit)
STFC Space Technology Applications in Science and Industry Summer School (typically 1 credit)
Formations of Planetary Systems, AS8, November/December 2023 (online from Leicester, short essay about a recent paper from a topic in the course)
Digital Electronics, PP3, (online from Birmingham, answer questions from problems sheet) - running Oct 2025
Please speak to Sandra Chapman or your feedback supervisor about confirming completion of these.
Graduate level courses are taken at the discretion of the lecturer, who should be contacted in the first instance, and should be completed to the lecturer's satisfaction. This may involve assessment evaluated at the pass/fail level. For a 30 lecture course, the usual credit would be 1 for attendance and a possible additional credit for some form of assessment. Note that MA9 and PX9 HetSys courses may require additional registration requirements (see https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/hetsys/apply/training)Link opens in a new window
Relevant courses at Warwick which attract graduate credit include:
MA930-15 Data Analysis and Machine Learning
MA933-15 Stochastic Modelling and Random Processes
MA934-15 Numerical Algorithms and Optimisation
MA4J1, MSc, Continuum Mechanics, Maths, Tom Hudson
ST961-15 Statistical Methods and Practice
ST962-15 Advanced Topics in Statistics and Probability
PX420 Solar Magnetohydrodynamics
PX917, PGDip, Computational Plasma Physics, HetSys, Tom Goffrey and Ravindra Desai
PX913, PGDip, Introduction to Scientific Software Development, HetSys, Heather Ratcliffe and Chris Brady
PX914, PGDip, Predictive Modelling and Uncertainty Quantification, HetSys, James Kermode
Students in Particle Physics usually follow courses which run under the remit of the Midlands Physics Alliance Graduate School (MPAGS). Relevant courses expected to run this year include:
Relativistic Quantum (Karolos Potamianos)
C++ Software Development (Tom Latham)
Most students also pursue graduate training summer schools, include those offered by STFC. A one week (3-5 day) summer school would usually be worth 1 graduate credit. Where a summer school includes a substantial hands-on training or assessed component/presentation, additional credit may be possible.
Students should consult their supervisors about appropriate module choices.
EPP students expecting to spend a year abroad in their second year should consider carefully how to structure their graduate training requirement.
Several of its modules are also suitable for other Theory PGs e.g.
PX911 Quantum and Atomistic Modelling
PX913 Intro to Scientific Software Development
PX918 Electronic Structure Theory for Experiment and Models. [2 non HetSys Physics PGs took a 5 credit part of this 10 credit module in 2024-5]
PX925 High performance computing
PX921 Micro & Nano Flows across scales
PX923 Biomolecular Simulation
Most Theory PGs would benefit from engaging with at least part of PX913.
Note that the credit system of HetSys is not the same as the Physics Graduate credits. Other PX4.. and MA4.. and MA9.. coded modules are also available. Where a PX4 module is taken, the lecturer should be consulted. For a 30 lecture course, confirmation of attendance/engagement will contribute one credit, while if the lecturer agrees to consider a component of assessment (at pass/fail) then a second credit can be awarded.
Please complete the self-certification form for every course that you wish to count towards your graduate credits (this includes all MPAGS courses). Your module convenor or lecturer will usually email you directly to confirm you have passed the course.
Typically an external course will provide a certificate of attendance. (You should also record these in your Skillsforge portfolio). If not, please upload a screenshot of the course website, programme or similar material.
You should keep an accurate record of your progress through the Physics Graduate School. You will be asked to confirm your graduate credits during progress reviews in the middle of year 1 and at the end of year 2.
Choosing external courses
External courses are an excellent way of obtaining specialised training in your field and can be used towards your graduate credits. Students can therefore plan to use such schools to satisfy a substantial part of their Physics Graduate School training obligations. Generally a week long (3-5 days) external course would be equivalent to 1 credit. Where a course has a formal assessed component the credits are doubled:
Research conference
Not Eligible
1-2 day workshop, summer/winter school or training course
0.5 Graduate Credits
Self Certify using form
3-5 day workshop or training course
1 Graduate Credit
Self Certify using form
2 week workshop or training course
2 Graduate Credits
Self Certify using form
+ Substantial assessed or hands-on practical element
Double credit
Upload evidence using form
Training falling straightforwardly into the above categories does not need confirmation from the Director of Graduate Studies and should be uploaded (with evidence) to the self-certification form. Any course aimed primarily at PhD students, early career researchers or research professionals is deemed to be at a graduate level. If you are uncertain whether a course qualifies as being at graduate level or it falls outside the above categories, please contact the DGS for confirmation with a link to the appropriate course details.
Some specific external courses are identified by research cluster above. We add here some courses that other students have attended in the past, however this should not be considered a complete list as new courses are made available all the time, and the length and content (and so credit weighting) of courses may vary year by year:
