Overview of the access strand

Some background

Since the mid 1990s, university physics departments have been closing. This has produced areas of the country in which no local university runs a physics course. Research shows that students are less likely to take a physics degree if it is not offered at a university within twenty four miles of their home. They are also less likely to take physics if their parents are in one of the lower socio-economic groups.

In the Access Strand, we aim to make degree courses more accessible and available in more places. By working with universities, we hope to widen participation in physics-based degrees.

Access strand activities

New Degree – a physics based, interdisciplinary science degree. More >
Repackaging existing physics degrees to make them more appealing. More >
Teacher Fellows - six school physics teachers will be seconded to a local HEIs. More >

Aims of the Access Strand

To improve the attractiveness of undergraduate physics degrees, especially to potential students from the lower socio-economic groups.
To attract returners, and to widen participation (and access) to physics for individuals from lower socio-economic groups and from non-traditional backgrounds.
To develop a route into HE physics for those students currently residing in regions where there are no local HEIs with a provision for undergraduate physics.
To develop broadly based science degree courses with graduates with a sufficient grounding in physics to enter the teaching profession or work in a technical capacity in industry or other employment sectors.
To ease the transition from school to university physics.
To provide additional career development for talented teachers of physics.
To promote physics degree programmes effectively. To make universities better aware of student interests and use this information to facilitate course design.
To improve the marketing of courses to ensure that universities are making their courses as appealing as possible to students.

Objectives of the Access Strand

develop, introduce and market a new type of physics-based degree programme.
offer alternative entry routes for individuals, who do not have the traditional entry qualifications, to undertake an undergraduate degree in physics or a physics-related topic.
promote physics degree programmes effectively. To repackage physics degree courses to make them more marketable while maintaining standards.
develop closer working links between university departments and teachers in schools.