Nuclear Science and Radiation Protection MSc - 2028/9
Awarding body
University of Surrey
Teaching institute
University of Surrey
Framework
FHEQ Levels 6 and 7
Final award and programme/pathway title
MSc Nuclear Science and Radiation Protection
Subsidiary award(s)
| Award | Title |
|---|---|
| PGDip | Nuclear Science and Radiation Protection |
| PGCert | Nuclear Science and Radiation Protection |
Modes of study
| Route code | Credits and ECTS Credits | |
| Full-time | PCK61011 | 180 credits and 90 ECTS credits |
| Part-time | PCK61012 | 180 credits and 90 ECTS credits |
QAA Subject benchmark statement (if applicable)
Other internal and / or external reference points
N/A
Faculty and Department / School
Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences - Mathematics & Physics
Programme Leader
PODOLYAK Zsolt (Maths & Phys)
Date of production/revision of spec
15/10/2026
Educational aims of the programme
- The programme integrates the acquisition of core scientific knowledge with the development of key practical skills with a focus on professional career development within nuclear science and its applications, including medical physics and radiation detection, and related industries. The principle educational aims and outcomes of learning are to provide participants with advanced knowledge, practical skills and understanding applied to nuclear physics, medical physics, radiation detection instrumentation, radiation and environmental practice in an industrial or medical context. This is achieved by the development of the participants' understanding of the underlying science and technology and by the participants gaining an understanding of the legal basis, practical implementation and organisational basis of medical physics and radiation measurement.
Programme learning outcomes
| Attributes Developed | Awards | Ref. | |
| A systematic understanding of Nuclear Science and Radiation protection in an academic and professional context together with a critical awareness of current problems and / or new insights | K | PGDip, MSc | |
| A comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to their own research project in Nuclear Science and/or its applications | K | MSc | |
| Originality in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of nuclear physics based, experimental research projects | K | PGDip, MSc | |
| Familiarity with generic issues in management and safety and their application to Nuclear Science and Applications in a professional context | KCT | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| A systematic understanding of Radiation Physics in an academic and professional context together with a critical awareness of current problems and / or new insights | KC | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| An ability to evaluate and objectively interpret experimental data pertaining to nuclear physics and radiation detection | KCPT | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| The ability to deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements in the absence of complete data and communicate their conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences | CPT | MSc | |
| The ability to plan and execute under supervision, an experiment and to analyse critically the results and draw valid conclusions from them. Students should be able to evaluate the level of uncertainty in their results, understand the significance of uncertainty analysis and be able to compare these results with expected outcomes, theoretical predictions and/or with published data. Graduates should be able to evaluate the significance of their results in this context | CPT | MSc | |
| Responsibility for personal and professional development. Ability to use external mentors for personal / professional purposes | PT | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Ability to identify and resolve problems arising from lectures and experimental work, making effective use of resources and of team work | PT | PGCert, PGDip, MSc |
Attributes Developed
C - Cognitive/analytical
K - Subject knowledge
T - Transferable skills
P - Professional/Practical skills
Programme structure
Full-time
This Master's Degree programme is studied full-time over one academic year, consisting of 180 credits at FHEQ level 7. All modules are semester based and worth 15 credits with the exception of project, practice based and dissertation modules.
Possible exit awards include:
- Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits)
- Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits)
Part-time
This Master's Degree programme is studied part-time over two academic years, consisting of 180 credits at FHEQ level 7. All modules are semester based and worth 15 credits with the exception of project, practice based and dissertation modules.
Possible exit awards include:
- Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits)
- Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits)
Programme Adjustments (if applicable)
N/A
Modules
Year 1 (full-time) - FHEQ Level 7
Module Selection for Year 1 (full-time) - FHEQ Level 7
Students choose one optional module from a choice of two in semester 2.
Year 1 (part-time) - FHEQ Level 7
Module Selection for Year 1 (part-time) - FHEQ Level 7
N/A
Year 2 (part-time) - FHEQ Level 7
| Module code | Module title | Status | Credits | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHYM021 | RESEARCH PROJECT AND DISSERTATION | Compulsory | 60 | 2 |
| PHYM036 | RADIATION LABORATORY SKILLS | Compulsory | 15 | 1 |
| PHYM048 | INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGY AND RADIATION BIOLOGY | Compulsory | 15 | 1 |
| PHYM052 | EXPLOSIVE STELLAR PHENOMENA | Optional | 15 | 2 |
| PHYM064 | NUCLEAR ENERGY AND APPLICATIONS | Compulsory | 15 | 2 |
| EEEM057 | SPACE ENVIRONMENT AND PROTECTION | Optional | 15 | 2 |
Module Selection for Year 2 (part-time) - FHEQ Level 7
Students choose one optional module from a choice of two in semester 2.
Opportunities for placements / work related learning / collaborative activity
| Associate Tutor(s) / Guest Speakers / Visiting Academics | Y | |
| Professional Training Year (PTY) | N | |
| Placement(s) (study or work that are not part of PTY) | N | |
| Clinical Placement(s) (that are not part of the PTY scheme) | N | |
| Study exchange (Level 5) | N | |
| Dual degree | N |
Other information
This programme is aligned to the University of Surrey's Five Pillars of Curriculum Design, namely: Digital Capabilities; Global and Cultural Capabilities; Employability;
Resourcefulness and Resilience; Sustainability.
Digital capabilities: Students use specialist data acquisition and analysis software, Monte Carlo modelling and Python. Applications include dose and shielding calculations, AI and data science, and tools predicting energy loss and ionising radiation range.
Employability: Teaching by academic and visiting industry staff prepares students for nuclear industry, regulatory and academic careers. Advanced physics, modelling and coding provide foundations. Laboratory and group work, reports, posters and oral presentations develop problem-solving, teamwork and communication.
Global and cultural capabilities: Students explore technologies supporting accessible, sustainable nuclear energy and radiation protection. Diverse group work and an Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity workshop encourage awareness, reflection and inclusive practice for working in diverse teams.
Resourcefulness and resilience: Students tackle nuclear and radiation physics problems through experiments, analytical calculations and modelling, including dose and shielding calculations. Small-group laboratory work develops skills in interpreting data and solving open-ended problems.
Sustainability: Students study nuclear reactors as a source of green energy, considering costs, quality assurance and equipment lifecycles. This supports informed sustainability decisions across radiation-related industries.
Quality assurance
The Regulations and Codes of Practice for taught programmes can be found at:
Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2028/9 academic year.