University of St Andrews
St Andrews is Scotland's oldest University, founded in 1411. As befits an institution of this antiquity, parts of the University are still housed in fine medieval buildings.
The University offers a wide range of subjects such as Classics, Modern Languages, History, Philosophy, Management and Economics, Biology, Psychology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Computing, Geography and Geology, as well as Physics and Astrronomy. At present, student numbers are approximately 7,000, including both undergraduate and postgraduates. Students largely live in University-owned halls or flats or in private accommodation in the town or the surrounding villages.
The University is situated in the town of St Andrews on the North-East coast of Fife, Scotland. It is approximately 50 miles north of Edinburgh and 10 miles south of Dundee. The city is a pleasant mix of fine medieval and eighteenth and nineteenth century buildings, with some modern structures. Despite its population of only 15,000, the city has many amenities only associated with larger conurbations. There is a good range of local schools, shops and other facilities. In addition to the benefits associated with a rural environment, there are also opportunities to attend and participate in theatre, classical music making, contemporary music and more.
The research strengths of the School of Physics and Astronomy with its 30 academic staff members are in the areas of Astronomy, Condensed matter physics and Photonics. In Photonics, the School is well known for its pioneering work in ultrashort pulse lasers but has now also established very strong programmes in the areas of optical trapping, biophotonics, organic semiconductors and microphotonics/photonics crystals.
School of Physics and Astronomy
Overview of Research and Research Groups
