100 years of Physics at Leicester

2025 marks 100 years since the first students enrolled to study for a physics degree in Leicester. In that first year there were 10 students and one lecturer. Over 100 years later and we have grown to over 650 students (from Foundation Year to PhD), 45 academic staff, and over 100 research, administrative and technical staff.

Research in the Physics Department at Leicester began with gas physics, branching out into other fields such as atmospheric physics and thin films, then rocket physics in the 1960s. In 1965, the University added an Astronomy Department, in 1973 the two departments worked together introduced a new combined honours degree, physics with astrophysics (the first in the UK - today most physics departments offer a course in physics with astrophysics). In 1987 the departments merged to make the Department of Physics and Astronomy (renamed the School of Physics and Astronomy in 2019).

The School has a world-renowned reputation in space science, planetary science and astrophysics. The first Leicester-built instrument in space was launched aboard a Skylark rocket in 1961 and there has been at least one piece of Leicester-built equipment operating in space every year since 1967. More than 60 years on, we are continuing to collaborate with international space agencies and Space Park Leicester, which opened in 2022 (developed by the University of Leicester in collaboration with local, national and international partners).

Celebration Day

To celebrate our 100th anniversary, we hosted an open day on 17 May 2025 which attracted alumni, students, staff, former staff, teachers and pupils interested in physics, and friends of the School. There were presentations and activities showcasing the past, present and future of Physics at the University of Leicester.

We will be running further celebration events later in the year.