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Physics with Astrophysics

Entry requirements


A level

B,C,C-B,B,B

including mathematics and physics at B

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

30

30 points overall with 5, 5, 5 at Higher Level to include mathematics and physics

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDM

A relevant BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma with DDM

Scottish HNC

Pass

A relevant HNC with B in the Graded Unit and Higher Maths or relevant Maths

Scottish HND

Pass

A relevant HND with BB in the Graded Unit and Higher Maths or relevant Maths

Scottish Higher

B,B,B,C-A,A,B,B

including mathematics and physics at B

UCAS Tariff

102-120

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Astrophysics

Physics

Physics is the most fundamental science, concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy. This means physics-based knowledge can be applied across the depth and breadth of industry.

In the context of astronomical phenomena, circumstances may conspire to produce extreme physical conditions such as gravity, pressure, and temperature. We push our understanding of core physics principles, and laws, providing critical new insight to the nature of the universe.

The course will increase your understanding of fundamental physics and expand your mathematical skills. You'll study both classical physics and developments in modern physics and gain advanced laboratory skills and hands-on experience with challenging experiments.

As you progress through your studies, you'll study modules in astrophysics in more detail such as space physics and astronomy, stars and planetary systems, and galaxies and the universe.

In your final year, you'll conduct a personal project which will involve practical experience in a research laboratory. You'll also have the option to take part in dedicated undergraduate research projects from the start of your course.

Our high staff-to-student ratio fosters a friendly environment and approachable lecturers.

Our Physics Society runs regular social events. They have organised trips to CERN, Munich, and Amsterdam as well as the annual Physics Ball. You can meet with students from all year groups to help guide you through the more challenging aspects of the course.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£24,300
per year
International
£24,300
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£1,820
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of Dundee

Department:

School of Science and Engineering

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

70%
Astrophysics
66%
Physics

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Astronomy

Teaching and learning

60%
Staff make the subject interesting
90%
Staff are good at explaining things
60%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
80%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

70%
Library resources
80%
IT resources
100%
Course specific equipment and facilities
30%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

83%
UK students
17%
International students
57%
Male students
43%
Female students
70%
2:1 or above
13%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
C
B

Physics

Teaching and learning

55%
Staff make the subject interesting
76%
Staff are good at explaining things
83%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
62%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

62%
Library resources
93%
IT resources
90%
Course specific equipment and facilities
31%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

84%
UK students
16%
International students
72%
Male students
28%
Female students
70%
2:1 or above
10%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
C
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Astronomy

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

76%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

21%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
14%
Caring personal services
6%
Artistic, literary and media occupations

Not a lot of people study astronomy as a first degree, and if you want to be one of the small number of people who start work as an astronomer - often overseas - every year, you will need a doctorate — so at least a third of graduates go into further study. Astronomy graduates, however, are versatile, going into all parts of the jobs market - their good technical, data and maths skills taking them into IT and business especially. However, if you want to find out more specifically about the prospects for your chosen subject, it might be a good idea to go on open days and talk to tutors about what previous graduates from your chosen subject went on to do.

Physics

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

76%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

21%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
14%
Caring personal services
6%
Artistic, literary and media occupations

Although the subject has seen a bit of resurgence in recent years, the UK is still felt to be short of physics graduates, and in particular physicists training as teachers. If you want a career in physics research — in all sorts of areas, from atmospheric physics to lasers - you'll probably need to take a doctorate, and so have a think about where you would like to do that and how you might fund it (the government funds many physics doctorates, so you might not find it as hard as you think). With that in mind, it's not surprising that just over a fifth of physics graduates go on to take doctorates when they finish their degree, and well over a third of physicists take some kind of postgraduate study in total. Physics is highly regarded and surprisingly versatile, which is why physics graduates who decide not to stay in education are more likely to go into well-paid jobs in the finance industry than they are to go into science. The demand and versatility of physics degrees goes to explain why they're amongst the best-paid science graduates.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
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Lower entry requirements
University of York | York
Physics with Astrophysics
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 54-136
Same University
University of Dundee | Dundee
Mathematics and Astrophysics
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UCAS Points: 104-120

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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