Astrophysics
Entry requirements
A level
To include B in Physics and B in Mathematics.
The University welcomes undergraduate applications from students studying the Access to Higher Education Diploma, provided that relevant subject content and learning outcomes are met. We are not able to accept Access to Higher Education Diplomas as a general qualification for every undergraduate degree course.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
To include 5 points in Physics and Mathematics at Higher Level.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
With specified subjects.
UCAS Tariff
To include B in Physics and B in Mathematics at A level.
Aberystwyth University welcomes the Welsh Baccalaureate as a valuable qualification in its own right and considers completion of the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate to be equivalent to an A level grade.
About this course
Astrophysics, at Aberystwyth University, incorporates the broad disciplines of astronomy that include cosmology and galactic astronomy, the solar system, gas giants and terrestrial worlds, red giants, white dwarfs, neutron stars, and quasars amongst others, allowing you to cover a broad area of learning and enabling you to specialise later in your career. With foundations in the key areas of physics and astronomy you will develop the essential core and transferable skills required by employers in this discipline that includes education, business, and industry. On completion of this degree, you will leave with accreditation by the **Institute of Physics (IOP).** Physics has been taught at Aberystwyth since its foundation and it continues to be an innovative learning experience for all. Our researchers are involved in the current European Space Agency ExoMars 2020 Project.
Throughout this degree, you will be introduced to classic and modern physics, the basic principles of gravitational and electrostatic fields, stars, planets, algebra and calculus, quantum mechanics, optics, space plasmas, electromagnetism, data handling, statistics, cosmology, galaxies and the heliosphere.
Career planning and skills development will also form a key element in some modules. Students wishing to study through the medium of Welsh may do so with our Welsh-medium modules. Further details regarding Welsh-medium study are available from the department. Our students learn through lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops, practicals, individual and group-based project work. We assess our students through coursework, presentations, lab reports, lab diaries and examinations. You will be assigned a personal tutor, who can help with any difficulties you might have with the degree or with university life.
Employability is embedded across all our teaching and ethics. We instil these skills in our students: research and data analysis, problem-solving, creative thinking, independent working, time management, organisation, self-motivation, communication and team working. The ability to discuss concepts with peers, accommodate different viewpoints, meet deadlines and communicate ideas in a clear, concise manner in both written and oral form are highly desirable skills in industry. You are encouraged to contact the University’s Careers Service in relation to work experience opportunities. Year in Employment Scheme (YES) and GO Wales are administered by the Career Service which works with local businesses to create paid work placements for students. This helps you gain valuable work experience and enhance your CV.
The skills you will learn are highly pertinent to employers. Typical careers include medical physicist, radiation protection practitioner, research scientist, systems developer, product development, technical publishing and meteorology. In addition, you will acquire transferable skills, such as problem-solving abilities, needed for success in a wider range of careers.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
Aberystwyth University offers a valuable package of scholarships and bursaries to support students. Our long-established Entrance Examination competition means you could get up to £2,000 a year towards your living and study costs. You can combine that with any or all of our other awards, to make your financial package more valuable. Our awards include Sport and Music Scholarships, Bursaries for Care Leavers/Young Carers and a range of department specific awards. Please visit our website for full details.
The Uni
Main Site (Aberystwyth)
Department of Physics
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.
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
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Astronomy
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£19k
£23k
£27k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.
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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.
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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
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Course location and department:
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the 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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