Astrophysics
Cardiff University
UCAS Code: F511 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Cardiff University
UCAS Code: F511 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
To include Maths and Physics. Applicants taking Maths without Physics will also be considered normally subject to achieving a grade A in Maths. You will need to pass the science practical element of the A-level if this is part of your programme of study.
Extended Project
For applicants taking the EPQ qualification, an A in the EPQ can be recognised to lower the entry requirements by a single grade. For example, an AAB offer would be "AAB from 3 A-levels or ABB from 3 A-levels and a grade A in the EPQ". Please note that any subject specific requirements must be met.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
You must have or be working towards: - English language or Welsh language at GCSE grade C/4 or an equivalent (such as A-levels). If you require a Tier 4 visa, you must ensure your language qualification complies with UKVI requirements.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
34-31 overall or 666-665 in 3 HL subjects. To include HL Maths and HL Physics. Applicants taking HL Maths without HL Physics will also be considered normally subject to achieving a grade 6 in HL Maths.
DD-DM in a BTEC Diploma in science and engineering subjects and grade A in Maths A-Level or D in any BTEC subject and grades BB in Maths and Physics A-Level.
Acceptance of T Levels for this programme will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Academic School. Consideration will be given to the T Level grade/subject and grades/subjects achieved at GCSE/Level 2.
The Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate will be accepted in place of one A-level at the A-level grades specified, excluding any subject specific requirements.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
**Join a top 10 university for physics in the UK (The Guardian Best UK Universities 2024) in the vibrant, welcoming capital city of Wales.**
Astrophysics applies the principles of physics to astrological phenomena, helping us to explore the Universe and investigate how it works.
At Cardiff University, we are home to one of the largest astronomy groups in the UK and have led many new discoveries, from the detection of gravitational waves to the first images of black holes. During this course, you’ll be taught by staff whose research is leading to these discoveries – learning about the theoretical physics and mathematical concepts
describing space, time, energy and matter, and how to apply these to the cosmos.
A more specialised course than our Physics with Astronomy degrees, our Astrophysics
courses provide you with the core skills and knowledge you need in physics and mathematics, combined with an understanding of observational astronomy and the theoretical aspects of astrophysics. An ideal grounding for a career as an astrophysicist, this degree also prepares you for a range of careers from data analysis and technology to finance and education.
In year one, you’ll take core modules to lay the foundations of your physics, mathematics and computing knowledge, as well as an introduction to astrophysics. You’ll gain confidence in practical work through designing and conducting experiments in the
laboratory.
Combined with your core physics modules in years two and three, you’ll also learn about:
- observational techniques in astronomy;
- the stars and their planets;
- galaxies and galaxy evolution;
- high energy astrophysics;
- cosmology and the Big Bang theory of the Universe.
As part of the observational techniques module, you’ll carry out a project using real data from the Las Cumbres Observatory, which uses a range of robotic telescopes around the world working as a single network.
In the final year of your BSc, you’ll also undertake an astrophysics research project with one of our top researchers. This may involve analysing data from our international or space-based telescopes, trying to understand the physics of the Universe using computer modelling, or even attempting to detect extrasolar planets.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
Extra funding
Cardiff University has many scholarships on offer to our prospective students. Please see our website at http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/funding/scholarships for further information.
The Uni
Main Site - Cardiff
School of Physics and Astronomy
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score 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.
Astrophysics
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
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.
£22k
£32k
£35k
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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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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