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Durham University

UCAS Code: G430 | Master of Science (with Honours) - Msci (Hon)

Entry requirements

A level

A*,A,A

Including A in Physics and either A*A in any order in Maths and Further Maths at A level or A* in Maths plus A in AS Further Maths

Access to HE Diploma

D:30,M:15

We require 60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3 (or equivalent). Applicants may be required to meet additional subject-specific requirements for particular courses at Durham.

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

D2,D3,D3

Specific subjects may be required depending upon the mix of subjects to be studied.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

38

Including 7 in Higher Level Mathematics (maths analysis & approaches) and Higher Level Physics and 66 in two other Higher Level subjects.

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H1,H2,H2,H2,H2

Specific subjects may be required depending upon the mix of subjects to be studied.

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma

D*DD

And A in Physics A Level and either A*A in any order in Maths and Further Maths at A level or A* in Maths plus A in AS Further Maths (or equivalent) is required.

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

D*DD

And A level grades A in Physics and either A*A in any order in Maths and Further Maths at A level or A* in Maths plus A in AS Further Maths

Scottish Advanced Higher

A,A,A

Specific subjects may be required depending upon the mix of subjects to be studied.

Scottish Higher

A,A,A,A,A

Departments will normally make offers based on Advanced Highers. In the absence of 3 Advanced Highers, where these are not offered by the applicant’s school, offers comprising of Advanced Highers and Highers or a number of Highers may be made on a case by case basis.

At Durham we welcome applications from students of outstanding achievement and potential from all educational backgrounds. We will consider applicants studying T level qualifications for entry to many of our courses. Where a course requires subject specific knowledge and this is not covered within the T level being studied, you may need to supplement your T level studies with a suitable qualification to meet this requirement, for example at A level. Where this is needed this will be clearly stated in our entry requirements.

UCAS Tariff

152-168

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

About this course

Course option

4years

Full-time | 2025

Subject

Natural sciences

**Course details**
The MSci Mathematics and Physics degree focuses on mathematical rigour and theoretical aspects of physics taught by discipline experts. Mathematics and Physics are closely interlinked subjects, with each providing many fascinating insights into the other. The course provides a parallel track of theoretical physics taught by the Physics Department and mathematical physics and applied mathematics options taught by the Mathematics Department.

**Why Durham University?**
Real-world challenges often require multidisciplinary solutions. Our Natural Sciences degrees allow students to combine either traditional Joint-Honours degrees or transcend traditional subject boundaries, bringing together a range of ideas and disciplinary perspectives.
Focus on two subjects from the outset, or choose a broader range of modules across three or four subjects. These highly flexible courses include the opportunity to undertake a year abroad or a placement year, to develop additional skills and enjoy new experiences.
Facilities will depend on the subject specialism but include laboratories, libraries, project spaces, lecture theatres, study and networking spaces as well as shared social spaces.
You will also benefit from excellent IT facilities including Learn Ultra, Durham’s virtual learning environment. You will have access to up to 1.6 million printed books, 25,000 eJournals and over 850,000 eBooks in the main library.

**Rankings**
**90%** of courses are in the UK Top 10 in The Complete University Guide 2024
**50th** in the World for employer reputation in the QS World University Rankings 2024
**Top 100** in the QS World University Rankings 2024
**2nd** in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 for Natural Sciences

**Career Opportunities**
Graduates acquire a valuable range of subject-specific skills across disciplines with the capacity to make creative connections. They are highly employable in a diverse range of careers and sectors.
Natural Sciences graduates have the academic knowledge, flexibility and technical skills to take on roles including consulting, accounting, banking and investment, research, software engineer, data scientist, international development, and government.

Modules

For current information please scroll to the bottom of the page for Provider Information and select Visit our Course Page under Course Contact Details.

Assessment methods

The majority of modules are assessed entirely through examination with others including online tests or an element of coursework (which may involve problem solving exercises, written reports, practical work and assignments).

The final-year advanced Project is an opportunity to bring your prior learning to a project of your choice. The Project, which is assessed through a combination of oral and written presentation, is a significant piece of independent research completed under the supervision of an academic from your chosen specialism.

In addition to the help provided by your subject lecturers, you can also access extensive support for your assessments through ASC, the Academic Skills Centre. See below for details: https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/centres/academic-skills-centre/

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£9,535
per year
England
£9,535
per year
EU
£33,250
per year
International
£33,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,535
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,535
per year
Scotland
£9,535
per year
Wales
£9,535
per year

Extra funding

Durham University offers a range of scholarship opportunities to academically well-qualified and highly motivated students. For further details, including deadlines for application, please visit: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/scholarships/

The Uni

Course location:

Durham City

Department:

Natural Sciences

Read full university profile

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.

85%
Natural sciences

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.

Natural sciences (non-specific)

Teaching and learning

82%
Staff make the subject interesting
92%
Staff are good at explaining things
91%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
74%
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

77%
Library resources
78%
IT resources
87%
Course specific equipment and facilities
73%
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?

86%
UK students
14%
International students
55%
Male students
45%
Female students
91%
2:1 or above
4%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A*
A
A*

After graduation

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.

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Course location and department:

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

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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:

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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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