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Physics with Foundation

Entry requirements


A level

C,C,C

Admissions requirements vary according to the subject area (i.e. the type of degree you wish to follow after the foundation year) but are lower than the requirements for direct entry to a three-year BSc degree course. Please note: You will also be excepted to achieve a Pass grade in the practical endorsement for any of the following A levels - Biology, Chemistry, Physics - if taken with one of the Awarding Bodies in England.

Access to HE Diploma

D:15,M:15,P:15

We consider applications from students with the Access to Higher Education Diploma in a science discipline e.g. Biology, Chemistry, Maths or Physics. The minimum academic requirement is to achieve 60 credits overall, with 45 credits at Level 3, of which 15 credits must be at Distinction, 15 credits at Merit and 15 credits at Pass or higher. Applications are considered on a case by case basis.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

26

Including 4,4,4 at HL. HL Mathematics or Physics is preferred.

Queen Mary University of London welcomes applications from students currently studying Level 3 BTEC qualifications and will consider you for entry to the majority of our undergraduate courses. The typical entry requirements will vary according to the course you are applying for. Some of our courses require specific subject knowledge which you may not be able to cover as part of a Level 3 BTEC qualification and we may therefore require additional Level 3 qualifications to ensure that you are suitably prepared for relevant courses. A small number of our courses do not accept BTEC qualifications for entry, either as a standalone qualification, or in combination with other qualifications at Level 3. Information on our typical entry requirements and guidance for applying can be found at http://www.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/btec/ If you are at all unsure about the acceptability of your BTEC qualification for entry, please contact the Admissions team for individual advice ([email protected]).

UCAS Tariff

96

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

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time including foundation year | 2024

Subject

Physics

Combine a foundation year with a traditional university degree in physics. The foundation programme offers a range of transferable skills and an opportunity to improve on your knowledge content in relevant Maths and Science subjects. You are guaranteed a place on one of the following programmes at Queen Mary if you pass the foundation year, without having to re-apply through UCAS:
Astrophysics – BSc, MSci or with a Year Abroad
Physics – BSc, MSci or with a Year Abroad
Physics with Astrophysics – BSc or MSci
Physics with Particle Physics – BSc or MSci
Theoretical Physics – BSc or MSci

As a foundation student you’ll have full access to all student facilities, including welfare, library, social and sport. UK and EU foundation students are eligible for funding through the Student Loans Company. You’ll be taught on our Mile End campus by experienced university staff who also teach on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

You can choose your own pathway through this degree, with the option to carry out an additional year of advanced study to graduate with an MSci.

Modules

Foundation

One Year-long double module allocated based on previous maths qualifications:

Mathematics A  or
Mathematics B

Semester 1

Compulsory
Physics - Mechanics and Materials
Essential Foundation Mathematics
Communication in Science and Technology

Semester 2

Compulsory
Physics - Fields and Waves
Physics - Electricity and Atomic Physics
Discrete Mathematics

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Assessment methods

Each module is assessed by written examinations (typically 70% of the final mark) and coursework (practical reports, essays, problem sheets, online exercises and tests).

Tuition fees

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

England
£9,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Queen Mary University of London

Department:

Physical and Chemical Sciences

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.

64%
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.

Physics

Teaching and learning

55%
Staff make the subject interesting
69%
Staff are good at explaining things
85%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
68%
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

61%
Library resources
59%
IT resources
81%
Course specific equipment and facilities
50%
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?

88%
UK students
12%
International students
71%
Male students
29%
Female students
80%
2:1 or above
18%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
B
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.

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.

£25,000
med
Average annual salary
95%
med
Employed or in further education
65%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

18%
Teaching and educational professionals
15%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
10%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

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.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Physics

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£28k

£28k

£33k

£33k

£37k

£37k

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.

Explore these similar courses...

Lower entry requirements
University of Lincoln | Lincoln
Mathematics and Theoretical Physics with Science Foundation Year
BSc (Hons) 4 Years Full-time including foundation year 2024
UCAS Points: 64
Nearby University
University of Essex | Colchester
Mathematics with Physics (Including Foundation Year)
BSc (Hons) 4 Years Full-time including foundation year 2024
UCAS Points: 72
Higher entry requirements
Queen Mary University of London | Tower Hamlets
Physics
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time including foundation year 2024
UCAS Points: 128
Same University
Queen Mary University of London | Tower Hamlets
Physics with a Year Abroad
BSc (Hons) 4 Years Full-time including foundation year 2024
UCAS Points: 128

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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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here