Royal Holloway, University of London
UCAS Code: F510 | Master of Science (with Honours) - Msci (Hon)
Entry requirements
A level
Where an applicant is taking the EPQ alongside A-levels, the EPQ will be taken into consideration and result in lower A-level grades being required. Socio-economics factors which may have impacted an applicant's education will be taken into consideration and alternative offers may be made to these applicants. Required subjects: Mathematics and Physics, plus a Pass in the practical element of any Science A-levels being taken
Access to HE Diploma
Including Distinction in all Maths and Physics units. Please note that the Access to Higher Education Diploma will only be acceptable if the applicant has had a considerable break from education.
Applicants with the Cambridge Pre-U are strongly encouraged to apply to Royal Holloway. Offers will be made on the basis of equivalent A-Level grades as can be found on the Royal Holloway website.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
We require at least five GCSEs at grade A*-C or 9 - 4 including English and Mathematics.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
6,6,6 at Higher Level including 6 in Maths at Higher Level and 5 in Physics at Higher Level with a minimum of 34 points overall.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
Including Maths and Physics
Pearson BTEC Diploma (QCF)
Plus A-level grades AA Maths and Physics, plus a Pass in the practical element of any Science A-levels taken.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Plus A-level grades AA Maths and Physics, plus a Pass in the practical element of any Science A-levels taken.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
Plus A-level grades AA Maths and Physics, plus a Pass in the practical element of any Science A-levels taken..
Scottish Advanced Higher
Including Maths and Physics.
Scottish Higher
Including A in Maths and Physics.
Requirements are as for A-levels where one non-subject-specified A-level can be replaced by the same grade in the Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Our students often say their enthusiasm to study Physics stems from wanting to learn more about the Higgs particle, dark matter, nanotechnology or just a wide-ranging curiosity about how things really work. Whatever your reasons, our Physics department aims to inform and excite you in the study of Physics, the most fundamental of the sciences.
On our four-year Astrophysics MSci, you’ll come to understand new concepts and paradigms, developing the deep conceptual framework that will allow an advanced understanding and appreciation of nature. You’ll develop core Physics concepts, including classical physics, quantum phenomena as well as mathematical and experimental skills.
Unlike solid-state physics (as with the Physics MSci) the emphasis will shift to astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology, and in later years you’ll cover topics such as Stellar Astrophysics and Atomic & Nuclear Physics. As you progress through the course, modules in Particle Astrophysics, Planetary Geology and Geophysics, General Relativity & Cosmology and Optics will lead you into research level topics which you'll cover in greater depth as an MSci student, than on a BSc degree. In your fourth year you can choose from an incomparably wide range of options and expertise, including courses from University College London, King's College London and Queen Mary, University of London.
We’re a research-intensive department based at our Surrey campus – well away from the light pollution of the big city, which allows our telescopes to provide the best observational astronomy in the University of London. We also have close ties with, and conduct research at major international laboratories such as CERN, ISIS and Diamond, plus collaborations with SEPnet universities and other major institutions around the world.
Our teaching is informed by the most up-to-date research, and you’ll get to work closely with research groups, in laboratories where they work first hand on Physics at the forefront of research.
Modules
Please refer to our website for information https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studying-here/undergraduate/physics/astrophysics-msci/
Assessment methods
Your course will be assessed by a combination of examinations and in-course assignments in the form of essays or presentations.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Royal Holloway, University of London
Physics
What students say
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
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.
£32k
£28k
£41k
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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