Theoretical Physics
Entry requirements
A level
including Maths and Physics + pass in the practical element of any science A Levels taken
Access to HE Diploma
Award of Access to HE Diploma in Science, with 45 credits at Level 3, including 39 at Distinction (all in Maths/Physics units), and 6 at Merit
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
with 6 in Higher Level Maths and Physics
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
including Maths and Physics
Scottish Advanced Higher
in Maths and Physics + AAABB in Scottish Highers
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)
+ AA in Maths and Physics at A Level
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
This course is for students who want to explore the fundamental mathematics that has brought physicists ever closer to a ‘theory of everything’. You’ll develop the skills for a career in research, whether you want to help answer complex questions raised by topics such as relativity and quantum mechanics, or apply your scientific knowledge to solve problems in industry.
In your first two years, you’ll do the essential physics that all of our students cover, including quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, special relativity and classical physics. You can study more advanced maths topics in the university’s School of Mathematics and Statistics including: calculus, geometry, differential equations, linear algebra, and mechanics and fluids. These modules give you a much more detailed understanding of mathematical concepts than our standard physics degrees.
In practical classes, you’ll run experiments using the equipment in our modern laboratories to help you understand how important theories apply to the real world. In programming classes you can learn skills that are key to theoretical physics and valuable in many graduate careers, from data science to computer game design. There are also optional modules on topics such as particle physics and the physics of music.
In the third year, you can branch out into lots of different areas and complete your own research project in theoretical physics. Your core modules will cover topics like quantum mechanics and statistical physics. Optional modules include dark matter and mathematical biology.
A variety of optional modules are also available in your fourth year when you’ll also be working on a major research project. You’ll choose a research topic in theoretical physics and work closely with a member of academic staff who is an expert in the area you want to explore. The project takes up around half of your final year and can lead to a publication in a scientific journal.
**Accredited by the Institute of Physics (IOP) for the purpose of fully meeting the educational requirement for Chartered Physicist.**
Tuition fees
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The Uni
University of Sheffield
Physics and Astronomy
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?
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Physics
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
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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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
£23k
£32k
£38k
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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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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