Theoretical Physics
University of Sheffield
UCAS Code: F321 | Master of Physics - MPhys
University of Sheffield
UCAS Code: F321 | Master of Physics - MPhys
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 at Scottish Highers
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)
+ 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
Develop the skills for a career in research, whether you want to help answer complex questions raised by relativity and quantum mechanics, or help solve problems in industry. You’ll run your own research project and be trained by a member of staff who is an expert in the area you want to explore.
**Whether you want to help answer complex questions in relativity and quantum mechanics, or apply your knowledge to solve problems in industry, this is where your research career begins.**
Taught across two departments, the Theoretical Physics MPhys from Sheffield puts an emphasis on the fundamental mathematics that has brought physicists ever closer to a ‘theory of everything’.
As well as the foundation of essential physics given to all physics students, you’ll build a much more detailed understanding of mathematical concepts, thanks to lectures delivered by our colleagues in the School of Mathematics and Statistics. They’ll introduce you to calculus, geometry, differential equations, linear algebra, and mechanics and fluids, too.
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 many graduate careers, from data science to computer game design.
And because curiosity is what powers discovery, we’ll encourage you to dive into optional modules during your third year – exploring topics like dark matter and mathematical biology, alongside core modules in quantum mechanics and statistical physics.
Finally, in your fourth year, you’ll mix optional modules with work 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.
**Why study this course?**
- **No. 1 physics department in the UK** - 100% of our research and impact was rated world-leading or internationally excellent by REF 2021.
- **More astro content than most degrees** - you can study 50% astrophysics content throughout your degree, more than most universities offer.
- **Student life** - because you’ll be taught across two departments, you’ll have double the social life. In maths you’ll be able to join pizza socials, the SUMS society ball or football club, or attend film screenings. In physics you might choose to join the Sheffield Space Initiative, and design a Mars rover or launch a rocket.
- **Incredible research opportunities** - you can access incredible research opportunities, including a summer research placement, work placements and field trips thanks to our links with organisations like CERN and the observatories on La Palma in the Canary Islands.
- **Follow your ambition** - you have the options to complete a research project, industrial group project, Quantum Information Lab, or Physics Education and Outreach project – giving you hands-on experience wherever your career aspirations lie.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
University of Sheffield
School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences (Physics)
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.
Physics
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
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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.
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.
£21k
£32k
£34k
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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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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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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