Physics
University of Southampton
UCAS Code: F303 | Master of Physics - MPhys
University of Southampton
UCAS Code: F303 | Master of Physics - MPhys
Entry requirements
A level
A*AA-AAA including physics (minimum grade A) and either mathematics or further mathematics (minimum grade A) or AAAB-AABB including physics (minimum grade A) and either mathematics or further mathematics (minimum grade A). Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. A pass in the science Practical is required where it is separately endorsed. Successful applicants will be invited to visit the department and attend an optional interview. The optional interview may lead to the lower offer. Applicants who have not studied mathematics/further mathematics and/or physics at A-level can apply for the Engineering/Physics/Mathematics Foundation Year. If you are taking an EPQ in addition to three A levels, you will receive the following offer in addition to the standard A level offer: AAA including physics (minimum grade A) and either mathematics or further mathematics (minimum grade A), plus grade A in the EPQ. We are committed to ensuring that all students with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a student’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Students who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
D2 D3 D3 - D3 D3 D3 in three Principal subjects including physics (minimum grade D3) and either mathematics or further mathematics (minimum grade D3). Successful applicants will be invited to visit the department and attend an optional interview. The optional interview may lead to the lower offer. We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants?who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme. Cambridge Pre-U's can be used in combination with other qualifications such as A Levels to achieve the equivalent of the typical offer, where D3 can be used in lieu of A Level grade A, grade M2 can be used in lieu of A Level grade B or M3 can be used in lieu of A level grade C.
Extended Project
If you are taking an EPQ in addition to three A levels, you will receive the following offer in addition to the standard A level offer: AAA including physics (minimum grade A) and either mathematics or further mathematics (minimum grade A), plus grade A in the EPQ.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
Applicants must hold GCSE English language (or GCSE English) (minimum grade 4/C) and mathematics (minimum grade 4/C)
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Pass, with 38-36 points overall, with 19-18 points required at Higher Level, including 6 at Higher Level in mathematics (Analysis and Approaches or Applications and Interpretation) and 6 at Higher Level in physics Successful applicants will be invited to visit the department and attend an optional interview. The optional interview may lead to the lower offer. Applicants who have not studied mathematics and/or physics at Higher Level can apply for the Engineering/Physics/Mathematics Foundation Year. We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants?who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme. International Baccalaureate Career Programme (IBCP) offer Offers will be made on the individual Diploma Course subject(s) and the career-related study qualification. The CP core will not form part of the offer. Where there is a subject pre-requisite(s), applicants will be required to study the subject(s) at Higher Level in the Diploma course subject and/or take a specified unit in the career-related study qualification. Applicants may also be asked to achieve a specific grade in those elements. Please see the University of Southampton International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP) Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
H1,H1,H1,H2,H2,H2-H1,H1,H2,H2,H2,H2
H1,H1,H1,H2,H2,H2- H1,H1,H2,H2,H2,H2 including mathematics, applied mathematics and physics. Successful applicants will be invited to visit the department and attend an optional interview. The optional interview may lead to the lower offer. Applicants who have not studied mathematics/further mathematics and/or physics at A-level can apply for the Engineering/Physics/Mathematics Foundation Year. We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants?who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
D*-D in the BTEC National Extended Certificate plus grades AA-A*A in A-level physics and A-level mathematics or further mathematics. Applicants who have not studied the required subjects at A-level can apply for the Engineering/Physics/Mathematics Foundation Year. Please visit the Foundation Year page for more information. We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants?who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Pearson BTEC Subsidiary Diploma (QCF)
D*-D in the BTEC Subsidiary Diploma plus grades AA-A*A in A-level physics and A-level mathematics or further mathematics. Applicants who have not studied the required subjects at A-level can apply for the Engineering/Physics/Mathematics Foundation Year. Please visit the Foundation Year page for more information. We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants?who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
We normally consider applicants who offer at least 1 Advanced Higher. Applicants presenting with only Highers will be considered on a case by case basis. Where Highers are taken over two years it might be expected that higher grades are achieved, particularly in any specific subjects required. For example, S5 – S6 (2 years): AABBB (A in specific subject) or S6 (1 year): ABBBB (A in specific subject). Unless a more advanced level (Higher or Advanced Higher) is specified in the stated entry requirements, all applicants will be required to have achieved a pass in Mathematics and English at Standard Grade, Grade 3 or National 5, Grade C, the equivalent of GCSE Grade C/ Grade 4" We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner's potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)
A*AA-AAA including physics (minimum grade A) and either mathematics or further mathematics (minimum grade A) or A*A-AA from two A-levels including physics and either mathematics or further mathematics and A from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate or AAAB-AABB including physics (minimum grade A) and either mathematics or further mathematics (minimum grade A) or AA from two A-levels including physics and either mathematics or further mathematics, plus grades AB-BB from a third A-level and the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate. Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. Successful applicants will be invited to visit the department and attend an optional interview. The optional interview may lead the lower offer. Applicants who have not studied mathematics/further mathematics and/or physics at A-level can apply for the Engineering/Physics/Mathematics Foundation Year.
UCAS Tariff
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About this course
The four-year MPhys Physics degree is the ideal choice for students who want to become professional physicists. From quantum mechanics to the evolution of the universe, you’ll explore the topics that interest you most at a profound level, learning from experts who share your passion. It's our most flexible degree and you'll be able to choose modules in all four years. All MPhys programmes build on the BSc Physics, allowing for extra specialisation and depth of study.
This degree is also the pathway to three flagship programmes, which our top students can transfer to in their second year. On the MPhys Particle Physics with a Research Year Abroad flagship degree, students have a unique opportunity to relocate to CERN in Switzerland. The MPhys Physics with a Year of Experimental Research flagship degree enables students to spend their final year immersed in our world-class laboratories. And the MPhys Physics with Industrial Placement flagship degree gives students the opportunity to spend six months working on an original research project in an industrial laboratory.
You’ll have access to exceptional research-grade facilities, including a rooftop observatory and specialist photonics labs.
Your degree will open the door to a wide range of careers, with recent graduates employed in roles ranging from physicists and engineers, to actuaries and statisticians, scientific journalists and medical researchers.
This course is accredited by the Institute of Physics.
Modules
Typical modules include:
Year one: Electricity and Magnetism; Energy and Matter; Mathematical Methods for Physical Scientists; Motion and Relativity; Physics Skills; Waves, Light and Quanta; plus additional module options.
Year two: Classical Mechanics; Electromagnetism; Physics from Evidence I; Quantum Physics; Statistical Mechanics; Wave Physics; plus additional module options.
Year three: Atomic Physics; Computer Techniques in Physics; Crystalline Solids; Dissertation; Nuclei and Particles; Physics from Evidence II; Theories of Matter, Space and Time; plus additional module options.
Year four: MPhys Final Year Synoptic Examination; MPhys Project; plus additional module options.
Throughout your degree, you’ll also develop key transferable skills such as problem solving, data analysis and computing, which are sought after by a range employers. During year two, you’ll also have access to a programme of physics-focused career sessions, timetabled to fit in with your studies, which include application and interview workshops as well as talks from visiting professionals.
Assessment methods
For MPhys programmes, assessment in the first and second year is a mixture of unseen written examinations, marked problem-based coursework and laboratory work. In the third year assessment is mainly by examination, although laboratory-based, computer-based and dissertation modules will use different assessment methods, as appropriate. In the fourth year of the MPhys programmes, laboratory work is replaced by a project which involves continuous assessment, written reports and an oral examination.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Main Site - Highfield Campus
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?
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
Student voice
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.
£27k
£33k
£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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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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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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