Theoretical Physics (with a year in Industry)
University of York
UCAS Code: F344 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
University of York
UCAS Code: F344 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Essential Subjects: Physics and Mathematics (or equivalent) at grade A are essential. Information: Applicants taking Science A Levels that include a practical component will be required to pass.
Access to HE Diploma
We will consider the Access to Higher Education Diploma. The syllabus must contain a significant portion of Mathematics and Physics that is considered equivalent to A Level standard. Applications will be considered on an individual basis - please contact the Department before you apply.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
Cambridge Pre-U Physics and Mathematics at grade D3 are essential.
We recognise the value of this qualification although it will not be included as a condition of entry. It may be taken in to consideration when you receive your results.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
With 6 in Higher Level Physics and Mathematics.
DDM + A at A Level Mathematics. We consider a range of OCR qualifications equivalent to 3 A Levels, or in combination with A Levels or other qualifications. A Level in Mathematics (or equivalent qualification) at grade A is essential. A Level in Physics (or equivalent qualification) at grade A is also essential, but we may consider relevant units in your OCR as A Level Physics equivalent.
DDM + A at A Level Mathematics. We consider a range of BTEC qualifications equivalent to 3 A Levels, or in combination with A Levels or other qualifications. A Level in Mathematics (or equivalent qualification) at grade A is essential. A Level in Physics (or equivalent qualification) at grade A is also essential, but we may consider relevant units in your BTEC as A Level Physics equivalent.
Please use the course link below for more details on Scottish entry requirements.
Please use the course link below for more details on Scottish entry requirements.
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)
We will consider this qualification alongside or in combination with A Levels or other qualifications, as equivalent to one A Level.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Theoretical physics provides the tools for constructing the mathematical framework of the physical world.
On a foundation of advanced physics, you'll build your understanding of theoretical techniques. You'll use mathematical analysis and an array of computational methods to address complex problems. You'll learn key skills of analysis and research, write scientific reports to industry standards, and simulate huge physical systems using our supercomputers. In your third year, you'll apply and develop your skills on a paid industrial placement. This gives you the chance to gain practical, real-world experience, enhancing your degree and your CV. Work with world-renowned physicists using sophisticated equipment to probe the nature of existence and push the boundaries of research. You will learn to utilise supercomputers like York's own Viking cluster, developing parallel code to model complex physical systems.
Tuition fees
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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
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.
£26k
£31k
£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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Higher entry requirements
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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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