BSc (Hons) Astrophysics Bachelor's degree at Cardiff University
BSc (Hons) Astrophysics at Cardiff University. At Cardiff, this Astrophysics degree is built to carry students from the foundations of physics through to genuinely independent astrophysical research, and it sits within a physics programme that is accredited by the Institute of Physics…
About this course
BSc (Hons) Astrophysics is a Bachelor's degree (BSc (Hons)) at Cardiff University. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Astronomy graduates from this provider, 70% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 75% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £28,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Physics & Chemistry, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Limited evidence Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 70% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 100% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year one 8 modules
- Mathematical Methods for Physicists 1Core20 credits
- Mechanics and RelativityCore20 credits
- Introduction to Quantum Physics and MaterialsCore10 credits
- Experimental PhysicsCore20 credits
- Electricity, Magnetism and WavesCore20 credits
- Computational Skills for Problem SolvingCore10 credits
- Introduction to AstrophysicsCore10 credits
- Mathematical Methods for Physicists 2Core10 credits
Year two 9 modules
- The Physics of Fields and FlowsCore20 credits
- The Stars and their PlanetsCore10 credits
- Quantum MechanicsCore10 credits
- Scientific ProgrammingCore10 credits
- Observational Techniques in AstronomyCore20 credits
- Thermal and Statistical PhysicsCore20 credits
- OpticsCore10 credits
- Introduction to Condensed Matter PhysicsCore10 credits
- Astrophysics in Action: Real-World Problem SolvingCore10 credits
Year three 3 modules
- Atomic and Nuclear PhysicsCore20 credits
- Particle Physics and Special RelativityCore20 credits
- Astrophysics ProjectCore30 credits
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
The degree is structured to move from grounding to specialisation across its three years. Students begin with core theory, building the mathematical and physical foundations that underpin all of physics, before moving into research & methods, where the emphasis shifts to how physicists actually design experiments, analyse data and reason through problems rather than just knowing formulas. Applied practice follows, giving students the chance to put theory to work on real physical systems and datasets. As the course progresses, students choose from specialist options, such as areas of astrophysics that let them follow their own interests within the wider physics curriculum. Professional skills are woven throughout, covering the communication, teamwork and problem-solving habits that matter in both research and industry settings. The degree culminates in an independent project, a substantial piece of self-directed research that draws together everything learned in the core theory, research methods and applied practice strands, and gives students a genuine taste of what it is to work as a physicist or astrophysicist. Throughout, the curriculum is designed so that each stage builds directly on the last, with the specialist options and independent project offering room to pursue astrophysical topics that particularly interest each student.
Who it's for
This course suits someone who has always wanted to understand not just how things work but why the universe behaves the way it does, the sort of person who finds satisfaction in working through a difficult equation until it clicks, or who stays curious about a physics problem long after the lecture has ended. It's a good fit for students who enjoy mathematics as a tool rather than an obstacle, and who are drawn to the idea of spending three years building up, layer by layer, from core physical theory to genuinely independent research. You should expect the early stages to feel demanding and foundational, with a real payoff later when the specialist options and independent project let you follow your own curiosity into specific areas of astrophysics. It suits people who are comfortable with sustained, patient problem-solving, who like working both independently and as part of a research-minded department, and who want a degree that keeps their options open across academic research, further study or physics-related careers. Most students accepted onto this course arrive with A-levels or equivalent qualifications, typically within the 144–159 UCAS tariff range, reflecting the level of preparation that tends to suit the pace of the degree, though this describes the profile of recent entrants rather than a fixed requirement.
Careers & job market
Physics and astrophysics graduates nationally tend to move into a genuinely varied set of paths, and the figures below reflect Physics & Chemistry courses across the UK rather than this course or university specifically. Nationally, 85% of graduates from this field are in work or further study 15 months after graduating, and of those in work, 75% are in highly skilled roles or continuing their studies. Ninety per cent of students nationally continue past their first year of a Physics & Chemistry degree, which gives some sense of how many stay the course once started. On earnings, national data (Graduate Outcomes/LEO) shows a starting range of roughly £26,500–£34,000 fifteen months after graduation, moving to around £24,650–£34,800 after three years and £30,600–£43,200 after five years. These are national ranges rather than guarantees, and individual outcomes vary considerably depending on sector, further study choices and location. The IOP accreditation attached to this course is directly relevant here: meeting the educational requirement for Chartered Physicist status is a recognised marker within the physics profession and can be a meaningful step for graduates considering careers in research, engineering, data-intensive industries or further postgraduate study in physics and astrophysics.
University & format
The BSc (Hons) Astrophysics is delivered full-time over three years at Cardiff University (UCAS code F511), a public, Russell Group institution founded in 1883 with a total student body of 30,930. Teaching is in English throughout. As a research-intensive Russell Group member, Cardiff's degree-awarding powers carry national recognition, and this particular course adds IOP accreditation on top, meeting the educational requirement for Chartered Physicist status. Cardiff also offers bursaries and scholarships, and prospective students are advised to check the university's own funding pages for current details, as these can change and depend on individual circumstances.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively. Overall student satisfaction: 89%.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 100% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. Check how your predicted grades compare and whether a contextual offer applies.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code F511). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page. Set under Wales's student-finance system; the provider's page is authoritative.
Check fees at Cardiff University →If you normally live in Wales
2026/27 total maintenance support from Student Finance Wales. How much of it is grant and how much is loan depends on household income; the total does not. If you normally live elsewhere, use your home funding body.
Check your entitlement with Student Finance Wales →Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: paid directly to the university by Student Finance Wales.
- Maintenance support: a mix of grant and loan from Student Finance Wales, weighted to household income.
- Repayment: only above the income threshold, and written off at the end of the plan term.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
Wales runs its own system through Student Finance Wales; check studentfinancewales.co.uk for current rates.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Physics & Chemistry graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £28,000 | £24,000 – £30,000 | 10 |
| 3 years after | £29,000 | £23,000 – £32,500 | 20 |
| 5 years after | £33,000 | £26,500 – £40,500 | 20 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in physics & chemistry · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Physics & Chemistry nationally
National figures for Physics & Chemistry graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Physics & Chemistry courses at the same study level.
Compared with 886 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Information Technology ProfessionalsSOC 2020 213 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £55,357
- Engineering professionalsSOC 2020 212 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £50,325
- Sales occupationsSOC 2020 71 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £15,975
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 40; response rate: 60%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Is BSc (Hons) Astrophysics worth it?
Generally yes. On its graduates’ median earnings, BSc (Hons) Astrophysics is worth about +£60,630 more over the first ten years of work than going straight to a job, a solid return once you net out the fees.
Cumulative earnings vs. going straight to work at 18, counting tuition and 3 years of wages given up while studying. The line clears zero around year 14.5. This is a simplified gross-earnings comparison, not a forecast of cash loan repayments.
Model: this course’s own median graduate earnings (Graduate Outcomes / LEO) above the £24,000 non-graduate baseline (ONS), net of £9,790/yr over 3 years (published course home fee). Eligible England-domiciled students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan; repayments are 9% only on income above the threshold, with anything left written off after 40 years. That makes the cash flow different from conventional commercial debt. Opportunity cost assumes £18,000 gross earnings forgone in each study year; figures are nominal and exclude tax, living costs, investment returns and loan interest. A simplified estimate. Earnings and actual fees vary by graduate, provider, fee status and UK nation.
Job market & outlook
How Physics & Chemistry graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Physics & Chemistry graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Research institutes
- Energy & manufacturing
- Universities
- Government labs
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Physics & Chemistry graduates.
Physics Content Developer for AI-Enhanced LearningUp LearnPhysics PhD, Quantum Data Scientist for AIObsidianPhysics Academic MentorRibbons and Reeves LimitedPhysics TechnicianSapientia Education TrustPhysics Academic Mentor17918Physics Teachers in Calderdale and KirkleesCV-LibraryIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
Published home tuition is £9,790/year for this course. If you normally live in Wales, Student Finance Wales can pay an eligible Tuition Fee Loan directly to the university, and maintenance support is a mix of grant and loan weighted to household income. You repay only above the income threshold.
Where graduates go
70% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £28,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.8 out of 10: NSS 92.4% · in work or study 70% · continued 100%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Cardiff University
Physical sciences across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Cardiff University - Main Campus
4,125 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Physics & Chemistry right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Cardiff University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by Cardiff University; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Cardiff University’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Cardiff University and gov.uk before you apply.
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Common questions
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