MSci (Hons) Physics with Computing Integrated Master's degree at the University of Bristol
MSci (Hons) Physics with Computing at University of Bristol. Physics research at Bristol was ranked in the UK top five (THE analysis of REF 2021), and this integrated master's is built for students who don't want to choose between the two disciplines that increasingly depend on each other.
About this course
Join a University ranked in the UK top five for Physics research (THE analysis of REF 2021) with an excellent reputation for teaching and learning.Do you enjoy both physics and computing? Combine the study of the building blocks and forces of nature with training in the computational and data science skills that are re From the provider’s course page.
MSci (Hons) Physics with Computing is an Integrated Master's degree (MSci (Hons)) at the University of Bristol. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Physics graduates from this provider, 82% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 80% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £31,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Computer Science, 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)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 35; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 82% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 95% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
A typical UK Computer Science degree builds from foundations to specialist options and a final project. An indicative structure:
| Stage | Module |
|---|---|
| Year 1 | Programming Fundamentals Imperative and object-oriented programming, typically in Python and Java. |
| Year 1 | Computer Systems & Architecture How hardware, operating systems and networks actually run code. |
| Year 1 | Discrete Mathematics for Computing Logic, sets, graphs and proofs underpinning algorithms. |
| Year 2 | Algorithms & Data Structures Designing and analysing efficient solutions; complexity in practice. |
| Year 2 | Databases & Software Engineering Data modelling, SQL and building maintainable systems in teams. |
| Year 2 | Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Search, learning algorithms and model evaluation. |
| Year 3 | Specialist options Typically cybersecurity, distributed systems, graphics, NLP or advanced ML. |
| Year 3 | Security & Networks Threat models, cryptography basics and secure system design. |
| Year 3 | Individual project A substantial supervised build-and-evaluate software project. |
Typical structure for this subject (indicative). Modules vary by university. Check the provider's course page for the exact curriculum.
Specialisations & pathways
Tip: click a specialisation → current jobs in that area.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
Across the four years you'll build a solid grounding in physics, mechanics, quantum theory, electromagnetism, thermodynamics and the mathematical methods that underpin them, alongside a parallel strand of computing that grows in sophistication as you progress. Early on this means learning to programme properly and understanding how software is designed, tested and maintained; later years bring in more specialised computational skills that let you apply real programming techniques to physical problems, from simulation to data analysis. As the course develops you'll have opportunities to specialise, such as Software Engineering, Data Science, AI & Machine Learning, Cyber Security, Web & Mobile, Cloud & DevOps, Games, or HCI, letting you shape the computing side of the degree towards whichever area interests you most. The integrated master's structure means the final year involves a more substantial, independent research project, where you're expected to bring together your physics knowledge and computational skills to investigate a problem in depth, good preparation whether you're heading towards further research or a computing-heavy career.
Who it's for
This course suits someone who genuinely enjoys both sides of the equation: the elegance of physical theory and the practical satisfaction of writing code that actually works. You should be comfortable with mathematics and keen to keep building on it, but equally happy sitting down to debug a program or work out why a simulation isn't behaving as expected. It's a good fit if you like understanding things from first principles but also want tangible, buildable outputs from your studies, you'll spend plenty of time both in lectures and at a keyboard. Because it runs a year longer than a standard physics degree, it suits students who are willing to commit to sustained, deepening study rather than looking for the shortest route to a qualification. You should be self-motivated and reasonably independent by the final year, since the master's-level project expects you to drive your own research with less hand-holding than earlier years. If you're the sort of person who finds it hard to choose between a physics module and a computing module on an open day, this course is designed precisely for you.
Careers & job market
Nationally, Computer Science graduates report starting salaries (15 months after graduating) of between £25,000 and £35,000, rising to a national range of £29,750–£42,000 after five years, though these are labour-market figures across the field rather than any guarantee tied to this specific course. Nationally, 85% of Computer Science graduates are in work or further study 15 months on, and 75% of those in work are in roles classed as highly skilled. The combination of physics and computing skills you'll graduate with is relevant to research-based roles, software and data-focused careers, and any field where physical understanding and computational competence both matter, from scientific computing to broader technology roles. The specialisation options within the computing strand, such as Data Science, AI & Machine Learning or Cyber Security, mean you can steer your later studies towards the kind of work you're aiming for, whether that's further postgraduate research or a move directly into industry.
University & format
The MSci (Hons) Physics with Computing is a full-time, four-year integrated master's degree taught in English at the University of Bristol, a public, research-intensive Russell Group institution founded in 1909 and home to around 27,513 students. The university holds Silver for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023 and is. Most entrants arrive with A-levels or equivalent (76% of accepted students in recent years), typically within the 160–175 UCAS tariff band, this reflects what students who were accepted actually held, rather than a stated minimum requirement.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
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.
Find out if you are eligible for a contextual offer. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
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 | 76% |
| another higher-education qualification | 16% |
| a Baccalaureate | 3% |
| Other | 3% |
| an Access course | 2% |
| a previous degree | 1% |
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. 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 (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at University of Bristol →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
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 Computer Science 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 | £31,000 | £27,000 – £35,500 | 35 |
| 3 years after | £34,500 | £27,000 – £44,000 | 155 |
| 5 years after | £43,500 | £35,000 – £60,000 | 170 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 35; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate / Junior DeveloperFirst engineering role · 0–2 yrs
- 2Software EngineerShipping features end-to-end · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / Lead EngineerOwning systems and mentoring · 5–9 yrs
- 4Principal / Engineering ManagerArchitecture or leading teams · 9+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Computer Science nationally
National figures for Computer Science 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. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 35; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. 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 Computer Science courses at the same study level.
Compared with 1,820 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.
- Natural and social science professionalsSOC 2020 211 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £44,243
- Business, Research and Administrative ProfessionalsSOC 2020 243 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £48,746
- Administrative occupationsSOC 2020 41 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,006
- Information Technology ProfessionalsSOC 2020 213 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £55,357
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
- Engineering professionalsSOC 2020 212 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £50,325
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: 85; response rate: 65%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Is MSci (Hons) Physics with Computing worth it?
Generally yes. On its graduates’ median earnings, MSci (Hons) Physics with Computing is worth about +£155,840 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 4 years of wages given up while studying. The line clears zero around year 11.5. 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 4 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 Computer Science 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
- Boilerplate and scaffolding code
- First-pass tests and docs
- Routine debugging and refactors
- Standard data wrangling
More human than ever
- System design and architecture trade-offs
- Reviewing and owning correctness & security
- Translating fuzzy problems into software
- Leading delivery and mentoring
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Computer Science 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
- Tech companies
- Banks & fintech
- Consultancies
- Government (GDS) & startups
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Computer Science graduates.
Software Developer Placement Programme No experience neededIT Online LearningSoftware Developer - .NET & Azure for Green Energy ProjectsOfgemSoftware Developer Backend (SFIA5)ZaiziSoftware Developer (Mobile Apps) in Guildford - ECM Selection (Holdings) LimitedJava Script WorksSoftware Developer (Contract) – Higher Education Projects (UK)Burman RecruitmentSoftware Developer – Distributed Scheduling & Workload OrchestrationCGG Services (UK) LimitedIs 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 England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
82% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £31,000. 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 8.6 out of 10: NSS 82% · in work or study 82% · continued 95%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of Bristol
Computing across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around University of Bristol
4,849 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 Computer Science right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to University of Bristol from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £31,300 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). 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 University of Bristol’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 University of Bristol and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at University of Bristol
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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