MSci (Hons) Physics with Computer Science Integrated Master's degree at the University of Nottingham
MSci (Hons) Physics with Computer Science at University of Nottingham combines physics fundamentals with applied computer science, preparing you for technical roles that demand both theoretical depth and practical programming skills.
About this course
You'll receive a comprehensive physics education taught by award-winning academics. From the provider’s course page.
MSci (Hons) Physics with Computer Science is an Integrated Master's degree (MSci (Hons)) at the University of Nottingham. It runs 5 years, studied full-time.
For Physics graduates from this provider, 91% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 78% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £30,000. (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: 40; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 91% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 89% (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 5 modules
- Mathematical Methods and Modelling for PhysicistsCore
Module details
Covers the mathematical background required for the majority of undergraduate-level study of physics and astronomy. Topics include: Complex numbers, Differentiation and Taylor Series representations, Stationary points of two-dimensional functions, Integration techniques for functions of single and multiple variables, Partial derivatives of functions of multiple variables, Conic sections in plane geometry, Fourier representation of functions and the Fourier transform, Matrices and eigenvalue prob
- Fundamentals of Classical and Modern Physics 1Core
Module details
Develops knowledge, understanding and problem-solving skills across several core areas of physics, including: classical mechanics, relativity, vibrations and waves, quantum physics, thermal physics. Further explores how these theoretical principles explain a wide range of natural phenomena and examine their relevance to modern technological applications.
- Fundamentals of Classical and Modern Physics IICore
Module details
Continues to build knowledge, understanding and problem-solving abilities in several core areas of physics, including: classical mechanics, relativity, vibrations and waves, quantum physics, thermal physics. Further explores how these theoretical principles explain a wide range of natural phenomena and examine their relevance to modern technological applications.
- Investigations in Physics ICore
Module details
Provides a clear introduction to experimental, computational, and mathematical approaches to physics. Focuses on experimental and computational physics. In the experimental part, students carry out, record, and report on experiments, developing essential skills and learning standard experimental techniques. The computational strand introduces Python programming for simulating physical models, analysing data and creating visualisations. The discovery strand uses computational tools to analyse exp
- Professional Skills for Physicists ICore
Module details
Develops essential professional skills for a career in physics, including: professional communication, teamworking, professional behaviour and reflective practice, academic integrity and ethics, giving, receiving and reflecting on feedback, equity, diversity and inclusion in physics. Through a series of activities, explores specialised areas of physics and broader topics such as sustainability. Provides understanding of how the degree is structured, the research that underpins it and the wide ra
Year two 3 modules
- Electromagnetism and OpticsCore
Module details
Develops the mathematical tools needed to describe classical fields, focusing on vector calculus. Explores the behaviour of static electric and magnetic fields, their sources, and their effects on charged particles. Progresses to dynamic situations where electric and magnetic fields interact, leading to the unified framework of Maxwell's equations. Describes how these equations describe electromagnetic waves in empty space and applies this understanding to key concepts in optics. Introduces how
- Investigations in Physics IICore
Module details
Builds on Investigations in Physics 1, focusing on mathematical, computational and discovery skills. The mathematical aspect expands on techniques from the Mathematical Methods and Modelling for Physicists module. Covers new methods for modelling physical systems, applying these to specific examples and exploring how models can be tested. The computational part develops coding skills further, covering data handling, analysis and modelling, working with more advanced data structures, algorithms,
- Professional Skills for Physicists 2Core
Module details
Provides comprehensive training in three key areas: communicating science in different formats and for various audiences, working effectively in teams and applying practical
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
This MSci integrates rigorous physics with applied computer science, taught by award-winning academics. You'll normally begin with programming fundamentals, computer systems, and discrete mathematics, then progress through algorithms, databases and software engineering, and artificial intelligence. In later years, you'll specialise in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, software engineering, systems and networks, or human-computer interaction, alongside core modules in security and networks. Your studies culminate in a substantial individual project where you design and evaluate substantial software work under supervision. A typical course moves from foundational concepts through mid-level algorithms and systems theory to specialist options and independent research.
Who it's for
This course suits graduates with strong analytical and problem-solving abilities who want to bridge physics and software development. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent qualifications; recent entrants typically had UCAS tariffs between 144 and 159 points. You'll benefit from this programme if you're interested in specialisations such as Software Engineering, Data Science, AI & Machine Learning, Cyber Security, Web & Mobile, Cloud & DevOps, Games, or Human-Computer Interaction, and want the rigour of an integrated Master's to deepen your technical foundation.
Careers & job market
Across Computer Science courses nationally, 85% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating, with 75% of working graduates in highly skilled roles or further study. National Graduate Outcomes data shows starting salaries (at 15 months) typically fall between £25,000 and £35,000, rising to £29,750–£42,000 after five years.
University & format
The University of Nottingham, a public Russell Group university founded in 1881, offers this MSci (Hons) as a 5-year full-time degree taught in English. The university holds Silver for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023 and is. Degrees from UK degree-awarding bodies are nationally recognised.
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.
Placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
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 | 12% |
| a Baccalaureate | 6% |
| a previous degree | 2% |
| Other | 2% |
| an Access course | 1% |
| No / unknown prior qualifications | 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 (code F4G4). 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 Nottingham →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 | £30,000 | £25,000 – £36,000 | 40 |
| 3 years after | £31,000 | £25,000 – £37,500 | 145 |
| 5 years after | £38,500 | £30,500 – £50,500 | 180 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 40; 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: 40; 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.
- Information Technology ProfessionalsSOC 2020 213 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £55,357
- Natural and social science professionalsSOC 2020 211 · 14% of published destinations · ASHE median £44,243
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 11% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
- Finance ProfessionalsSOC 2020 242 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £47,173
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: 150; response rate: 58%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Is MSci (Hons) Physics with Computer Science worth it?
It depends. MSci (Hons) Physics with Computer Science adds about +£96,050 over the first ten years vs. going straight to a job, but on these earnings the payoff is slower than average.
Cumulative earnings vs. going straight to work at 18, counting tuition and 5 years of wages given up while studying. The line clears zero around year 16.1. 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 5 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
91% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £30,000. 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 82.4% · in work or study 91% · continued 89%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of Nottingham
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 The University of Nottingham
844 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 Nottingham from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £33,000 / 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 Nottingham’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 Nottingham and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at University of Nottingham
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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