BSc (Hons) Physics with Astrophysics Bachelor's degree at the University of Warwick
BSc (Hons) Physics with Astrophysics at University of Warwick. About this course: Physics with Astrophysics at the University of Warwick sits alongside the standard Physics degree but tilts the syllabus firmly towards the study of stars, galaxies, and the structure of the cosmos, without dropping the…
About this course
BSc (Hons) Physics with Astrophysics is a Bachelor's degree (BSc (Hons)) at the University of Warwick. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Physics and astronomy graduates from this provider, 92% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 84% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £33,500. (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)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 40; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 92% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 80% (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 1 8 modules
- Mathematics for PhysicistsCore20 credits
- Classical Mechanics & Special RelativityCore10 credits
- Physics FoundationsCore10 credits
- Astrophysics Laboratory ICore30 credits
- Electricity and MagnetismCore10 credits
- Physics Programming WorkshopCore10 credits
- AstronomyCore10 credits
- Quantum PhenomenaCore10 credits
Year 2 5 modules
- Statistical Mechanics, Electromagnetic Theory and OpticsCore15 credits
- Mathematical Methods for PhysicistsCore15 credits
- Quantum Mechanics and its ApplicationsCore15 credits
- Astrophysics Laboratory II and SkillsCore30 credits
- Stars and the Solar SystemCore15 credits
Year 3 13 modules
- Astrophysics ProjectCore35 credits
- Quantum Physics of AtomsCore10 credits
- Galaxies and CosmologyCore15 credits
- Black Holes, White Dwarfs and Neutron StarsCore15 credits
- Communicating ScienceCore15 credits
- Condensed Matter PhysicsOptional15 credits
- Scientific ComputingOptional15 credits
- The Earth and its AtmosphereOptional15 credits
- ElectrodynamicsOptional10 credits
- Plasma Physics and FusionOptional15 credits
- The Standard ModelOptional15 credits
- Statistical PhysicsOptional15 credits
- Physics of Life and MedicineOptional15 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
What you'll study: the degree is structured around six broad strands rather than a single fixed list of modules, giving you a sense of how the curriculum is organised without pretending every student's path looks identical. You'll cover core theory, the physics fundamentals such as mechanics, quantum theory, and electromagnetism that any physics graduate needs. Alongside this sits research & methods, where you build the mathematical and computational tools used to analyse data and test theories, and applied practice, which is where laboratory and observational work turns abstract theory into hands-on skill. As you move into the later years, specialist options let you focus your studies, such as topics in astrophysics, cosmology, or stellar physics, depending on what's offered in a given year. The independent project is where you take ownership of a substantial piece of research or investigative work, often the closest thing to real scientific practice you'll do before graduating. Finally, professional skills modules are woven in throughout, covering the kind of communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities that matter well beyond the physics department. Across all six strands, the astrophysics emphasis means you're consistently encouraged to apply general physical principles to astronomical problems, rather than studying astrophysics as an isolated specialism tacked onto the end of the course.
Who it's for
Who it's for: this course suits someone who's genuinely curious about how the universe works at both the smallest and largest scales, happy to sit with a difficult mathematical problem until it clicks, but also drawn to the bigger picture of what that maths actually describes, whether that's the life cycle of a star or the structure of a galaxy. You'll likely enjoy problem-solving for its own sake, be comfortable with sustained independent study, and have the patience for detailed experimental or observational work alongside more abstract theoretical reasoning. Most students who take this route arrive with A-levels or equivalent qualifications, typically in the 144–159 UCAS tariff range, though this reflects what past entrants held rather than a fixed requirement. Studying physics with astrophysics at this level will feel demanding at times, the workload is real, and the independent project in particular asks you to think and work like a researcher, but if you're the sort of person who finds satisfaction in working through a hard problem to a clear answer, or who's always wanted to properly understand what's actually going on when you look up at the night sky, this is the kind of course that rewards that curiosity.
Careers & job market
Careers & job market: nationally, across Physics & Chemistry courses, 85% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after finishing their degree, and of those in work, 75% are in roles classed as highly skilled. These are national Graduate Outcomes figures rather than numbers specific to this course or university, so they're best read as a general picture of the field rather than a promise about any individual's outcome. On earnings, national data shows graduates in this broad field starting on roughly £26,500–£34,000 fifteen months after graduating, with the range shifting to about £24,650–£34,800 after three years and £30,600–£43,200 after five years, again, national figures reflecting a spread of outcomes rather than a guaranteed salary. The IOP accreditation is relevant here too: fully meeting the educational requirement for Chartered Physicist status can matter if you're aiming for certain professional or research-oriented careers in physics later on. Separately, 90% of students nationally continue past their first year of study, which speaks to how manageable the transition into this kind of degree tends to be once underway.
University & format
University & format: the University of Warwick is a public, research-intensive Russell Group university founded in 1965, with a total student population of 25,615. It's a recognised UK degree-awarding body, so the BSc (Hons) you'd graduate with is nationally recognised, and the university was. Teaching quality was rated Gold in the Office for Students' TEF 2023. This particular course runs full-time over three years, taught in English, leading to a BSc (Hons) award.
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.
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. 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 | 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. 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 Warwick →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 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 | £33,500 | £31,000 – £38,000 | 40 |
| 3 years after | £33,500 | £27,500 – £44,000 | 120 |
| 5 years after | £42,000 | £33,000 – £58,500 | 150 |
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 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. 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 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 · 16% of published destinations · ASHE median £55,357
- Engineering professionalsSOC 2020 212 · 16% of published destinations · ASHE median £50,325
- Business, Research and Administrative ProfessionalsSOC 2020 243 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £48,746
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: 62%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
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
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. 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
92% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £33,500. 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 8.7 out of 10: NSS 87.4% · in work or study 92% · continued 80%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of Warwick
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 The University of Warwick
256 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 University of Warwick from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £25,000 / 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 Warwick’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 Warwick and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at University of Warwick
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
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