MPhys (Hons) Physics Integrated Master's degree at the University of York
MPhys (Hons) Physics at University of York. Rather than treating the extra year as an add-on, the course is structured so that the final stages build towards an independent research project, allowing students to work more like practising physicists than undergraduates ticking boxes.
About this course
MPhys (Hons) Physics is an Integrated Master's degree (MPhys (Hons)) at the University of York. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Physics graduates from this provider, 100% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 90% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £32,000. (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: 25; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 100% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 90% (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 9 modules
- Classical Mechanics and LaboratoriesCore
- Classical and Quantum WavesCore
- Mathematical, Computational and Professional Skills 1Core
- Electromagnetism and RelativityCore
- Mathematical, Computational and Professional Skills 2Core
- Mapping the Universe and LaboratoriesOptional
- Theoretical Skills and LaboratoriesOptional
- Product Design, Development and CommercializationOptional
- Academic IntegrityCore
Module details
This module covers some of the essential skills and knowledge which will help you to study independently and produce work of a high academic standard which is vital for success at York. This module will: define academic integrity and academic misconduct explain why and when you should reference source material and other people's work provide interactive exercises to help you to assess whether you've understood the concepts provide answers to FAQs and links to useful resources.
Year 2 7 modules
- Thermodynamics and ElectromagnetismCore
- Mathematics, Professional Skills and LaboratoriesCore
- Statistical and Solid State PhysicsCore
- Quantum, Atomic, Nuclear and Particle PhysicsCore
- Advanced Mechanics, Physics Laboratories and SkillsCore
- Mathematical Techniques and Machine LearningOptional
- Astrophysical Technologies and Space ScienceOptional
Year 3 13 modules
- Advanced Experimental LaboratoryCore
- Plasma Physics and FusionOptional
- Quantum MechanicsOptional
- Advanced Theoretical Techniques and ModellingOptional
- Matter Stars and GalaxiesOptional
- Condensed Matter Physics: Electrons in SolidsOptional
- Relativity and CosmologyOptional
- Medical PhysicsOptional
- Nuclear and ParticleOptional
- Quantum Science and TechnologiesOptional
- AstrobiologyOptional
- Advanced Sensors and InstrumentationOptional
- Introduction to Clinical Engineering and Physiological SystemsOptional
Year 4 7 modules
- MPhys Research Project and SkillsCore
Module details
You'll undertake independent research to investigate a current problem in the field, or bring new perspectives to a familiar topic. You may need to design, build and evaluate equipment for a specific experimental purpose. You'll be supported by a professional skills module to hone your research techniques. You'll undertake a literature survey, write a review essay, develop a project plan and give oral and poster presentations in an end-of-year conference.
- Scientific SupercomputingOptional
- BiophysicsOptional
- Advanced Condensed Matter PhysicsOptional
- From Subatomic to NuclearOptional
- AstrophysicsOptional
- Advanced Quantum MechanicsOptional
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 course is built around a progression rather than a single fixed syllabus. Early years focus on core theory, giving students a solid grounding in the mathematical and conceptual tools that underpin physics. This is paired with research & methods training, which introduces the practical and analytical skills needed to design and interpret experiments rather than simply follow instructions. Applied practice runs alongside this, connecting theory to real experimental and computational work. As students progress, they move into specialist options, such as areas of physics that let them follow their own interests within the discipline, before undertaking an independent project, the centrepiece of the MPhys, where students design and carry out a substantial piece of research largely under their own direction. Professional skills are woven throughout, preparing graduates not just to know physics but to communicate it, work in teams, and operate as physicists do in academic or industrial settings. The four-year length allows this build-up to happen gradually, so students arrive at the independent project stage with the technical and intellectual grounding to make the most of it.
Who it's for
This course suits someone who enjoys sitting with a problem until it makes sense, rather than wanting quick answers, physics at this level rewards patience and persistence. It's a good fit for students who are comfortable with mathematics and want to use it as a tool for understanding the physical world, rather than as an end in itself. Because the course runs a year longer than a standard degree and culminates in an independent research project, it particularly suits those who can already picture themselves wanting to go deeper into a topic than a three-year course would allow, perhaps with an eye on research, chartered status, or a technical career that values sustained investigation. Most entrants arrive having studied A-levels or equivalent, typically with UCAS tariff scores in the 160–175 range, reflecting the level of academic preparation the course builds on, though this describes typical entrants rather than a strict requirement. Studying here will feel less like being taught physics and more like being trained to do it, expect long stretches of independent work, especially in the later years, balanced against structured teaching in the earlier stages.
Careers & job market
Nationally, across Physics & Chemistry courses, 85% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating, and of those in work, 75% are in highly skilled roles or further study, figures that reflect the discipline as a whole rather than any single university's outcomes. Around 90% of students on these courses continue past their first year, either still enrolled or having completed. On pay, national data (not specific to York) shows starting salaries 15 months after graduation ranging from £26,500 to £34,000, moving to £24,650–£34,800 after three years and £30,600–£43,200 after five years, wide ranges that reflect the breadth of sectors physics graduates enter, from research and engineering to finance and data-driven industries. The IOP accreditation on this course is specifically aimed at those considering Chartered Physicist status, a professional recognition that can matter for career progression in physics-related fields. The independent project at the heart of the MPhys is also useful preparation for anyone considering postgraduate research, since it mirrors the kind of self-directed work expected at PhD level.
University & format
The University of York is a public, Russell Group university founded in 1963, with 17,155 students in total, making it a substantial but not overwhelming environment for undergraduate study. This MPhys (Hons) Physics course (UCAS code F303) runs full-time over four years, taught in English, and leads to an Integrated Master's degree. As a recognised UK degree-awarding body, the qualification is nationally recognised, and the course's IOP accreditation adds a further professional layer to the academic 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.
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 F303). 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 York →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 | £32,000 | £28,000 – £35,500 | 25 |
| 3 years after | £30,000 | £24,000 – £39,500 | 125 |
| 5 years after | £37,500 | £26,500 – £51,500 | 145 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 25; 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: 25; 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.
- Natural and social science professionalsSOC 2020 211 · 30% of published destinations · ASHE median £44,243
- Science, engineering and technology associate professionalsSOC 2020 31 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,828
- Sales occupationsSOC 2020 71 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £15,975
- Engineering professionalsSOC 2020 212 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £50,325
- Information Technology ProfessionalsSOC 2020 213 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £55,357
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
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: 25; response rate: 65%. 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
100% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £32,000. 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 9.0 out of 10: NSS 80.4% · in work or study 100% · continued 90%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of York
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 York
739 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 York from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £32,350 / 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 York’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 York and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at University of York
Common questions
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