Overview
The course covers the whole of modern physics - mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum theory, relativity - with the mathematics to use it. Laboratory work runs through all four years, from classic experiments to building your own apparatus.
In the final year you join one of the college's six research groups, which work on everything from exoplanets to the physics of living cells.
- 6Research groups to join
- 1911Refractor telescope you will use
- 4 yearsIntegrated master's (MPhys)
Course structure
The outline below shows a typical path through the course. Options change a little each year as tutors join and research moves on.
Year 1
- Classical Mechanics
- Electromagnetism
- Mathematical Methods I
- Practical Physics I
Year 2
- Quantum Mechanics
- Thermal Physics
- Waves and Optics
- Mathematical Methods II
- Computational Physics
Year 3
- Condensed Matter
- Nuclear and Particle Physics
- Relativity
- Group project at the Observatory
Year 4
- Research project in a college group
- Three advanced options, e.g. Astrophysics, Quantum Information
How you will learn
You will have two tutorials a week with one or two other students, where you discuss the essay or problem set you wrote that week with a tutor. Lectures, seminars of ten to twelve students and practical classes fill the rest of the week. Each student has a personal tutor for the whole degree.
Assessment
Examinations, laboratory reports, computing assignments and a research project written up as a paper.
Entry requirements
- A levels: A*A*A, including Physics and Mathematics
- International Baccalaureate: 40 points, with 7 in Higher Level Physics and Mathematics
- The Physics Aptitude Test, taken in October
We make contextual offers, typically one grade lower, to applicants from schools that send few students to university. If your qualifications are not listed, the admissions office will tell you what we would expect.
Fees and funding
Tuition for 2027-28 is $38,400 a year, including college membership. Under the Aldermere Promise, students from families earning under $85,000 a year pay no tuition, and partial awards continue up to $150,000. Every undergraduate also receives a $2,000 grant each year for books, travel and equipment.
Careers
Graduates of this programme go on to a wide range of careers. Recent destinations include:
- Research and PhD study
- Engineering and technology
- Data science
- Finance and quantitative analysis
- Renewable energy
- Science policy
In my third year I measured the speed of light on the Observatory roof with a mirror, a laser and a lot of patience.
Owen Fraser Class of 2026
Questions
Can I change programme after I arrive?
Yes, at the end of the first year, if there is space on the programme you want to move to and your tutors agree. Around one student in twenty does.
Is there an interview?
Yes. Shortlisted applicants have a conversation of about twenty-five minutes with two tutors in December, in person or online. It is about how you think, not what you have memorised.
