Durham University
Physics and Astronomy MPhys
Durham University

Course modalities offered

Key Course Facts

Student Reviews

Overall student satisfaction
100 /100
10 total respondents
The NSS is commissioned by the Office for Students

Salary

Salary of Graduates in Physics

Important: Salary data below is not course specific, but contains data of all students of Physics at the university. Due to data collection methodology, salary data is mainly based on data related to undergraduate students.

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £32000 £33000 £40500
25-75 percentile range £28000 - £37500 £28500 - £41500 £31500 - £55500


Salary of all UK Graduates of Physics

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £28798 £28909 £34253
25-75 percentile range £24694 - £33005 £22390 - £36739 £26224 - £45922

Course Description

If you are fascinated by the relationship between mathematics, the cosmos and the scientific world this MPhys could be for you. This integrated Master's degree is the first step towards Chartered Physicist status. It will suit those looking for an accredited course that leads to higher level education or a research role in physics, while also providing the knowledge, analytical and problem-solving skills for a career in the sciences, engineering, finance or IT.

Physics degrees at Durham offer a high level of flexibility. We offer four Institute of Physics accredited courses - MPhys qualifications in Physics, Physics and Astronomy, and Theoretical Physics and the three-year BSc in Physics - which follow the same core curriculum in Year 1.

Subject to the optional modules chosen, it is possible to switch to one of the other courses until the end of the second year. You can also apply for a one-year work placement or study abroad opportunity with one of our partner organisations, increasing the course from four years to five or substituting the existing Year 3.

The first year lays the foundation in physics theory, mathematical skills and laboratory skills that you will need to tackle more complex content later in the course. From Year 2 the focus on astronomy and astrophysics increases.

As you progress through the course, learning is more closely aligned to real-world issues through project work and optional modules that are tailored to your interests and aspirations. Your knowledge is further extended with a project based on a live research topic, and higher-level modules which take your study of physics and astronomy to a greater depth.

Accredited by the Institute of Physics (IOP) for the purpose of fully meeting the educational requirement for Chartered Physicist.

Jobs & Career Perspectives

15 months after graduation, graduates of this course were asked about what they do and, if they are working, about their current job and their perspectives.

Current jobs

Required skill level of job after 15 months

Jobs of graduates of this course (15 months after graduation)

Example below based on all graduates of Physics and Astronomy MPhys at Durham University

25% Science, engineering and technology associate professionals
15% Sales occupations
15% Natural and social science professionals
10% Caring personal services
10% Administrative occupations
10% Business and public service associate professionals
10% Customer service occupations
10% Web and Multimedia Design Professionals
10% Elementary occupations

Grading & Study Time

Assessment is mainly by end-of-year examinations and by project reports and presentations. The range of assessment methods is designed to assess your knowledge and understanding of the course content, test your capacity to solve problems, enhance your written and oral communication skills, and assess your ability to relate your learning to real-world scenarios.

Entry Requirements / Admissions

UCAS Tariff of Accepted Students for this course

Qualification requirements

Including a relevant subject/science @ C or above (80 UCAS tariff points)

Our contextual offer for this programme is A level A*A in Mathematics and Physics and B (or equivalent). To find out if you’re eligible, please visit: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/how-to-apply/what-happens-to-your-application/contextual-offers/

Requirements for international students / English requirements

IELTS academic test score (similar tests may be accepted as well)

    • 6.5
    • All other courses
    • 4.5
    • Foundation
    • 6.5
    • Graduate Degrees
    • 6.5
    • Undergraduate Degrees
Get advice on which foundation courses are best for you to still study Physics and Astronomy, MPhys, if you do not meet the minimum requirements in terms of UCAS score, A levels, or English language requirements.

Costs

Tuition Fees Physics and Astronomy MPhys

Ireland £9250 year 1
Channel Islands £9250 year 1
EU £29500 year 1
England UK £9250 year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 year 1
Scotland £9250 year 1
Wales £9250 year 1
International £29500 year 1

Additional fee information

The tuition fees for 2024/25 academic year have not yet been finalised, they will be displayed here once approved.

Average student cost of living in the UK

Rent £518
Water, gas electricity, internet (at home) £50
Supermarket shopping £81
Clothing £35
Eating out £33
Alcohol £27
Takeaways / food deliveries £30
Going out / entertainment (excl.alcohol, food) £24
Holidays and weekend trips £78
Transport within city £17
Self-care / sports £20
Stationary / books £13
Mobile phone / internet £13
Cable TV / streaming £7
Insurance £51
Other £95
  
Average student cost of living £1092

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

How to apply

Application deadline:

January 1, 2025

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Possible Entry Points:

  • year 1 (Default entry point)

University Rankings

Positions of Durham University in top UK and global rankings.

Rankings of Durham University in related subject specific rankings.

Natural Sciences

    • #2 
    • #2 
    Physics
    The Guardian University League Tables by Subject
    [Published 09 September, 2023]
    • #16 
    • #151 
    Physics
    GRAS Global Ranking of Academic Subjects - ShanghaiRanking
    [Published 19 July, 2022]
    • #13 
    • #204 
    Physics
    NTU Rankings by Subject
    [Published 11 July, 2023]

See all 37 university rankings of Durham University

About Durham University

Founded in 1832, Durham University (DU) is located in the cathedral city of Durham, North East England. DU takes pride in having numerous subject fields ranked among the best in the world according to QS, as well as having an exceptionally large course catalogue without compromising the quality that students can expect. Apart from the impressive academic opportunities on offer, students can also participate in numerous sports, music, and art-based extracurricular activities on-site.

List of 211 Bachelor and Master Courses from Durham University - Course Catalogue

Student composition of Durham University

undergraduates:
17140
postgraduates:
4365
Total:
21505
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Where is this programme taught

College allocation pending
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Durham City
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