Astrophysics PhD

The University of Edinburgh

Key Course Facts

Student Satisfaction	83%
Salary after 15 months	£23000
Number of students	48 graduates / year
Unemployment Rate	5% unemployed Proportion of students of this particular course unemployed and not studying 15 months after their course ended. Source: Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) by UK Department for Education Dec 20, 2022
Student Dropout Rate	0% Proportion of students of Astrophysics PhD who are not continuing into their following year of study or have not been awarded a qualification in either of the two comparison years. Source: Unistats by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Oct 10, 2023
Duration	3 years - Full-time
Campus	On campus - Central area campus
Degree	Doctor of Philosophy, PhD
Subject	Astrophysics, Space Science

Admission advice for international students

Student Reviews

Below you can see course specific reviews for 30 graduates of Astrophysics PhD at The University of Edinburgh for each of the survey questions in comparison to the average for all UK degree courses in Finance, Banking, Corporate Finance, Fintech.

Overall student satisfaction

83 /100

30 total respondents

	The University of Edinburgh, Astrophysics PhD	Average review score among all Astrophysics courses in the UK
Explanations	82	96
Interesting courses	75	81
Intellectually stimulating	82	95
Challenged to do my best	82	86
Depth of concepts	82	88
Builds on previous learnings	75	85
Joined ideas from different topics	75	83
Balance directed/independent study	50	75
Applicability of course content	75	72
Clear criteria in markings	75	69
Fair assessment	82	69
Tests reflected your learning	71	70
Timely feedback	68	63
Helpful feedback	57	61
Approachability of teachers	71	90
Support from teachers	75	85
Organisation of courses	71	81
Communication of changes	82	75
IT facilities	93	78
Library	93	90
Course specific resources	89	84
Student feedback opportunities	71	80
Student feedback valued	75	72
Student's feedback acted upon	57	38
Work of student union	63	66
Mental wellbeing services	81	70
Overall satisfaction	83	82

Source: National Student Survey NSS 2023. The Overall student satisfaction data point is from 2022 (latest available year). The Office for Students made the unfortunate decision to discontinue collecting overall student satisfaction data points per course.
This particular course

The NSS is commissioned by the Office for Students

Salary

Salary of Graduates in Accounting

Important: Salary data below is not course specific, but contains data of all students of Finance, Banking, Corporate Finance, Fintech 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	£23000	£29500	£39500
25-75 percentile range	£21000 - £30000	£23500 - £34000	£29500 - £48000

Source: HESA - Graduate Outcomes Survey Oct 10, 2023
All Accounting courses of The University of Edinburgh

Salary of all UK Graduates of Accounting

	15 months after graduation	3 years after graduation	5 years after graduation
Median salary	£24406	£24662	£30689
25-75 percentile range	£21389 - £28940	£19296 - £31978	£22604 - £41672

Source: Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) by UK Department for Education Dec 20, 2022
All Accounting courses in the UK

Course Description

Based at the historic Royal Observatory Edinburgh, the Institute for Astronomy (IfA) is one of the world’s leading centres in astronomical research.

We share our picturesque base on Blackford Hill with the UK Astronomy Technology Centre (ATC) – the UK’s leading astronomical instrument maker – so as a postgraduate student you will be joining a vibrant community of specialists.

The scope of our research is as wide as the cosmos we explore. Thanks to our affiliation with the UK ATC and our strong links with related research centres in the School of Physics & Astronomy, we are in a rare position to accommodate a diversity of research specialisms.

Our current areas of research include:

cosmology (large-scale structure in the universe, galaxy formation, dark matter and dark energy)
active galactic nuclei and related objects
nearby galaxies (large-scale star formation, structure, content and evolution of galaxies)
stellar astronomy (parallax and proper motion studies, the stellar luminosity function, symbiotic stars)
star formation (observation and theoretical studies, star formation in external galaxies)
planet formation (disc and planet formation in protostars, discs around pre-main-sequence stars)
computational astrophysics (through the Edinburgh Centre for Computational Astrophysics)

Accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) for the purpose of exemptions from some professional examinations.

Accredited by the Association of International Accountants (AIA) for the purpose of exemption from some professional examinations.

Accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) for the purpose of exemption from some professional examinations through the Accredited degree accelerated route.

Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) for the purpose of exemption from some professional examinations.

Accredited by the EFMD Quality Improvement System.

Accredited by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) for the purpose of exemption from some professional examinations.

Accredited by the Institute of Chartered Accountants Scotland (ICAS) for the purpose of exemption from some professional examinations.

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.

What graduates are doing after 15 months

	Graduates of this course	All UK graduates of undergraduate studies in Accounting
Total respondents	15	100
Unemployed	5%	4%
Studying	0%	17%
Working	55%	63%
Both studying and working	30%	14%
No information	5%	4%

Source: HESA - Graduate Outcomes Survey Oct 10, 2023
This particular course

Current jobs

Job in line with future plans

Utilise skills from studies

Work is meaningful

	Agree or strongly agree	Disagree
Job in line with future plans	80%	20%
Utilise skills from studies	65%	35%
Work is meaningful	95%	5%

Source: HESA - Graduate Outcomes Survey Oct 10, 2023
This particular course

Required skill level of job after 15 months

% Skilled jobs

	% Skilled jobs
Highly-skilled jobs	75%
Non highly-skilled jobs	25%
Skill level unknown or unclassified	0%

Source: HESA - Graduate Outcomes Survey Oct 10, 2023
This particular course

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

Example below based on all graduates of Astrophysics PhD at The University of Edinburgh

75%	Media Professionals
25%	Teaching Professionals

Source: Unistats by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Oct 10, 2023

Grading & Study Time

Assessment Methods

Study Time Distribution

Assessment Methods
	Coursework	Percentage of assessment by practical exams	Written exams

Study Time Distribution
	Scheduled learning and teaching	Guided independent study	Placements
year 1	23%	77%	0%
year 2	22%	78%	0%
year 3	15%	85%	0%
year 4	10%	90%	0%

Entry Requirements / Admissions

UCAS Tariff of Accepted Students for this course

Average UCAS Tariff Score 195

Tariff score	% Students accepted for this course
<48	5
48-63	0
64-79	0
80-95	0
96-111	0
112-127	5
128-143	5
144-159	10
160-175	5
176-191	5
192-207	15
208-223	15
224-239	5
>240	30

Source: Unistats by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Oct 10, 2023
This particular course

Get advice on which foundation courses are best for you to still study Astrophysics, PhD, if you do not meet the minimum requirements in terms of UCAS score, A levels, or English language requirements.

Entry requirements for individual programmes vary, so please check the details for the specific programme you wish to apply for on our website. You will also need to meet the University’s language requirements.

Costs

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.

Source: Own research based on surveys and university data

University Rankings

Positions of The University of Edinburgh in top UK and global rankings.

Rankings of The University of Edinburgh in related subject specific rankings.

Natural Sciences

- #3
- #15
Physics

The Guardian University League Tables by Subject
[Published 09 September, 2023]
- #1
- #18
Physics

GRAS Global Ranking of Academic Subjects - ShanghaiRanking
[Published 27 October, 2023]

See all 40 university rankings of The University of Edinburgh

About The University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh is located in the Scottish city of the same name, and is one of the oldest universities in the entire United Kingdom, having opened in the year 1583. The university enjoys a strong reputation for its contributions to international research efforts, which is reflected in their inclusion in the Russell Group, Universitas 21, and Una Europa. Edinburgh offers its residents a historic yet modern city, with a lively nightlife scene, reliable public transport, and friendly locals.

List of 686 Bachelor and Master Courses from The University of Edinburgh - Course Catalogue

Similar courses

Program	University	Student satisfaction	Unemployed	Dropout	Tuition (UK)	Tuition (International)	UCAS Tariff	City
Astrophysics DPhil	University of Oxford	-	-	-	-	-	-	Oxford	On campus Full-time
Astrophysics PhD	The University of Edinburgh	-	-	-	-	-	-	Edinburgh	On campus Full-time
Astrophysics PhD	University of Leeds	-	-	-	-	-	-	Leeds	On campus Part-time
Astrophysics DPhil	University of Oxford	-	-	-	-	-	-	Oxford	On campus Full-time
Astrophysics PhD	The University of Edinburgh	-	-	-	-	-	-	Edinburgh	On campus Full-time
Astrophysics PhD	University of Leeds	-	-	-	-	-	-	Leeds	On campus Part-time

Astrophysics PhD

The University of Edinburgh

Key Course Facts

Student Reviews