University of the West of Scotland
Physics BSc (Hons)
University of the West of Scotland

Key Course Facts

Student Reviews

Overall student satisfaction
81 /100
40 total respondents

Primarily based on data from undergraduate degree students.

The NSS is commissioned by the Office for Students

Salary

Salary of Graduates in CAH07

Important: Salary data below is not course specific, but contains data of all students of CAH07 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 £21500 £25500
25-75 percentile range £20000 - £28000 £16500 - £25000 £21500 - £30000


Salary of all UK Graduates of CAH07

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £28994 £29015 £34497
25-75 percentile range £24988 - £33170 £22931 - £36583 £26874 - £45969

Course Description

OVERVIEW

The professionally-recognised BSc Physics degree will develop your understanding of the fundamentals of physics as a core science, and will build your knowledge and professional skills to prepare you for a career in any area of physics, including industrial applications and academic research.

UWS is a key member of Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA) which is a research alliance with the aim of placing Scotland at the forefront of international physics research. You can be assured that you will be taught by research-active academics who are specialists in their field.

In addition, you will also have the opportunity to undertake a 12-month paid placement with an industrial or scientific employer in the UK or abroad.

  • PRACTICAL FOCUS

In addition to work-based learning, the Honours sandwich degree also offers you the opportunity to complete a 12-month period of paid work experience with an industrial or scientific employer in the UK or abroad. In recent years students have undertaken placements with Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and CERN Accelerator in Switzerland.

  • PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION

This course is accredited by the Institute of Physics (IOP). It partially meets the educational requirements for Chartered Physicist (CPhys). You can also apply to become a Registered Scientist (RSci) through the IoP upon completion of the course.

  • CAREER PROSPECTS

Jobs

There is high demand for physics graduates in industries including microelectronic telecommunications, optics, energy, teaching and research.

Physicists are also in demand in the public services, including in schools and hospitals, the civil service and research laboratories. UWS Physics BSc graduates have gone on to secure employment with major companies, including:

BAE Systems / Fujitsu / Motorola / Nikon

Further Study

Some graduates choose further study at MSc, MRes and PhD level. Others have went on to complete a Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) to become a physics teacher at secondary school level.

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

Accredited by the Institute of Physics (IOP) for the purpose of partially 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 BSc (Hons) at University of the West of Scotland

15% Welfare and housing associate professionals
15% Finance Professionals
15% Business and public service associate professionals
10% Business and Financial Project Management Professionals
10% Administrative occupations
10% Sales occupations
10% Managers, directors and senior officials
10% Artistic, literary and media occupations
10% Elementary occupations
10% Design occupations

Grading & Study Time

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials and workshops. You will also have the opportunity to take part in group work and independent learning to develop your transferable skills such as research, presentation, communication and working as part of a team. **This degree is assessed using a variety of assessment methods including:** **Written examinations / Coursework / Practical assessments**

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)

HNC in Care and Administrative Practice or Applied Science with B required in graded unit for entry to Year 1 Sufficient science and discursive subjects and a strong academic profile to be competitive. English and Maths at least at National 5 Grade B.

HND Legal Services: AAA in Graded Units. Other relevant HND qualifications will be considered on an individual basis; please contact us for advice.

Scottish Higher qualifications are considered on an individual basis

Entry to Year 1 with SWAP (BBB) in Access to Specialised Programme or Access to STEM Scottish Baccalaureate in Science can also be considered for year 2 entry, subject to review by programme leader

English language requirements

test Grade Additional Details
IELTS (Academic) 6

IELTS 60 with 5.5 minimum in each skill / component.

Cambridge English Advanced

176 overall with no sub-test less than 169

Cambridge English Proficiency

176 overall with no sub-test less than 169

Trinity ISE

ISEII with the minimum of a Pass in all sub-tests

PTE Academic 54

An overall score of 54 with no element below 51

TOEFL (iBT) 78

no sub-test less than: Reading: 17; Listening: 17; Speaking: 17; Writing: 17

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level. These are shown below.
Get advice on which foundation courses are best for you to still study Physics, BSc (Hons), if you do not meet the minimum requirements in terms of UCAS score, A levels, or English language requirements.

Costs

Tuition Fees Physics BSc (Hons)

Scotland £1820 year 1
England UK £9250 year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 year 1
Wales £9250 year 1
Channel Islands £9250 year 1
Ireland £9250 year 1
EU £18000 year 1
International £18000 year 1

Additional fee information

  • TUITION FEE INFORMATION - SCOTTISH STUDENTS:

Eligible Scottish domiciled students can usually apply to have their tuition fees paid for them each year of their studies by the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). If you're not sure about your eligibility, you should contact SAAS. You need to apply to SAAS each year of study to have your tuition fees paid directly to UWS.

  • TUITION FEE INFORMATION - UK, IRISH & GIBRALTARIAN STUDENTS:

Eligible students who are domiciled in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland as well as from the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, Gibraltar or the Republic of Ireland will qualify for tuition fees of £9,250 per academic session of study to a maximum of three years if you are studying on a four year bachelor degree course (eg. BAcc (Hons) / BA (Hons) / BEng (Hons) / BSc (Hons)). So, if your degree is four years' duration, you will only be charged tuition fees for three years. Similarly, if you are studying a five year integrated master's degree course (eg. MEng (Hons)) the you will only be charged tuition fees for four years.

  • TUITION FEE INFORMATION - INTERNATIONAL (NON-EU) & EU STUDENTS:

These tuition fees apply to all non-EU, EEA, and all other EU students (excluding those from Republic of Ireland and Gibraltar, whose fee level is as per UK (non-Scottish) students - see section above for more details).

  • ADDITIONAL COSTS:

The cost of attending university is an investment in your future career.

In addition to tuition fees and living expenses, some courses involve extra costs such as consumable study materials, field trips, equipment and uniforms. You may also want to purchase some core texts and technology such as a new laptop etc. Some of these additional costs are optional, some, such as uniforms or safety equipment may be mandatory.

Check the course entry on our website for more more information

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)
  • year 2
  • year 3
  • year 4

University Rankings

Positions of University of the West of Scotland in top UK and global rankings.

See all 17 university rankings of University of the West of Scotland

About University of the West of Scotland

Located in the Scottish town of Paisley, we find the University of the West of Scotland (UWS). This institution also owns and operates three other secondary campuses in Ayr, Blantyre and Dumfries. Paisley campus is attended by a medium-sized student population of roughly 10,000 and provides the opportunity to study a selection of programmes related to Nursing, Engineering, Social Sciences, Business, and Computing.

List of 62 Bachelor and Master Courses from University of the West of Scotland - Course Catalogue

Where is this programme taught

Paisley Campus
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