Undergraduate courses

We offer a range of physics degrees. They include opportunities to study abroad, complete a year-long work placement or specialise in astrophysics, particle physics, theoretical physics or medical physics.

Undergraduate students
On

BSc or MPhys?

MPhys courses come with a final year of research training, where you'll work in the lab with a team of professional scientists on an unanswered question in physics. They're the best route for students who are thinking about a career in scientific research.

Accreditation

These courses are all accredited by the Institute of Physics, so you’ll cover the key topics that every physicist needs to understand: mechanics, waves, optics, relativity, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, quantum physics and more.

Flexibility

But there’s always flexibility to choose from a wide range of optional modules too, so you can tailor your degree to your interests, your career goals and the global challenges you want to help solve.

Physics courses

Undergraduate

Physics BSc

2024-25
/ September start
A Levels AAB
UCAS code F300
3 years
/ Full-time
Accredited

Study the laws of the universe and the science behind major technological advances. Learn about international experiments to search for dark matter, ways to make solar energy systems more effective and how the quantum nature of light can help us build even more powerful computers.

  • Optional placement year
  • Study abroad
Undergraduate

Physics MPhys

2024-25
/ September start
A Levels AAA
UCAS code F301
4 years
/ Full-time
Accredited

Develop the skills for a career in physics research, whether you want to help decode the laws of the universe or contribute to new technological advances in industry. You’ll run your own research project and be trained by a member of staff who is an expert in the area you want to explore.

  • Optional placement year
  • Study abroad
Undergraduate

Physics with an Industrial Placement Year BSc

2024-25
/ September start
A Levels AAB
UCAS code F310
4 years
/ Full-time
Accredited

Put your physics knowledge into practice in the real world. As part of their degrees, our students have worked on new particle accelerators at government laboratories, applied their analysis skills to data science jobs in the civil service, and joined the Large Hadron Collider team at CERN.

  • Industry placement
Undergraduate

Physics with an Industrial Placement Year MPhys

2024-25
/ September start
A Levels AAA
UCAS code F311
5 years
/ Full-time
Accredited

Build up skills and experience that you can apply to a career in physics research. Our students have had placements ranging from government laboratories to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. After your placement, you’ll join a research team here in Sheffield and run your own project.

  • Industry placement

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Physics and Astrophysics courses

Undergraduate

Physics and Astrophysics BSc

2024-25
/ September start
A Levels AAB
UCAS code FF35
3 years
/ Full-time
Accredited

Our Physics and Astrophysics degree has more astrophysics content than most, taking you from stars and galaxies, to the origin of the universe. You’ll be trained to use the telescopes on our roof, and there is an annual field trip to an international telescope facility in the Canary Islands.

  • Optional placement year
  • Study abroad
Undergraduate

Physics and Astrophysics MPhys

2024-25
/ September start
A Levels AAA
UCAS code F3F5
4 years
/ Full-time
Accredited

Develop the skills for a career in research, whether you want to help map the Universe as an astrophysicist or apply your scientific knowledge to solve problems in industry. Our Physics and Astrophysics degree has more astrophysics content than most.

  • Optional placement year
  • Study abroad
Undergraduate

Physics and Astrophysics with an Industrial Placement Year BSc

2024-25
/ September start
A Levels AAB
UCAS code FF36
4 years
/ Full-time
Accredited

Put your astrophysics knowledge into practice on a work placement and build up more experience for your CV. Placement opportunities include telescope facilities in the Canary Islands and Thailand.

  • Industry placement
Undergraduate

Physics and Astrophysics with an Industrial Placement Year MPhys

2024-25
/ September start
A Levels AAA
UCAS code F3F6
5 years
/ Full-time
Accredited

Put your astrophysics knowledge into practice on a work placement. Placement opportunities include telescope facilities in the Canary Islands and Thailand. After your placement, you’ll join the astrophysics research team here in Sheffield and run your own project.

  • Industry placement

Physics with Particle Physics courses

Undergraduate

Physics with Particle Physics BSc

2024-25
/ September start
A Levels AAB
UCAS code F372
3 years
/ Full-time
Accredited

On this course, you can learn from scientists who helped detect the Higgs boson and gravitational waves, and who are leading searches for dark matter. You'll learn how particles are detected, study key theories such as relativity and examine the laws of the universe at the subatomic level.

  • Optional placement year
  • Study abroad
Undergraduate

Physics with Particle Physics MPhys

2024-25
/ September start
A Levels AAA
UCAS code F373
4 years
/ Full-time
Accredited

This course is ideal if you want to help answer the biggest questions in the universe as a physics researcher. You'll learn how particles are detected, study key theories such as relativity, and join a research team that works on major projects at CERN and leads searches for dark matter.

  • Optional placement year
  • Study abroad

Theoretical Physics courses

Undergraduate

Theoretical Physics BSc

2024-25
/ September start
A Levels AAB
UCAS code F344
3 years
/ Full-time
Accredited

Examine the fundamental mathematics that has brought physicists ever closer to a ‘theory of everything’. You’ll explore the classical physics principles that defined scientific thinking up to the 20th century, and look in depth at topics like relativity and quantum mechanics.

  • Optional placement year
  • Study abroad
Undergraduate

Theoretical Physics MPhys

2024-25
/ September start
A Levels AAA
UCAS code F321
4 years
/ Full-time
Accredited

Develop the skills for a career in research, whether you want to help answer complex questions raised by relativity and quantum mechanics, or help solve problems in industry. You’ll run your own research project and be trained by a member of staff who is an expert in the area you want to explore.

  • Optional placement year
  • Study abroad
Undergraduate

Theoretical Physics with an Industrial Placement Year BSc

2024-25
A Levels AAB
UCAS code F345
3 years
/ Full-time
Accredited

Study the maths and physics that govern the universe, and build up your CV with a work placement. Our students have used their numerical and problem-solving skills on placements in data science with the civil service and with the Large Hadron Collider team at CERN.

  • Industry placement
Undergraduate

Theoretical Physics with an Industrial Placement Year MPhys

2024-25
/ September start
A Levels AAA
UCAS code F322
5 years
/ Full-time
Accredited

Put the theory into practice on a work placement. Previous students have had data science placements in the civil service and joined the Large Hadron Collider team at CERN. After your placement, you’ll join the theoretical physics research team here in Sheffield and run your own project.

  • Industry placement

Physics with Medical Physics courses

Undergraduate

Physics with Medical Physics BSc

2024-25
/ September start
A Levels AAB
UCAS code F350
3 years
/ Full-time
Accredited

This course focuses on the physics that keeps us alive: from the fluid mechanics that keeps the blood flowing in our veins, to the forces acting on our bones and tissues. You’ll also learn about medical techniques and technologies, such as radiotherapy, ultrasound scanning and MRI machines.

  • Optional placement year
  • Study abroad
Undergraduate

Physics with Medical Physics MPhys

2024-25
/ September start
A Levels AAA
UCAS code F371
4 years
/ Full-time
Accredited

Learn about the physics of the human body and the technologies used by medical physicists in the NHS. In your final year, you’ll complete a work placement in a local hospital or in industry.

  • Optional placement year
  • Study abroad

Physics with Philosophy courses

Undergraduate

Physics with Philosophy BSc

2024-25
/ September start
A Levels AAB
UCAS code FV35
3 years
/ Full-time
Accredited

Explore the deep philosophical questions raised by modern physics. You’ll cover most of the same topics as students on our standard Physics courses, and choose from a wide range of philosophy topics.

  • Dual honours
  • Optional placement year
  • Study abroad
Undergraduate

Physics with Philosophy BSc

2024-25
/ September start
A Levels AAB
UCAS code FV35
3 years
/ Full-time
Accredited

Explore the deep philosophical questions raised by modern physics. You’ll cover most of the same topics as students on our standard Physics courses, and choose from a wide range of philosophy topics.

  • Dual honours
  • Optional placement year
  • Study abroad

Study Abroad

If you're starting your degree in 2023, you can apply to spend a year studying abroad once you've started.

Semester or year abroad

Physics with a Foundation Year

Undergraduate

Physics with a Foundation Year BSc MPhys

2024-25
/ September start
A Levels BBB
UCAS code F309
5 years
/ Full-time

Explore the fundamental laws of the universe and learn about the development of pioneering technologies in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

  • FY Foundation year

Related information

REF 2021 illustration

Research Excellence Framework 2021

We have been rated 1st in the UK in terms of the quality of our research. In the latest REF, 100 per cent of research and impact from our department has been classed as world-leading or internationally excellent.

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