If students are fascinated by astronomy and have the drive to solve the mysteries of the universe through scientific study, mathematics, computing and experimental work, then this Physics and Astrophysics MSci degree has been created for them.

The Physics and Astrophysics MSci programme is for those who are fascinated by astronomy, and are looking for an in-depth treatment that also gives a good grounding in physics. Students will have access to excellent astronomy facilities during the degree, such as the special Astro laboratory which provides astronomical data from observatories around the world. The University of Birmingham also has a purpose-built Observatory, which students could use during their project work. All of which make the University of Birmingham a great place for studying Astrophysics.  

A large part of your time in the fourth year will be devoted to an independent research project where students have the opportunity to work alongside the University of Birmingham's world-leading research groups. There are many opportunities to undertake project work during the degree. For those who take laboratories, this will be as part of the lab work in the first two years. A project develops a wide range of skills including planning and report writing.

Group studies in the third year is a major project which is undertaken in groups of 10-20 students. The task requires the group to work as a team and enables students to solve a problem of much greater magnitude than could be attempted by an individual. The team work skills learnt here are invaluable in success in a future career. 

Students will be taught by academics who are global experts in their field, students will gain a broad understanding of the essential concepts of physics, ranging from entropy to quantum mechanics and beyond. The transferable skills students will also learn will make them very employable; including problem solving, computing and giving presentations.