How to Apply to Physics at the University of Edinburgh: Scottish Four-Year BSc and Five-Year MPhys, With Astrophysics, Theoretical and Computational Physics, Mathematics at A and Physics at B Required, for UK, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Physics at the University of Edinburgh is taught by the School of Physics and Astronomy, part of the College of Science and Engineering, at the King’s Buildings campus. Edinburgh says the School has close links with the Royal Observatory Edinburgh, which houses its Institute for Astronomy, and that staff have links to facilities such as CERN, TRIUMF and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. Here is what you need to know for September 2027 entry, based on Edinburgh’s official information, for UK applicants, international applicants (including those from China) and students who want to join Year 2 or transfer. Mathematics, Computer Science and Economics have their own guides; cross-disciplinary programmes are only mentioned briefly here.

1. Physics programmes and degree types

• Length: Scottish BSc (Hons) degrees normally take 4 years and MPhys degrees 5 years. Edinburgh says the four-year structure lets you study subjects outside your degree in Years 1 and 2, with the focus decided by the end of Year 2. Some students may enter Year 2 directly, shortening the BSc to 3 years and the MPhys to 4.
• Physics: BSc (Hons) UCAS code F300 (3 or 4 years) and MPhys F303 (4 or 5 years). The MPhys offers broader and deeper exposure than the BSc and includes an extended research project as a foundation for further research.
• Physics with a Year Abroad: MPhys W2S4. Edinburgh says the year abroad is mandatory: in Year 4 you complete a research project at a partner institution overseas, then another research project in Year 5 back in Edinburgh.
• Astrophysics: BSc F510, MPhys F361.
• Theoretical Physics: BSc F302, MPhys F306; the same core courses as Physics in Years 1 and 2, then a focus on physics theory and on formulating and solving physics problems with analytic and computational methods.
• Computational Physics: BSc F343, MPhys F355; for students interested in computing, modelling and simulation, including programming.
• Mathematical Physics: BSc F326, MPhys F325; Edinburgh lists topics such as string theory, cosmology, particle physics, physics of materials, complex systems and computational physics.
• Chemical Physics: BSc F334, MChemPhys F333; run by the School of Chemistry, with entry requirements that need chemistry, mathematics and physics (section 3).
• Mathematics and Physics: BSc (Hons) GF13, run by the School of Mathematics, 4 years only, with mathematics and physics in equal depth.
• Accreditation: Edinburgh says the Physics BSc is accredited by the Institute of Physics (IOP); the Physics MPhys is accredited by the IOP and fully meets the educational requirements for Chartered Physicist, and the same is said for Physics with a Year Abroad. For the other variants, the key facts show accreditation as “Available”; see each page for details.
• Exchange: the Physics BSc page says you can study in Year 3 at a partner university (optional, apart from the mandatory year abroad above).
• Placement year: the Placement field on the physics pages read shows “No”.

2. How admission works: apply to a named programme and specialise later

• Choose the programme when you apply: use the UCAS codes above. Edinburgh says the early years of Physics are broad-based, giving a foundation for advanced physics and mathematics courses; Theoretical Physics shares the Physics core courses in Years 1 and 2.
• Year 1 (Physics BSc): compulsory physics and mathematics. The physics course presents the pillars of physics, develops problem-solving and study skills and introduces university laboratory work, covering waves, classical mechanics, electricity, introductory quantum mechanics, and nuclear and particle physics; the mathematics course covers algebra and calculus with growing emphasis on physical applications; you can choose further subjects from other academic areas.
• Year 2: modern physics and physics of fields and matter, with supporting mathematics (algebra, calculus, dynamics and vector calculus) and an introduction to practical physics (programming, data analysis, experimental techniques); students starting in Year 2 also take introductory courses in classical physics and mathematics.
• Year 3: research methods in physics, Fourier analysis and statistics, electromagnetism, thermal physics and quantum mechanics, with an experimental laboratory and an optional computational modelling or numerical computation course.
• Year 4 (BSc): relativity, nuclear and particle physics, experimental techniques and condensed matter physics, plus a group project on a physics-based topic and further options. On the MPhys, the Year 4 compulsory courses are relativity, nuclear and particle physics, statistical physics, condensed matter physics and quantum physics, plus a physics group project, and Year 5 is largely devoted to a research project plus advanced courses.
• The pages read do not state grade thresholds for choosing between variants or for moving from the BSc to the MPhys; this is not published, so ask the School.

3. Prerequisites: Mathematics and Physics

The figures below come from Edinburgh’s 2027-entry pages (first-year requirements are the same for Physics BSc/MPhys, Physics with a Year Abroad, Astrophysics, Theoretical, Computational and Mathematical Physics except where noted); “most applicants needed” ranges are Edinburgh’s own guidance.

• SQA Highers (standard): grades most applicants needed in recent years were AAAA (achievement by the end of S5 preferred), with BBB achieved in one year of S4 to S6; Highers must include Mathematics at A and Physics at B; Higher Applications of Mathematics is not accepted in place of Higher Mathematics; Advanced Higher Mathematics is recommended; you also need National 5 English at C.
• A-level (standard): the range most applicants needed was AAA to ABB in one set of exams, including Mathematics at A and Physics at B; GCSE English at C or 4. For Mathematical Physics, Further Mathematics is also recommended.
• IB (standard): the range most applicants needed was 37 points with 666 at HL to 32 points with 655 at HL; HL must include Mathematics (Analysis and approaches only) at 6 and Physics at 5; SL English at 5.
• Chemical Physics (F334/F333): Highers AAAB by the end of S5 or AAAA by the end of S6 including Mathematics at A, Physics at B and Chemistry at B; A-level AAA to ABB including Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics at B; IB 37 to 32 points (HL 666 to 655) including Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics at 5.
• Mathematics and Physics (GF13): Highers AAAAA (S5 preferred) with Mathematics at A and Physics at B; A-level A*A*A* to A*AB with Mathematics at A* and Physics at B; IB 38 to 34 points (HL 766 to 765) with Mathematics at 7 and Physics at 5.
• Laboratory and project work: Edinburgh says Year 1 introduces university laboratory work, Year 3 has an experimental laboratory and research methods course, Year 4 a group project, and the MPhys a Year 5 research project.
• Admissions test or interview: the pages read do not mention a physics admissions test (such as the PAT) or an interview; for the test for applicants from China, see section 6.
• Widening access: eligible permanent UK residents (Plus Flag) have lower minimums; see Edinburgh’s widening access offers page, with the grades for each programme on its entry requirements page.

4. UK applicants

• Qualifications: Scottish students use Highers/Advanced Highers; students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland use A-levels (Edinburgh groups these under “English, Welsh and Northern Irish qualifications”); the IB is also accepted. For other UK qualifications, see “Other UK qualifications” and the entry requirements pages. Grades and subjects are in section 3.
• Widening access: eligible permanent UK residents (Plus Flag) have lower minimum requirements; the conditions and the physics grades are on each programme’s entry requirements page and Edinburgh’s widening access offers page.
• Fees: students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and the Channel Islands pay the RUK rate: £10,050 for 2027/28 (£9,790 for 2026/27), rising each year with the UK Government fee cap. Edinburgh says this is the annual RUK fee for all full-time undergraduate programmes except the graduate-entry veterinary medicine programme. Scotland-rate students may have tuition paid by the Scottish Government if they normally live in Scotland and are studying for a first degree full-time.
• Loans and living costs: students who normally live in a part of the UK outside Scotland or in the Republic of Ireland may be entitled to a government tuition fee loan, and can apply to Student Finance for living-cost loans and bursaries (see Edinburgh’s funding page).

5. International applicants

• Qualifications: A-levels, the IB, Scottish and US qualifications and others; the programme page shows requirements once you pick a country and qualification (loaded dynamically, so check the website).
• English: everyone, including UK nationals, must show English. School qualifications: SQA National 5 English at C, GCSE English at C or 4, Level 2 Certificate English at C, or IB SL English at 5 (ab initio is not accepted). Tests: IELTS Academic 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component (One Skill Retake not accepted); TOEFL iBT from 21 January 2026 4.5 with at least 4.0 in each component (before that, 92 with at least 20 in each; MyBest not accepted); C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency 176 (162 in each component); Oxford ELLT 7 (5 in each); Oxford Test of English Advanced 145 (125 in each). IELTS, TOEFL, Oxford ELLT and Oxford Test of English Advanced results must be no more than two years old at the start date; other types up to three and a half years. Some programmes may need higher English grades, so check the programme page.
• Fees: international students pay a fixed annual fee set by their start date, unaffected by annual increases. The 2027/28 amount was not shown on the fee pages read (it is loaded dynamically); check the fee lookup on Edinburgh’s website. If you are given direct entry into Year 2, you pay the rate of the year group you join.
• Living costs: Edinburgh estimates £1,546 a month for a single undergraduate in 2026-27, about £13,914 for a 39-week academic year and £18,552 for a full year (excluding tuition).
• Scholarships: the international undergraduate funding page lists the Asylum Seeker Scholarship, Edinburgh Global Undergraduate Mathematics Scholarships, the Global Talent Fund BIG Scholarships for students who have medalled in international Olympiads, the Defne-Muhtar Kent Scholarship for students from Turkey, a veterinary studies scholarship and the Rosedale OSSD scholarship (£10,000 in the first year). None is described as specific to physics; whether the BIG scholarships cover physics Olympiads is not stated on the pages read, so check the funding page and the scholarship search. The physics programme pages only point to Edinburgh’s funding section. Whether any award is assessed automatically is not published.
• Visa, funding evidence and credential verification: the international fees page says that if you need a Student visa you pay a visa application fee and a healthcare surcharge. Specific funding evidence and credential verification are not stated on the pages read; ask the admissions office.

6. Applicants from China

• Qualifications accepted for direct entry: the China page lists A-levels, the IB, Scottish and US qualifications and the Maple Leaf World Schools Program (MLWSP) Diploma; for competitive subjects, grade requirements may be higher.
• College of Science and Engineering and the MLWSP Diploma: five 1.0-credit Grade 12 subjects at 80%, with required subjects at 86% or above; where Mathematics is required, it must be Calculus.
• Gaokao: the College of Science and Engineering will consider applicants with excellent Gaokao results on an individual basis; no score is published, so contact undergraduate admissions through the enquiry form. Applicants who have completed a year at a leading Chinese university may also be eligible to apply for the College’s degrees.
• Ambright and the AST: applicants from China can apply with the assistance of the Ambright Education Group and sit written subject-dependent Aptitude Scholastic Tests in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and English at centres in China.
• College Internal Admissions Test: where there is no IFP pathway, you may be eligible for the College’s Internal Admissions Test, but eligibility is limited, requires exceptional grades in specific subjects and an outstanding test result; Edinburgh says these tests will be phased out over the next few years as new IFP pathways are introduced.
• Chinese Senior High School Certificate: Edinburgh says applicants with this certificate must do further study for most subjects because it does not normally meet minimum entry requirements.
• International Foundation Programme (IFP): a full-time one-year programme for international students who are not eligible for direct entry, offering a route into many undergraduate programmes; which degrees have a matching IFP pathway is not listed on the pages read, so check Edinburgh’s website.
• Interview and accreditation bodies: the China page does not state any interview or accreditation-body requirement specific to Chinese applicants; this is not published, so contact the admissions office through the enquiry form.
• The China page shows a publication date of November 2024, so check the website for updates.

The China page does not set out physics-specific scores; measure yourself against the A-level and IB requirements above and ask admissions directly how Gaokao results are assessed.

7. Direct entry to Year 2 and transfers

• Direct entry to Year 2: the Physics (BSc, MPhys, with a Year Abroad), Astrophysics, Theoretical, Computational, Mathematical and Chemical Physics pages show “Second year entry: Available”, if places are available and you meet the requirements; Mathematics and Physics (GF13) does not list it in its key facts.
• Extra requirements for Year 2 (on top of section 3): Advanced Highers AAA including Mathematics and Physics; A-level A*AA in one set of exams including Mathematics at A* and Physics (Mathematical Physics requires Mathematics at A*, Further Mathematics and Physics); IB 38 points with 766 at HL including Mathematics (Analysis and approaches only) at 7 and Physics at 6. Chemical Physics requires Advanced Highers AAA in Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics; A-level A*AA in Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics; IB 38 points with 766 at HL including Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics.
• Edinburgh says students starting in Year 2 take additional introductory courses in classical physics and mathematics.
• Transfer from another university (Edinburgh’s transfer page): you must apply through UCAS and the normal deadlines still apply, with some flexibility case by case in exceptional circumstances; places for transfer students are “extremely limited”, and some programmes do not consider transfers except in exceptional circumstances. If you have studied more than a year at your current institution, you are not given priority over qualified applicants who have not yet studied at degree level.
• “False start”: if you apply to transfer during your first year elsewhere, or leave your original university during or at the end of your first year and apply in a later year, you may be classed as a false start and treated as a new applicant in the competitive process.
• Year 1 or Year 2 transfer: you may restart Year 1 on a different programme or transfer to the same programme in Year 1 or Year 2; it is not normally possible to transfer beyond Year 2. For Year 2 you must provide information about the courses you have studied so Edinburgh can assess the curriculum match, and you are still considered like a Year 1 applicant and must meet all published Year 1 entry requirements including required subjects. How credits are converted is not published; contact the admissions office before submitting your UCAS application.

8. Cost summary

• RUK students: £10,050 (2027/28).
• Scotland-rate students: the Scotland rate, which may be paid by the Scottish Government; see the fee lookup.
• International students: a fixed annual fee; the amount was not shown on the pages read.
• Year 3 exchange (and the mandatory year abroad): related costs include tuition, accommodation and living costs, visas and insurance; Edinburgh says tuition may be reduced during an exchange or placement depending on its type and length, and the pages read give no specific amounts.
• Textbooks: Edinburgh says textbooks for some compulsory and option courses cost between £40 and £150; you are not required to buy them all as they are in the library.

9. UCAS application and timeline

• Full-time undergraduate applications must be made online through UCAS, in the same way for international and UK applicants, with up to five choices. Check the application fee and personal statement format on the UCAS website. You need qualifications that meet the requirements, evidence of English, a personal statement and an academic reference.
• Timeline (Edinburgh, 2027 entry): applications open on 1 September 2026; 13 January 2027 is the UCAS equal consideration deadline, when most programmes close to all applicants; some may stay open and are listed on UCAS. Edinburgh says late applications are considered individually at its discretion and are not guaranteed; if you plan to apply late, contact the admissions team to check whether places remain.
• If you apply to more than one Edinburgh programme, Edinburgh advises asking for guidance first; a College may be prepared to make only one offer.
• Selection: Edinburgh says applications that meet, or are predicted to meet, all entry requirements enter selection, and those missing required subjects and similar requirements cannot be considered further; entering selection does not guarantee an offer. It considers academic qualifications, English qualifications, the personal statement, the academic reference and any programme-specific additional requirements. Applicants who applied by the deadline receive a decision no later than UCAS’s reject-by-default date in May.

Checklist

UK applicants:

• Highers Mathematics at A and Physics at B (most recent offers AAAA) plus National 5 English at C; or A-level Mathematics at A and Physics at B (AAA to ABB); or IB HL Mathematics (Analysis and approaches) at 6 and Physics at 5 (37 to 32 points)
• Apply through UCAS by 13 January 2027 with F300 or another programme code

International applicants (including those from China):

• A-level, IB, MLWSP Diploma and similar; the Chinese Senior High School Certificate needs further study such as an International Foundation Programme; no published Gaokao score, so contact admissions
• IELTS 6.5 (5.5 in each) or TOEFL 4.5 on the new scale (4.0 in each); check the international fee in the fee lookup

Students wanting Year 2 entry or transfer:

• Year 2 entry: Advanced Highers AAA in Mathematics and Physics / A-level A*AA / IB 38 points with 766; transfers go through UCAS and the admissions office, and credit conversion is not published

Sources: The University of Edinburgh, Physics BSc; Physics BSc entry requirements; Physics MPhys; Physics with a Year Abroad MPhys; Astrophysics BSc; Theoretical Physics BSc; Computational Physics BSc; Mathematical Physics BSc; Chemical Physics BSc; Mathematics and Physics; Undergraduate programmes A to Z (2027 entry); Entry requirements for students from China; Tuition fee lookup; Fees for England, Wales and Northern Ireland; International tuition fees; Funding for international undergraduates; Living costs; When to apply; How applicants are selected; Apply through UCAS; Transfer from another university; Apply for entry to second year. Information is for September 2027 entry. Check Edinburgh for the latest details.