How to Apply to Physics at Queen Mary University of London: Institute of Physics Accredited BSc and MSci, Physics, Theoretical Physics, Astrophysics and Physics with AI Streams After Year 1, and Requirements for UK, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Queen Mary University of London’s physics course page names the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences as the school, at the Mile End campus in east London. (The foundation-year description on the same page also refers to a “School of Physics and Astronomy”; check the website.) UK undergraduate applications are made directly to a course through UCAS, and Queen Mary’s institution code is Q50. This guide, based on Queen Mary’s official pages, covers September 2027 entry for UK applicants, international applicants (including students at high schools in China, and A-level and IB candidates) and students who want to transfer into second year.

1. Degrees and streams

• Physics BSc (Hons) (UCAS code F300): three years. Physics with Foundation BSc (FFX0): four years. Physics with Professional Experience BSc (F306) and Physics with Year Abroad BSc (F302): four years each.
• Physics MSci (Hons) (F303): four years; with Professional Experience MSci (F307) and with Year Abroad MSci (F301): five years each. The course page says it is possible to transfer to the four-year MSci after starting the BSc.
• Accreditation: the course page says the programme is accredited by the Institute of Physics.
• Streams: year 1 is common; later years offer Physics, Theoretical Physics, Astrophysics and Physics with Artificial Intelligence streams, each ending in a full-year final project. The Physics stream is the most versatile, Theoretical Physics the most mathematical, Astrophysics can use the rooftop observatory, and the AI stream focuses on programming, statistics and machine learning. The streams are chosen within the same degree after year 1, not with separate UCAS codes.
• Placement: the professional experience degrees include a paid one-year internship in year 3 (year 4 for the MSci); a placement is not guaranteed, but support is provided. Year abroad: year 3 for the BSc and year 4 for the MSci, with partner institutions in Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and the USA.

2. Structure

• Year 1 compulsory: Classical Physics, Electric and Magnetic Fields, Mathematical Techniques 1 and 2, Modern Physics, Our Universe, Professional Skills for Scientists (including an introduction to programming) and Scientific Measurement.
• Year 2 compulsory: Condensed Matter A, Electromagnetic Waves and Optics, Introduction to Scientific Computing, Mathematical Techniques 3, Quantum Mechanics A, Physics Laboratory, Professional Skills for Scientists 2 and Thermodynamics, plus one optional module (the page lists Physical Dynamics).
• Year 3 depends on your stream, with an Extended Independent Project in every stream; MSci students do a Physics Investigative Project in year 4. Modules are subject to change.
• Teaching: the course page gives about 20 hours of teaching a week and about 40 hours of study overall, through lectures, laboratory sessions and tutorials. Facilities include teaching laboratories, a rooftop observatory, a dedicated study space for physics students and research facilities for final-year projects.

3. Entry requirements (course page, 2027 entry)

• BSc (F300, F306, F302): A-level ABB; the page says it “must include grade A or above in at least one of Mathematics and Physics. Both subjects are required”, so take both and get at least one A. IB 32 points with 6,5,5 at Higher Level, including 6 in HL Mathematics or Physics, with both taken at HL. GCSE English and Mathematics at grade C or 4. Access qualifications are not considered. General Studies and Critical Thinking are excluded. Alternative offers may be made to applicants taking the EPQ.
• BSc with Foundation (FFX0): A-level CCC; IB 26 points with 4,4,4 at HL, HL Mathematics or Physics preferred; Access diplomas in a science subject can be considered.
• MSci (F303, F307, F301): A-level AAB, with A or above in both Mathematics and Physics; IB 34 points with 6,6,5 at HL, including at least 6 in both HL Mathematics and HL Physics; BTEC and Access are not considered.
• ATAS: the course page says the MSci requires ATAS clearance (CAH3 code CAH07-01-01) and that students who are not EEA or Swiss nationals may need it; see Queen Mary’s Advice and Counselling pages. The BSc entries do not carry this note.
• Admissions tests and interviews: the course page does not mention a physics admissions test or interview; ask the admissions office.
• Contextual offers: BSc standard BBC including BB in Mathematics and Physics, enhanced BCC including BC in Mathematics and Physics; MSci standard BBB including BB in Mathematics and Physics, enhanced BBC including BB in Mathematics and Physics.

How to apply, deadlines and fees

• Apply through UCAS with institution code Q50. A UCAS application has up to five choices; to apply for more than one course at Queen Mary, make a separate entry for each. Queen Mary warns that you should use the correct course code because it may not be possible to change it later. Check UCAS for the process and the application fee, which are not given on the Queen Mary pages used for this guide.
• Deadline: Queen Mary’s apply page says the equal consideration deadline for most courses is 13 January 2027 and encourages early applications; there are more flexible deadlines for international applicants, though early applications are recommended for popular courses, and applications after the deadline are still considered for most courses. Its “Key dates and deadlines” page still shows 2026-entry dates (such as 14 January 2026), which does not match the apply page, so rely on the apply page and UCAS. Medicine and dentistry have an earlier UCAS deadline (the older key dates page gives mid-October); the exact date for 2027 entry is not given on the pages used for this guide.
• Queen Mary aims to process a complete application within four weeks, longer at peak times. Do not post original certificates or transcripts. It does not take extenuating circumstances into account when assessing academic qualifications (they should be raised with your school or exam board), which is separate from its contextual admissions.
• Personal statement and reference requirements are not given on the Queen Mary pages used for this guide; check UCAS and the course page. Applicants from Crimea/Sevastopol, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria are asked to contact the admissions team to register their interest first.

UK applicants: qualifications, fees and funding

• The course pages list A-level, IB, BTEC and Access to HE Diploma requirements; they do not set out Scottish Highers or Advanced Highers separately, so ask the admissions office. GCSE English and Mathematics at grade C or 4 are generally required.
• Contextual admissions: each course page gives a standard and an enhanced contextual offer (see the entry requirements above); the eligibility criteria are on Queen Mary’s contextual admissions page.
• Tuition: the course pages give a UK fee of £10,050 for September 2027 entry, while the university fees page says £9,790 from September 2026; the figures differ, so rely on the course page and Queen Mary’s latest announcement. How fees differ between England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland is not set out on the pages used for this guide; check the fees page and your regional funding body.
• Funding: UK students accepted on the course can apply for tuition fee and maintenance loans from Student Finance England or other government bodies; Queen Mary says its scholarships and bursaries benefit around half of its undergraduates, with additional funding for students from the local area. The scholarship page lists a Queen Mary University of London Bursary assessed automatically from the information given to Student Finance England; the amount was not read.

International applicants (including Chinese applicants): English, qualifications and scholarships

• English language: Undergraduate programmes in the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences are in English Band 3: IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each of writing, listening, reading and speaking. Equivalent scores for other accepted tests are on Queen Mary’s English requirements page; a summer pre-sessional English course may help if you fall short. Jointly run degrees follow the English band of the “home” department.
• International qualifications: Queen Mary accepts a wide range of European and international qualifications besides A-levels, the IB and BTEC; country-by-country requirements are on its international admissions country pages and are not listed on the course pages used for this guide.
• International Foundation Year: a one-year programme whose science and engineering pathways lead to degrees in subjects such as mathematics, physics, biological sciences and chemical sciences; if you meet the progression requirements, progression to Queen Mary degrees is guaranteed. Queen Mary’s fees page gives £25,500 for 2026-27 for an international student starting the one-year International Foundation Year; see the foundation pages for pathways and entry requirements.
• Automatic scholarship: the Global Talent Scholarship is for international-fee-status, self-funded students holding an offer for September 2027 entry, worth up to £20,000 (£5,000 a year over a standard four-year degree), awarded automatically with no application and notified at the point of offer. You must exceed the standard offer by one step: a BSc with a standard offer of ABB needs AAB (IB 34, HL 665), and an MSci with a standard offer of AAB needs AAA (IB 36, HL 666). It is renewable each year with an average of 65% or above. It is not available for second-year entry or transfer students and cannot be combined with other Queen Mary scholarships or fee discounts. Ineligible programmes include accountancy, dentistry and medicine (full list on the scholarship page). The scholarship page also links to an overseas equivalences PDF, which was not read for this guide.

Applicants from China

• Queen Mary’s China page says students who complete A-levels or the IB can apply directly for undergraduate degrees, and recognised foundation results are also accepted; students with the Chinese senior high school graduation certificate can apply for Queen Mary’s undergraduate foundation programmes (the International Foundation Year).
• Gaokao: Queen Mary’s China page says some programmes accept the Gaokao: the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences (all programmes), the School of Mathematical Sciences (all programmes), the School of Engineering and Materials Science (Materials Science only) and the School of Economics and Finance; Physics is in the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, which is on the list. The conditions are a high school graduation certificate with an overall average of 85%, the subject requirements of the course, and 80% in grade 11 or 12 physics, chemistry or biology, plus a Gaokao total average of at least 80% with 80% in mathematics, and the course’s English requirement. The page does not say whether the 80% in physics, chemistry or biology applies to Physics; the course page sets the subject requirements, and you can email admissions@qmul.ac.uk with questions.
• Foundation routes: the course page says international students with Year 12 or a completed international high school certificate qualify for the one-year foundation programme (called the ISEFP) or can apply for the four-year “with Foundation” degree; at the end you must meet the progression requirements for the degree. The International Foundation Year is applied for directly to Queen Mary, while integrated foundation degrees are applied for through UCAS (see Queen Mary’s apply page).
• Transcripts, huikao materials, credential-evaluation bodies and interviews are not given on the pages used for this guide; check Queen Mary’s international country pages or contact the admissions office.

Transfer and second-year entry

• Queen Mary’s transfer page says that, depending on the course, it may be possible to join the start of Year 2 (RQF Level 5) of a standard three-year degree, but it is not possible to transfer into the final year. Apply through UCAS and choose the point of entry (for example, point of entry 2 for second-year entry); direct applications are not accepted.
• Normally expected: a 2.1 (60% UK grading) achieved or on track in your current degree; the subject requirements of the course you want (met by A-level or other Level 3 qualifications, or by modules in your current degree); and a current syllabus similar to Queen Mary’s, as judged by academic selectors reviewing your modules. You provide evidence of your studies (an interim transcript if unfinished) and module descriptors or a course handbook. Offers also depend on places and suitability and on each School’s policy; a transfer can affect funding, visa and accommodation.
• If you do not meet the Year 2 requirements you could consider repeating Year 1, but academic regulations do not allow the same modules or content to be repeated, so it may not be possible to redo the same programme.
• The physics programme’s own transfer policy is not set out on the physics course page used for this guide; ask the admissions office. The rules above are Queen Mary’s university-level transfer page.
• For international students: the Global Talent Scholarship is not available to applicants for advanced (second-year) entry or transfer students (see the scholarship section above).

Fees

• International (overseas fee status): the course page gives £34,750 a year for the Physics BSc, professional experience, year abroad and all MSci versions, and £26,750 a year for Physics with Foundation (FFX0).
• UK students: £10,050 a year on the course page (see the note above on the different figure on the university fees page).
• The fees page also says Queen Mary may raise international fees by a standard amount each year (no more than 10% for 2026-27), that overseas students taking a Year in Industry pay £4,300 (no year is labelled; check it), and that home students pay lower amounts for placement or year-abroad years. A few courses have compulsory field trips with a separate fee.

Checklist

UK applicants:

• A-level: BSc ABB (both Mathematics and Physics, at least one A), MSci AAB (A in both); GCSE English and Mathematics C/4
• Apply through UCAS by 13 January 2027 with the correct course code; ask about Highers

International applicants (including China):

• IB: BSc 32 points (HL Mathematics or Physics 6, both at HL), MSci 34 points (6 in both); check ATAS for the MSci
• Gaokao: 80% overall and 80% in mathematics, 85% on the graduation certificate, plus the course’s subject requirements; or the International Foundation Year or FFX0
• IELTS 6.0 (5.5 in each part); the Global Talent Scholarship may be awarded automatically

Transfer students:

• Apply through UCAS with point of entry 2; 2.1 (60%) and a similar syllabus; no entry to the final year

Sources: Queen Mary University of London, Physics course page (2027 entry); How to apply; Key dates and deadlines; Transfer and advanced entry; English language requirements; Entry requirements for China; International Foundation Year; Undergraduate tuition fees; Global Talent Scholarship, undergraduate (September 2027); Find a scholarship. Course information is for September 2027 entry; check Queen Mary and UCAS for the latest details, especially dates and amounts that are not labelled with a year.