How to Apply to Physics at the University of Liverpool: BSc (F300) and MPhys (F303) Both Ask for ABB Including A-level Physics and Mathematics, Institute of Physics Accredited, with Entry Routes and Prerequisites for UK, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The University of Liverpool is in Liverpool, and physics is taught in the Department of Physics. You apply to a named course through UCAS. This guide sets out the main points for September 2027 entry for UK applicants, international applicants (including those from China) and students seeking entry to year 2.

Key points

• F300/F303: ABB at A level including Physics and Mathematics; 32 IB points with at least 5 in HL Mathematics and HL Physics; Institute of Physics accredited.
• UCAS deadlines for September 2027 entry: 13 January 2027 for UK applicants and 30 June 2027 for international applicants (course pages).
• International fee £33,000, IELTS 6.0 (2027/28, course pages).
• Applicants from China: the mainland China page says students who have completed high school (including those who sat the gaokao) must first complete a Foundation Programme or obtain A levels or an equivalent before progressing to a degree.
• Entry to year 2: can be requested on the UCAS form and must be submitted by the main deadlines; the conditions are not published.

1. Degrees and variants

• What the department says: the undergraduate programmes page describes a flexible suite of Physics BSc and MPhys programmes. Physics BSc is a general physics degree with individual or group project work; Physics MPhys adds a year and goes deeper into current research, with projects usually individual but within one of the department’s groups; Physics and Astronomy BSc is taught with an astrophysics group from Liverpool John Moores University and includes a field class in Tenerife using a telescope; Astrophysics MPhys leans toward astrophysics research; Physics with Medical Applications BSc has a final-year project with medical physicists linked to the Clatterbridge Oncology Centre or the Royal Liverpool Hospital; Physics with Nuclear Science BSc has a project with the nuclear group or a commercial partner. The page says the physics degrees, including joint honours with Physics, are accredited by the Institute of Physics.
• Courses listed for 2027 entry (undergraduate): Astrophysics MPhys (also with a Year Abroad), Mathematical Physics MMath (also with a Year Abroad), Physical Sciences (four-year route including a Foundation Year at Carmel College) BSc, Physics and Mathematics BSc (also with a Year Abroad), Physics BSc, Physics MPhys, Physics with a Year Abroad (BSc and MPhys), Physics with Astronomy BSc (also with a Year Abroad), Physics with Geophysics BSc, Physics with Medical Applications (BSc, MPhys and BSc with a Year Abroad), Physics with Nuclear Science (BSc, MPhys and BSc with a Year Abroad) and Theoretical Physics MPhys (also with a Year Abroad).
• UCAS codes read: Physics BSc F300 (three years), Physics MPhys F303 (four years), Physics with Astronomy BSc F3F5. Codes and requirements for the other variants were not read; see their course pages.
• Accreditation: the Physics BSc page says the course is accredited by the Institute of Physics and satisfies the academic requirements for Chartered Physicist status.

2. Entry requirements and prerequisites (UK-qualification view on the course pages)

• Physics BSc (F300): ABB at A level, including Physics and Mathematics; with the EPQ the offer is BBB with an A in the EPQ; GCSE English and Mathematics at 4/C; applicants from England must pass the practical endorsement in science A levels. BTEC National Extended Diploma: considered alongside A levels, contact the university. IB: 32 points with no score below 4 including at least 5 in HL Mathematics and 5 in HL Physics, or the IB Diploma plus 6, 5, 5 in three HL subjects including HL Mathematics and HL Physics. Irish Leaving Certificate: H1, H2, H2, H2, H3, H3 including Physics and Mathematics at H2 or above. Scottish Advanced Highers: ABB including Physics and Mathematics. Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced: B plus AB in A level Mathematics and Physics. Access to HE Diploma: 45 Level 3 credits, 33 at Distinction (including 15 in Mathematics and 15 in Physics) and 12 at Merit. T levels are not accepted.
• Physics MPhys (F303) and Physics with Astronomy BSc (F3F5): the course pages give the same A level offer, ABB including Physics and Mathematics, with BBB plus an A in the EPQ as the EPQ route.
• Admissions tests and interviews: the physics course pages and department page read do not list an admissions test or interview. This is not given on the pages used for this guide; ask the department’s admissions office.
• Foundation year: applicants who miss the requirements are pointed to the four-year Physical Sciences BSc route with a foundation year at Carmel College. Whether international applicants are eligible is not given on the pages used; check that course page.

3. How you are admitted and course structure

• You apply to a named course using codes such as F300, F303 or F3F5. The department page says transferring between degree programmes is possible, and the MPhys course page says “our flexible programmes allow students to transfer up to the end of year two between any of the physics programmes”. The detailed conditions for moving between BSc and MPhys are not given on the pages used, so ask admissions.
• Physics BSc structure: all year-one modules are compulsory, including a Physics Icebreaker Project, Dynamics and Relativity, Thermal Physics and Properties of Matter, Electricity, Magnetism and Waves, Foundations of Quantum Physics, and Mathematics for Physicists I and II. Year two has compulsory modules in Nuclear and Particle Physics, Condensed Matter Physics, Electromagnetism I, Quantum and Atomic Physics I and Mathematics for Physicists III, plus options. Year three has compulsory modules such as Electromagnetism II and Quantum and Atomic Physics II, two 15-credit options, and a substantial research project equivalent to a major scientific investigation, written up as a dissertation and presented.
• Teaching and assessment: lectures and workshops, with laboratory sessions and computational activities central to the programme, plus tutorials and problem-solving workshops; assessment is by examinations and coursework, with project work, presentations and tests depending on modules.
• What MPhys adds: the page says it covers a wider range of topics than the BSc with more mathematics, computing and experimental physics modules; year three has an advanced computer modelling project; there may be opportunities for a fully paid three-month summer project at an international laboratory such as TRIUMF in Vancouver, CERN in Geneva or the Diamond Light Source, which can form the basis of a larger final-year project; year four includes Physics in Practice IV (45 credits) and options such as Accelerator Physics, Advanced Nuclear Physics and Advanced Quantum Physics. A year abroad on the MPhys can be taken between years 2 and 3 (apply in year 2) or between years 3 and 4 (apply in year 3).

UK applicants

• Qualifications accepted: the entry-qualifications page says most school-leavers from England, Wales and Northern Ireland apply with three or more A levels, and that BTEC (most courses take the National Extended Diploma, or a Diploma with one A level, or an Extended Certificate with two, with possible subject requirements), the EPQ, Scottish Advanced Highers, the Welsh Baccalaureate (for most courses only with two A levels), the Access to HE Diploma, Cambridge Pre-U and the Irish Leaving Certificate are also considered. Requirements for Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers differ by course; the figures read are in the subject sections below.
• How A levels are used: both reformed and unreformed A levels are accepted; AS results are not formally used; the A* is not normally used in offers but may separate otherwise equal applicants at confirmation, and exceptionally an offer may require it. Where a science A level has a separately graded practical endorsement, a pass is required for applicants from England.
• Core Maths and T levels: Core Maths is not part of entry requirements and cannot replace A level Mathematics where it is required. On T levels, the general page says non-clinical courses may consider them case by case, whereas the mathematics, physics and economics course pages read say T levels are not currently accepted; the biosciences course pages read accept the Health and Science (Science pathway) T level with an overall Distinction including a B in the core and ask applicants to contact the university. Follow the course page.
• EPQ and contextual offers: course pages give a reduced A level offer for applicants with the EPQ (figures below) and say you may automatically qualify for up to a two-grade reduction through the contextual offers scheme, assessed from your circumstances such as where you live, with no separate application.
• Tuition (UK fee): the course pages read give £10,050 per year full-time for 2027/28, and say it also applies to the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland. Fees may rise each year, for UK students within the government’s regulated limit. The pages do not list a separate fee for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; ask admissions to confirm your fee status.
• Funding: the course pages list several awards for UK students, for example the Liverpool Bursary (up to £2,000 a year for household income below £35,000) and the Bloomberg Scholarship (four a year for Liverpool City Region residents, £5,000 a year for three years). Conditions differ, so check the scholarship finder.

International applicants

• Grades and qualifications: country-specific requirements appear on the course page under International qualifications once a country is chosen; the pages used for this guide showed the default UK view, so the country-by-country content is not given here. The university accepts the IB Diploma for all courses (subject figures below). Applicants send copies or scans of certificates and transcripts and show originals at registration; Liverpool wants proof of every qualification entered on the UCAS form, not only those in an offer.
• English language: the physics course pages ask for IELTS Academic 6.0 overall with no component below 5.5; TOEFL iBT 78 (listening 17, writing 17, reading 17, speaking 19) for tests taken on or before 20 January 2026, or 4 overall with 4 or above in each component for tests from 21 January 2026 (Home Edition not accepted); Duolingo 115 (speaking, reading and writing at least 105, listening at least 100); PTE Academic 59 with no component below 59; LanguageCert Academic 65 with no skill below 60. The university also offers Pre-sessional English for those who miss the requirement, with the length set by the latest IELTS score; for example, 5.5 overall with no component below 5.5 maps to 6 weeks, 5.0 with none below 5.0 to 12 weeks, and 4.0 with none below 4.0 to 40 weeks (on campus or online depending on the score). The course pages say applicants from a majority English-speaking country do not need to demonstrate English; the country list is on the English language page, which was not used here.
• Tuition: the course pages give an international fee of £33,000 a year, full-time, for 2027/28 (Physics BSc, MPhys, Physics with Astronomy BSc). Fees can rise each year; the course page and offer letter are the reference. The university says international undergraduates can pay in full at the start of each year or in two instalments (60% and 40%).
• Scholarships: the international page says Liverpool Scholarships are for outstanding international students, worth up to £7,500 for undergraduates. The international scholarships page says some awards are competitive and others automatic; the pages used do not give the eligibility rules or whether the Liverpool Scholarship is assessed automatically. Check the scholarship finder. There are also University of Liverpool International College Excellence and First Class Scholarships for high achievers progressing from the college, allocated automatically if eligible.
• Funds and visa: there is a visas and immigration section on the international pages, not used here; check it and the UK government site for documents and proof of funds.
• International Foundation Certificate: applicants with good school grades who do not meet direct entry can take a one-year Foundation Certificate at University of Liverpool International College, run with Kaplan International Pathways. The two certificates are Business, Law and Social Sciences, and Science and Engineering. The university says completing it at the required level with good attendance guarantees a place on the chosen degree. Which certificate leads to which degree, and the grade needed, is shown on Kaplan’s progression finder, which is linked from the university page; check it there.

Applicants from China

• Is the gaokao used directly? The mainland China page says students who have completed 12 years of schooling in China must complete a Foundation Programme, or GCE A level (or equivalent), and show English proficiency before progressing to an undergraduate degree, and that students who took the gaokao are also required to complete a Foundation Pathway programme. The page does not say that gaokao scores convert directly to an entry grade and gives no gaokao cut-off.
• Pathways in China: the Xi’an Jiaotong University – University of Liverpool International Undergraduate Foundation Programme, launched in June 2025, is a one-year programme after which successful students are guaranteed admission. There is also the Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) 2+2 articulation: after two years at XJTLU, students can move to Liverpool for the final two years and receive both degrees.
• Pathway in the UK: the Foundation Certificate at University of Liverpool International College (above) guarantees a place on the chosen degree when the required level and attendance are met.
• Other recognised routes: Aptitude Scholastic Tests (at least 200/300 in at least two relevant tests; where a course needs a specific A level subject, an AST in that subject is compulsory), NCUK, and the Bellerbys Foundation Programme. Current students at recognised Chinese universities who finished the first year may be considered for direct entry to the first year of some courses, and those with more than two years may be considered for the second year; the page advises checking with the course admissions team first.
• Transcripts, verification, interviews: the China page does not give a certifying body for high-school transcripts or diplomas, and does not mention an interview; ask the China team. The page lists approved agents in China, and the university can be reached at chinarep@liverpool.ac.uk or through the WeChat account named on the page. The physics course pages do not give separate gaokao or Chinese high-school grade requirements; this is not given on the pages used, so ask the China team or the department admissions office.
• Undergraduate application route: the page says to apply through UCAS, or through an approved education adviser (agent).

Transfer students and entry to year 2

• The application page says Liverpool considers direct entry to year 2 of an undergraduate course; indicate it on the UCAS form and apply by the main deadlines. It cannot be considered in Clearing.
• The pages used for this guide do not give the grades, credit-transfer rules or places available for year 2 entry by course. This is not given on the pages used; contact admissions (the phone number on course pages is +44 (0) 151 794 5927, or use the enquiry form).
• For students at Chinese universities, see the China section above: a completed first year may allow entry to year 1, and more than two years may allow year 2, subject to checking with admissions.

Cost summary (physics)

• Annual tuition for 2027/28: UK fee £10,050; international fee £33,000 (the same figures on the Physics BSc, Physics MPhys and Physics with Astronomy BSc pages read).
• Year abroad and year in industry: the pages give a year abroad fee of £1,508 for UK students (noted as applying to the year in China) and £16,500 for international students, and a year in industry fee of £2,010. The Physics BSc change log (16 December 2024) says an official Year in Industry option is not currently available, which conflicts with the fee being listed; ask admissions.
• Fees can rise each year; other course-related costs are on the university study costs page, which was not used here.

How to apply, deadlines and fee (September 2027 entry)

• Route: full-time undergraduate applications from both UK and international applicants go through UCAS. Liverpool’s UCAS institution code is LVRPL L41, and each course page gives its own course code. Check the forms and process on the UCAS website. The university says you can submit from the beginning of September in the year before entry.
• Deadlines: the course pages give 13 January 2027 as the deadline for UK applicants and 30 June 2027 for international applicants, for the start on 27 September 2027. The general undergraduate application page says the normal UK closing date is 14 January, one day different from the course pages, so confirm with the course page and UCAS. The same page says that if your choices include Oxford or Cambridge, or courses leading to a professional qualification in Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science, the closing date is 15 October in the year before entry (15 October 2026 for 2027 entry, already passed when this was written). The pages used for this guide do not say how places are handled for international applicants close to 30 June; ask admissions.
• UCAS fee: the university page gives £28.95 for 2026 entry for up to five choices. Check the UCAS website for the 2027 entry fee.
• Personal statement and references: the university has a personal statement guidance page, which was not used for this guide; follow UCAS for length and format. The university says UCAS checks statements for plagiarism and can require a new one. Reference requirements are not given on the application page used; check UCAS.
• Deferral and direct entry to year 2: the university says one-year deferral can be requested on the application or in writing to Admissions no later than 31 July, decided case by case, with spaces possibly limited; offer conditions must still be met in the application cycle. Applicants seeking direct entry to year 2 must say so on the UCAS form and apply by the main deadlines; year 2 entry is not considered in Clearing.

All of the above comes from the university’s pages for September 2027 entry. Fees, deadlines and course conditions can change, so check the University of Liverpool website and UCAS before applying.

Sources: University of Liverpool, Physics undergraduate programmes; Physics courses list; Physics BSc; Physics MPhys; Physics with Astronomy BSc; Applying through UCAS; Entry requirements and qualifications; Applicants from mainland China; Foundation Certificates; International students; International tuition fees. Information is for September 2027 entry and the 2027/28 academic year. Check the University of Liverpool website for the latest details.