How to Apply to Physics at the University of Aberdeen: A Four-Year BSc Accredited by the Institute of Physics, with Astrophysics, Physical Sciences and Mathematics and Physics Options, and Requirements for Home, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

The University of Aberdeen is in the north-east of Scotland. Physics is taught by the Department of Physics, which the University says works with the Institute for Complex Systems and Mathematical Biology (ICSMB) to apply physics and mathematical modelling to environmental, economic, medical and life-science problems. This guide covers September 2027 entry for home applicants (Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers, and A-levels from England, Wales and Northern Ireland), international applicants (with a separate section for Chinese applicants) and transfer or direct-entry applicants, based on the University’s published pages. Scottish honours degrees normally take four years, unlike the usual three in England.

1. Degrees and UCAS codes

• Physics (BSc) F300: full time, four years (48 months), September start. The page states that the degree is accredited by the Institute of Physics (IOP). There is laboratory physics in all four years, and in Year 4 you may choose an experimental project (examples on the page include designing an in-vitro chip for studying heart disease and building optical tweezers), alongside projects in medical physics, solid-state chemistry, anti-matter and computational modelling.
• Physics with Astrophysics (BSc) F3F5: four years; observational, computational and theoretical astrophysics, an astrophysics project in Year 4 and a weekend field trip to a Dark Sky Park in the Cairngorms; no accreditation section was printed on the page read.
• Physical Sciences (BSc) F302: four years; a mix of courses from physics, chemistry, geology, biology and other areas. The page says it follows a similar structure to the standard Physics degree but allows a mix of courses with no compulsory mathematics, for students interested in science who are put off by the mathematical components.
• Joint and major-minor degrees (listed on the physics subject page): Mathematics and Physics (BSc, FG31, four years, page states IMA accreditation), Computing Science and Physics (BSc, IF13), Geology and Physics (BSc, FF63), Philosophy and Physics (MA, VF53); Physics with Geology (BSc, F3F6) and Physics with Philosophy (BSc, F3V5) as major-minor honours; also Natural Philosophy (MA, F301) and Secondary Education with Physics (MA, X1F3). Their details are on their own pages; only F300, F3F5, F302 and FG31 were read.
• The physics subject page lists no integrated master’s degree such as an MPhys; every physics degree listed there is a BSc or MA.

2. Do you apply directly to physics? Years 1 and 2

• The “UCAS application process” page says admission at Aberdeen is to a degree rather than to a department; you should still enter your preferred degree title and UCAS code, but in most cases it is easy to change your degree preference after starting. When you must fix your subject after arrival and with what grades is not published on the pages read; ask Admissions.
• Physics F300, Year 1: Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD1002, online), The Physical Universe A and B (PX1015, PX1513), Calculus 1 (MA1005), Algebra (MA1006) and Calculus II (MA1508). Year 2 courses include Light Science, Dynamical Phenomena, Practical Optics and Electronics, Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, Computational Methods in Physics and Linear Algebra I.
• Year 3: Energy and Matter, Introduction to the Solid State, Advanced Practical Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism, and Optics and Photonics. Year 4: Project (PX4013), Case Studies in Physical Sciences, Statistical Physics and Stochastic Systems, and Modelling Theory.
• Physics with Astrophysics adds Astronomy and Meteorology and Understanding Data in Science and Astronomy in Year 1, an introduction to space science and remote sensing in Year 2 and an astrophysics project in Year 4; the Physical Sciences page lists no compulsory mathematics courses.
• Admissions tests and interviews: the physics pages and admissions pages read do not require an entrance test such as the PAT and do not set an interview for physics (the University says only Education, Medicine and Music applicants may be interviewed); check the programme page and UCAS.
• The pages also mention a Physics and Astronomy Society and small classes; this promotional material is not repeated here.

3. Prerequisites

• SQA Highers (F300, F3F5, FG31): standard BBBB, including Mathematics and Physics; widening access applicants with BBC are guaranteed an unconditional offer; National 5 English and Mathematics at C or above.
• SQA Highers (Physical Sciences F302): BBBB, including two Mathematics/science subjects; widening access BBC; National 5 English and Mathematics at C or above.
• A-level: standard BBC; Mathematics and Physics required for F300, F3F5 and FG31, two Mathematics/science subjects for F302; widening access CCC. GCSE at C/4 or above in English (or English Language), Mathematics and one of Chemistry, Physics or Dual Award Science.
• BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma: DMM with main subjects in science or mathematics. Irish Leaving Certificate: five Higher subjects at H3, including Mathematics and Physics for F300, F3F5 and FG31 (two Mathematics/science subjects for F302), with O4 in English and Mathematics.
• IB: 30 points including 5, 4, 4 at Higher Level; the page says “Mathematics and Physics required” for F300, F3F5 and FG31 without distinguishing HL from SL, and two Mathematics/science subjects for F302; English and Mathematics at SL or HL.
• Advanced Highers: no Advanced Higher is required for Year 1 on the pages read; Year 2 requirements are in the transfer section below. The University stresses that meeting the minimum does not guarantee an offer and that it may ask for more when applications exceed places.

4. Home applicants

• Scottish students: apply with SQA Highers, adding Advanced Highers where needed. The University says it does not double count a Higher and Advanced Higher in the same subject, but treats a B at Advanced Higher as equivalent to an A at Higher; one Foundation Apprenticeship counts as one Higher at A but cannot replace a required subject. It adds that applicants who meet the minimum will usually receive an unconditional offer, but where there are more applicants than places it may ask for more, so continued engagement at school is recommended. National 5 requirements (English, mathematics and so on, at C or above) differ by degree and are given in the sections below.
• Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland: apply with A-levels (BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma, the Irish Leaving Certificate and the IB are also accepted); the GCSE requirements are given by degree below; the fee is the “Rest of UK” rate (see “Tuition fees and scholarships”).
• Widening access: applicants who meet the University’s widening access criteria can receive a guaranteed offer at a lower grade; the criteria page lists Scottish SIMD quintile 1 postcodes, care experience, free school meals, a list of priority schools, POLAR 4 quintile 1 postcodes in the rest of the UK, caring responsibilities, estrangement and more, and says the list is not exhaustive. The lower grades for each degree are given below; entry to MSci and MEng programmes is not discounted.
• Physics note: F300 and similar degrees require both Mathematics and Physics at Higher or A-level; the pages read do not say whether Higher Applications of Mathematics may substitute for Mathematics, so ask Admissions.

5. International applicants

• How to apply: full-time undergraduate applications go through UCAS (check UCAS and your account on its own site); the University’s UCAS institution code is A20 and its short code is ABRDN. The University says admission is to a degree rather than to a department; you should still enter your preferred degree title and UCAS code, but in most cases it is easy to change your degree preference after you start.
• Grade requirements: requirements are listed by country (see “Chinese applicants” below); applicants from some countries must take a Foundation Year first, offered by the University’s International Study Centre, whose website was not used for this guide.
• Funds and visa: the Key Dates page says that after you accept an offer you must return a Financial Guarantee document to Admissions (no CAS can be issued without it); applicants who meet specific criteria must also pay a non-refundable deposit, and should apply for the visa as soon as possible after receiving the CAS. In line with UKVI rules the University recommends budgeting £1,171 a month for living costs, and students who need a Student visa also pay the NHS health surcharge, stated as £776 per year of study. Check the University’s visa page and the UK government for current amounts and documents.
• Work: international students studying for more than six months may work 20 hours a week in term time (possibly more in holidays); the University warns that work must not be relied on to fund your studies.
• Fee status: the University says that if you live overseas and do not hold a UK passport you will probably be classed as an International fee student; it decides your status from your application and points to UKCISA for guidance.

English language requirements (the general undergraduate page, to which the physics pages refer):

• IELTS Academic (or IELTS UKVI Academic): 6.0 overall, with at least 5.5 in Listening, Reading and Speaking and 6.0 in Writing. IELTS Indicator, General Training and Online are not accepted; One Skill Retake is accepted.
• TOEFL iBT, MyBest and Home Edition: for tests taken after 21 January 2026 the page gives Listening 4, Reading 4, Speaking 4, Writing 4.5 and an overall of “4–4.5” on the new scale; for tests taken before 21 January 2026 it requires 78 overall with Listening 17, Reading 18, Speaking 20 and Writing 21. The TOEFL institution code is 0818.
• Others: PTE Academic 59 overall and in each skill (the online test is not accepted); LanguageCert Academic 65 overall (60 in Listening, Reading and Speaking, 65 in Writing); Cambridge B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 169 overall (162 in Listening, Reading and Speaking, 169 in Writing); Oxford ELLT 6.0 overall (5.0 in Listening, Reading and Speaking, 6.0 in Writing); Duolingo 105 overall (95 in Listening, Reading and Speaking, 105 in Writing); Trinity ISE II (Distinction in Writing, Merit in the other three); Skills for English SELT B2. LanguageCert International ESOL B2 is listed but marked as not accepted for entry from September 2025. Tests must be within two years of the start date unless stated otherwise.
• Exemptions: nationals of the English-speaking countries the University lists (including the UK, Ireland, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand); an approved high school qualification on the University’s accepted list, taken within the last 10 years; three A-levels or the IB taught in English (within 10 years); or a degree taught and assessed entirely in English at an approved university, with a medium-of-instruction letter. The full lists and minimum grades are on separate pages; whether Chinese high school qualifications appear on that list is not shown on the pages used for this guide, so check the website.
• Pre-sessional courses: passing the University’s own Academic English pre-sessional is accepted (valid for one year); pre-sessionals at other UK universities must reach B2 with B2 in all four skills.

6. Chinese applicants

• Gaokao and high school results: the University’s China page says undergraduate applicants are considered on the overall score of the Senior High School Diploma: 80% or above for Arts and Social Sciences; 80% or above with 80% or above in two science subjects for Science; 80% or above with 80% or above in Mathematics and Physics for Engineering; and 85% or above for Law. It adds that good Gaokao scores will also be considered, but gives no Gaokao cut-off or conversion table; that is not published there, so ask Admissions.
• Which category your degree falls into: the China page lists only four categories (Arts and Social Sciences, Science, Engineering, Law) and does not map individual degrees. On the degree pages read, the BSc entry-requirements note points to the “Sciences” section and the MA note to the “Arts and Social Sciences” section, but the University does not say which China-page category applies to which degree, so confirm with Admissions.
• Foundation: each degree page lists an “Undergraduate Foundation Programme” as an available pathway, run by the International Study Centre; its entry terms, fees and courses were not used here, so check aberdeen-isc.ac.uk. The China page does not say that Chinese high school diploma holders must take a foundation year first.
• Interview, accreditation bodies, transcripts and document checklist: the China page read does not list a special interview, accreditation body or high school transcript checklist for Chinese applicants; this is not published there, so ask Admissions (ugadmissions@abdn.ac.uk).
• Scholarships: the undergraduate funding list on the China page shows the Aberdeen Global Scholarship (below) and the Arthur L McCombie Bursary (£4,000 a year in 2026–27 for students in the penultimate and/or final honours year, for up to two years; the page gives a deadline of 19 November 2026; its eligibility page was not read, so check whether it applies to you).

7. Transfer students and direct entry to Year 2

• Direct entry to Year 2 (Advanced Entry): the University says highly qualified applicants can join in second year with Advanced Highers, A-levels or the IB and finish an honours degree in three years. It is available for many Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (MA) degrees, Science (BSc, MChem, MSci) degrees and Engineering (BEng only), and is not available for Law, Medicine or Primary Education. Choose “Point of Entry: Year 2” on UCAS; if the Year 2 application is unsuccessful you are automatically considered for Year 1 where appropriate. For BSc Sciences degrees the entry requirements table lists Advanced Highers AB in addition to Highers, A-levels BBB and IB 32 for Year 2; whether that line applies to physics is not stated, so ask Admissions. The Physics (F300) page also sets out college entry: for Year 2, an HNC in Applied Sciences (120 SCQF credit points) with a B in the Graded Unit and specified units including Mathematics for Science 1 and 2, Physics for Life Sciences, heat and thermodynamics, mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and light and optics; for Year 3, an HND in Applied Sciences (240 SCQF credit points) with a B in Graded Unit 1 and an A in Graded Unit 2, and further units including Statistics for Science, Physics 2, Electronics or Maxwell’s Equations, Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, Dynamical Phenomena, Linear Algebra 1 and 2, and Programming Foundations or equivalent.
• College routes: HNC, HND and SWAP qualifications can lead into Year 2 or Year 3; see “Entry from College” on each degree page. Entry to MSci and MEng programmes from HN programmes is not possible.
• Transferring from another university: the pages read have no separate transfer policy and no credit-transfer rules for students from Chinese or other overseas universities; this is not published there, so ask Admissions.

8. Timeline for September 2027 entry

• UCAS deadline: the Key Dates page says to apply through UCAS by 13 January 2027 for most degrees (equal consideration date); the How to Apply page says applications submitted by 18:00 UK time on 14 January receive equal consideration. The two pages differ by a day; check UCAS and the latest University pages. Some degrees may still accept applications after this date; check UCAS.
• Information evenings: online and in-person applicant evenings run from December 2026 to February 2027.
• Decisions: by 12 May 2027 at the latest (unconditional, conditional or unsuccessful), with the aim of finishing by the end of March 2027; offer holders are invited to an Offer Holder Day in April 2027. If you have all offers by 31 March 2027 you must choose your firm choice on UCAS by 5 May 2027.
• International applicants: the Key Dates page says applications must be made through UCAS by 30 June (“for September 2027”), and applications up to 13 August 2027 are accepted for those whose results come a little later; after accepting, send the required documents and the Financial Guarantee, pay the deposit if it applies, and apply for the visa.
• Results days: SQA results on 10 August 2027 and A-level results on 12 August 2027.
• Start: Welcome Week begins on 13 September 2027 and teaching on 20 September 2027; the last date to register is 4 October 2027, and the University will not allow students to begin online or register after that date.
• Interviews: the University says Education, Medicine and Music applicants may be invited to interview; the pages read do not require an interview for other degrees.

9. Tuition fees and scholarships

• Physics (F300), Physics with Astrophysics (F3F5), Physical Sciences (F302) and Mathematics and Physics (FG31): the international fee on all four pages is £24,800 a year (the same for 2026/27 and 2027/28), with £18,800 listed for self-funded international students, stated to include the £6,000-a-year Aberdeen Global Scholarship. The fee pages for the other joint and major-minor degrees were not read; check them.
• Aberdeen Global Scholarship: for new self-funded, international-fee-status, full-time on-campus (Aberdeen campus) students starting in 2026/27 or 2027/28; £6,000 for every year of the programme, deducted from tuition fees; no application is needed, it is applied automatically and shown on the CAS. Students who are fully sponsored, hold fully funded external scholarships or other University scholarships are not eligible (awards from the University of Aberdeen Development Trust excepted). China is on the page’s list of eligible countries; the scholarship does not apply to Dentistry or Medicine. The page says it is available “until further notice”.
• Scottish students: the tuition fee is £1,820 a year (the same for 2026/27 and 2027/28); the University says eligible students (Scottish domiciled, first undergraduate degree, full time) can apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) to have it paid; check the details with SAAS.
• Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (RUK): £10,050 for 2027/28 and £9,790 for 2026/27; the University says the fee cap will keep rising with inflation and this should be allowed for when budgeting.
• RUK and Ireland Entrance Scholarship: awarded automatically to new undergraduates paying the RUK fee (entering Year 1 or Year 2): a £2,000 discount on University accommodation and a £50 weekly catering card for 27 teaching and exam weeks, in the first year only, with no cash alternative. The scholarship page prints no year, and the funding page labels this scheme “2026 entry”, so check that it applies to 2027 entry.

Checklist

Home applicants:

• Confirm the UCAS code of your degree (F300, F3F5, F302, FG31 and so on) and check the Mathematics and Physics subject requirement (two Mathematics/science subjects for F302)
• Apply on UCAS by the deadline (Key Dates says 13 January 2027, How to Apply says 18:00 on 14 January; check which applies)
• Scottish students: apply to SAAS for fee payment; RUK students: check the £10,050 fee and the entrance scholarship conditions

International applicants (including China):

• Ask Admissions which China-page category your high school results fall under (80% overall; Science also needs 80% in two science subjects) and how Gaokao results are used
• IELTS Academic 6.0 (5.5 in Listening, Reading and Speaking, 6.0 in Writing) or an accepted equivalent, or check whether you are exempt
• Submit through UCAS by 30 June, then return the Financial Guarantee and apply for the visa after accepting
• The Aberdeen Global Scholarship applies automatically to eligible self-funded international students
• If you need a foundation year, check the International Study Centre’s entry terms

Transfer students:

• For Year 2 entry, choose Year 2 as the point of entry on UCAS and check the Advanced Highers/A-level/IB Year 2 requirements, or the HNC/HND entry conditions
• Rules for transferring from another university are not published on the pages read; ask Admissions (ugadmissions@abdn.ac.uk)

Sources: University of Aberdeen, Physics (BSc) F300 page; Physics with Astrophysics (BSc) F3F5 page; Physical Sciences (BSc) F302 page; Mathematics and Physics (BSc) FG31 page; Physics subject area page; Undergraduate entry requirements; How to apply; UCAS application process; Key dates; Advanced entry; Widening access criteria; International entry requirements; China entry requirements; China funding; Undergraduate English requirements; Fee status, living costs and work; Aberdeen Global Scholarship; RUK and Ireland Entrance Scholarship; Scottish student fees. Information is for September 2027 entry; check any date that is printed without a year, and rely on the University of Aberdeen for the latest details.