How to Apply to Physics at the University of Portsmouth: Physics and Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology, Each as a Three-Year BSc or Four-Year MPhys and Accredited by the IOP, With Entry Requirements for UK, International (Including Chinese) and Year 2 Transfer Applicants

Physics at the University of Portsmouth is described on two course pages; the physics page refers to the School of Mathematics and Physics and to the Dennis Sciama Building, home of the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation. This guide sets out what the university’s pages say for September 2027 entry, for UK applicants, international applicants (including students at high schools in China) and students who want to join year 2. Mathematics, economics and the life-science degrees are not covered here.

1. The degrees and how you are admitted

• Two strands, each as a BSc and an MPhys: Physics (BSc (Hons) three years, or four with a work placement; MPhys (Hons) four years, or five with a work placement) and Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology (same degree types and lengths). The university says the MPhys is an integrated master’s degree that gives a master’s-level degree with just one extra year of undergraduate study.
• You apply to a specific course through UCAS (institution code P80); each degree has two codes: Physics BSc FF31 (three years) / FF33 (with placement), MPhys F303 (four years) / F302 (five years with placement); Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology BSc F304 (three years) / F301 (with placement), MPhys F30F (four years) / F300 (five years).
• Year 1 (the same on both): Classical Physics (30 credits), Mathematics for Physics (30 credits) and Physics in Practice (60 credits), 120 credits a year.
• Year 2: both strands require Advanced Mathematical Physics, Classical Physics 2, Waves and Optics and Introduction to Modern Physics; Practical Laboratory and Field Physics is core on Physics and optional on Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology. Options include Computational Physics, Introduction to Astrophysics and Cosmology and Mechanics and Dynamics.
• Year 3: Physics requires Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Information and Solid State Physics and Detectors; Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology requires Modern Astrophysics 1, Physical Cosmology and Solid State Physics and Detectors. Options include Introduction to General Relativity and Cosmology, Nanoscale Surface Physics, Particle Physics, Health Physics, Group Project and Project. MPhys year 4 has a 60-credit MPhys Research Project plus options such as Gravitational Waves and Observational Astronomy and Cosmology (15 credits each); the astrophysics strand also lists Advanced Astrophysics, Advanced Computational Techniques, Advanced Instrumentation and Contemporary Theoretical Physics. Check the course pages for the full lists.
• Laboratories and equipment: the subject page says students use technologies including Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Vibrating Sample Magnetometry (VSM) and LabVIEW software; the physics page describes first- and second-year experiments, and daily tutorials run by mathematics and physics staff.
• Accreditation: both course pages say the course is accredited by the Institute of Physics (IOP).
• Placement and overseas year: the astrophysics page says you can take an overseas-study or work-placement year between the second and third years or after the third; the physics page also offers a placement year. The subject page names placement organisations including Airbus, BAE Systems and QinetiQ, and the course page mentions visits to companies such as BAE Systems, Airbus, QinetiQ and Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust. Whether a placement is guaranteed is not given.
• Study time: the astrophysics page recommends at least 35 hours of study a week, about 17 of them timetabled in the first year (lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical classes and workshops).
• Foundation year: both pages say that if you do not meet the entry requirements you may join after a foundation year and name Engineering and Technology with Foundation Year. Exactly which foundation course maps to which degree, the grades needed and whether international students can take it are not given on the pages used for this guide (see the international section); ask admissions.

2. Entry requirements and prerequisites

The typical offers below are from the “Entry requirements (September 2027 start)” sections of the two course pages, which give the same figures; the university stresses they are typical, not guaranteed, and decisions also take in the personal statement and reference.

Item	BSc (Hons)	MPhys (Hons)
UCAS points	112-120 points, at least 2 A levels, with 32 points from a relevant subject	120-128 points, at least 2 A levels, with 40 points from a relevant subject
A levels	BBB-BBC, with 32 points from a relevant subject	ABB-BBB, with 40 points from a relevant subject
BTEC Extended Diploma	DDM-DMM (the physics page says it must be science-based with substantial mathematics and physics)	DDM
International Baccalaureate	25	25
English	IELTS 6.0, no component below 5.5	IELTS 6.0, no component below 5.5

• Relevant subjects: the pages list physics, mathematics, further mathematics, statistics and electronics. In the points table on the university’s China page, 32 points is a C and 40 points is a B. The pages do not say physics itself is required or that Further Mathematics is required.
• Small differences on the pages: the key-information box of the physics page says “from 2 or 3 A levels or equivalent” while the detailed requirement says “a minimum of 2 A levels”; follow the detailed requirement and confirm with admissions. The pages also say you “may need to have studied specific subjects or GCSEs”, linking to the general entry-requirements page, which has no physics-specific rules, so specific GCSE requirements are not given.
• Admissions tests and interviews: neither course page mentions a physics admissions test (such as the PAT) or an interview; the general assessment page says some courses may ask for a portfolio, interview or test. Whether physics applicants are interviewed is not given.
• T Level, Access and Scottish qualifications: not listed in the physics entry requirements, so whether they are accepted is not given; the general page names Access to Higher Education and Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers as commonly accepted, so ask admissions about the grades.

3. UK applicants

• How you apply and how you are assessed: Portsmouth says full-time bachelor’s degrees, integrated master’s degrees and most other undergraduate courses are applied for through UCAS, and you can also apply to the university directly on each course page. It looks at past and predicted achievement, personal statement, reference, extra-curricular and volunteering experience, and on some courses a portfolio, interview or test. It says decisions are “not based purely on exam results”.
• Qualifications: besides A levels, T Levels and BTECs, the entry-requirements page names Access to Higher Education, Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers and the Irish Leaving Certificate as commonly accepted, and says the list is not complete. For this subject the course page gives only the grades listed in the entry requirements below. The grades asked of Scottish qualifications, and whether England, Wales and Northern Ireland are treated differently, are not given on the course or admissions pages; contact admissions (+44 (0) 23 9284 5566, as listed on the course page).
• Adjusted offers: the university says that besides adjusted offers based on widening-participation data it also gives adjusted offers to applicants from its own region; they are lower than the typical offer and are flagged in the offer email. The course page adds that it looks at whether you live and work in the region and at personal and family circumstances (assessed with established data). What counts as “the region” is not given.
• Fees: for students from the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man the 2027/28 fee is £10,050 (“subject to annual increase”); the same page gives £9,790 for 2026/27. The pages do not give separate fees for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; check the course page and your student-finance body.

4. International applicants

• How to apply: international students follow the same process as UK students, through UCAS (institution code P80) or the direct application form on the course page. You can also use an education agent; the country pages list agents by region and the university links a guide to choosing one.
• Documents: the international application page lists a completed application form; a personal statement (some courses ask for specific content, so read the course page); officially certified and translated copies of your school or college qualifications and grades; proof of English (such as an IELTS certificate); and one academic reference on official headed paper for undergraduate courses. It adds that applicants from certain countries must take a video credibility interview, arranged by the regional leads.
• English: both physics course pages ask for IELTS 6.0 with no component below 5.5. The English requirements page says most bachelor’s degrees need IELTS 6.0 (no component below 5.5), with higher scores for courses that involve a lot of discussion and writing; read the course page.
• Other English tests: TOEFL iBT 79 for most bachelor’s degrees, with at least 18 Reading, 17 Listening, 20 Speaking and 17 Writing (the institution code to send scores to is 3234); PTE Academic 62 with at least 59 in each component for most bachelor’s degrees (that line is headed September 2025 entry, so check it applies to 2027); Cambridge C1 Advanced 169 overall with no component under 162; Trinity ISE III with a pass in all four components; Duolingo results must be shared with the university and offer conditions may change after a credibility or recruitment interview. Not accepted: IELTS Academic Online, IELTS General Training, PTE Academic Online and the online LanguageCert. The English requirements page also lists a “China TOEFL ITP Level 1” result (Listening 54, Structure and Written Expression 53, Reading 56, Speaking 58) among its English qualifications in Asia.
• Exemptions: nationals of, or holders of a degree-level qualification from, the following countries may be exempt from the UKVI English requirement but must still give evidence of English that meets the course’s academic requirement: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British Overseas Territories, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, the UK and the USA. Canadian nationals must provide evidence. China is not on the list.
• If your English is short: the university offers Pre-sessional English programmes. If you need a pre-sessional or foundation course, your IELTS must be taken at a UKVI-approved test centre.
• Foundation and pathway: the international pages describe International College Portsmouth (ICP, part of the Navitas Group), based in the city centre, with undergraduate and postgraduate pathways into the university’s degrees and September, January and May intakes. However, the “ICP Foundation Year courses” page and the foundation-year sections of the economics and science course pages say those foundation years are currently not open to EU or international students, while the MPharm page says international students can progress through ICP’s foundation year. These statements conflict; ask ICP and admissions which routes are open now.
• Deposit and CAS: after an offer you pay a deposit to confirm your place, which counts toward your fees; once you have paid it and met your conditions the university issues the CAS for your visa, at the earliest six months before the course starts. The university advises paying the deposit and meeting conditions as soon as you can. The amount of the deposit is not given on the fees page; UK and Irish nationals, government- or company-sponsored students and students coming from ICP, among others, do not pay one.
• Visa and funds: most international students need a Student Route visa; the visa page gives an advice email and phone (+44 (0) 2392 84 5430) and links to UKCISA and other sources. The amount of funds required and document-verification rules are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the UK government visa pages and the university visa page.
• Deadlines: the international deadlines page gives dates for January 2027 entry only (for example 7 December 2026 for new applications from “Rest of the World”) and warns that courses can close early when full. Deadlines for September 2027 entry are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the website.

5. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the China country page does not mention the gaokao or how a gaokao score is converted into an entry requirement. Not given; ask admissions or the official representatives listed for China.
• Chinese Senior High School Diploma: the China page says applicants with the Senior High School Diploma plus one year at a recognised university in China are considered for a bachelor’s degree if they have studied relevant subjects with strong grades. Applicants with a Specialised College (zhongzhuan) diploma, the High School Diploma and the High School Graduation Equivalency “usually need to do a foundation year”, and ICP is the recommended route (see the conflict noted above).
• Without the Chinese Senior High School Diploma: you can apply with A levels (the China page gives the points table A* = 56, A = 48, B = 40, C = 32, D = 24, and says your grades must equal or exceed the total required on the course page; science courses usually need passing A-level grades in science subjects) or with the IB (most courses need between 24 and 31 points, depending on the degree).
• Dazhuan: a College Graduation Diploma (Dazhuan) from a recognised college after two to three years, or a BTEC or SQA HND in a relevant subject, may be considered for advanced entry to a relevant degree.
• Physics-specific guidance: the China page gives no subject-by-subject requirements. The physics requirement (32 or 40 points from a relevant subject) is written in A-level points; how Chinese high-school mathematics and physics results map to it is not given, so ask admissions rather than applying the A-level requirement to your Chinese results.
• English: same as the international section above; the China page says the university accepts IELTS, IGCSE and other certificates.
• Representatives and scholarships: the China page lists the university’s official representatives in China, and Chinese students may be eligible for scholarships (see the fees section). Transcript and graduation-certificate handling, verification bodies and interview arrangements are not given on the pages used for this guide; contact admissions.

6. Joining year 2 (direct entry)

• The course pages do not describe a transfer route into year 2 and do not say whether places are available in each year. The “Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)” page says that university-level learning and experience can be turned into credits so that you start in the second year or reduce the credits you need, depending on how well your past learning matches the course’s modules.
• There are three types of RPL: credit transfer, using credits from a UK higher-education qualification completed in the last 5 years (bachelor’s, foundation degrees, HNC, HND, postgraduate certificates and diplomas, master’s; an HNC is 120 credits and an HND 240); prior certificated learning, such as an unfinished university course or a qualification from a non-UK institution; and prior experiential learning from work or voluntary experience. The page says that if you started but did not finish a UK course, or hold credits from a non-UK institution, you may use prior certificated learning instead of credit transfer, which needs a portfolio of evidence.
• How: you must have applied for the course or be registered on it, then submit the RPL form (the credit-transfer form is attached to your application; for the other two types the admissions centre contacts you about the portfolio). The page also says you can apply directly rather than through UCAS when applying for credit transfer. The RPL deadline depends on what it is used for; no date is given on the pages used for this guide, so check the RPL page.
• There is no specific guidance for students moving from a Chinese university into year 2; contact admissions first (+44 (0) 23 9284 5566, as listed on the course pages).

7. Fees and scholarships

• International students: both physics course pages say that 2027 course fees will be confirmed soon and give no figure, so the course fee is not given. The international fees page gives a typical range for the university of £17,750 to £20,950 for 2027/28 (£17,900 to £20,000 for 2026/27, covering most courses) and says fees may rise each year by up to 5%; read the course page for the actual fee. If you take a placement year or a year abroad, the fee for that year is £3,150 for international students.
• UK students: the university’s undergraduate fees page gives £10,050 for 2027/28 (the course pages say “to be confirmed soon”, so follow the course page); £1,505 for a placement or year abroad; EU students £1,635 for that year.
• Other costs: the course pages describe costs for books, printing and the final-year project, say that costs of your overseas or placement destination are discussed in your second year, and mention possible additional funding.
• Paying: the international fees page says you can pay in full or in two, three or six instalments (the first is 50% of the fee); the deposit counts toward the fee; payment goes through the official routes and the university warns about payment fraud.
• International scholarships (the university’s international scholarships page): the page opens by saying the scholarships summarised apply to students starting in January 2027 or September 2027, but the detailed terms are written for January and May 2027 entry only. The Chancellor’s Global Academic Merit Scholarship (January 2027 entry) is a £5,000 reduction in first-year fees, for self-funded, full-time, on-campus students who have not studied at Portsmouth before (ICP students are excluded); you complete a separate scholarship form with your application by 2 November 2026. The Vice Chancellor’s Global Development Scholarship (January and May 2027 entry) is a £2,500 first-year reduction for self-funded, full-time, on-campus undergraduates on courses with annual fees of £16,200 or more, decided by nationality; China is on the country list. What applies to September 2027 entry, and the amounts, are not given on the page used for this guide; check the international scholarships page.
• The page also describes Chevening (normally for a one-year master’s) and the £5,000 SQA Advanced Diploma Scholarship for mainland Chinese students who have graduated from an SQA programme, which is for postgraduate study and does not apply to bachelor’s degrees. Scholarships cannot be combined with other scholarships, discounts or fee offers.

8. How to apply and the timeline

• Course codes: Physics BSc FF31 / FF33, MPhys F303 / F302; Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology BSc F304 / F301, MPhys F30F / F300; institution code P80.
• UCAS: you have 5 choices a year through UCAS (5 courses at up to 5 universities). You need the course’s UCAS code (at the top of the course page; many courses have two codes, one for the standard three-year course and one for the placement-year version) and the institution code P80. Applications for 2027 entry can be submitted from September 2026 (“from September in the year before you start”).
• Personal statement and reference: the personal statement can be up to 4,000 characters; if you are not applying through a school or college you also need a reference from someone who knows you academically or professionally.
• Application fee: the university’s application page quotes only the 2024 figures (£22.50 for one course, £27 for more than one), which are not the fees for 2027 entry; check the UCAS website.
• Deadline: the university says it is best to apply by the UCAS “equal consideration deadline”, usually towards the end of January of the year you start; check the exact date on the UCAS website. You can apply later, but the course may be full or the requirements may change. Check UCAS for the 2027 dates.
• Deferred entry: many courses accept deferred entry but some do not, so ask admissions before applying; if you defer you must meet your conditions by the end of August of the year you apply.
• Direct application: the university says you can use the online form on the course page if Portsmouth is your only choice, if you do not want to use UCAS, or if you are applying for credit transfer.
• Admissions contact: +44 (0) 23 9284 5566, as listed on the course pages.

This guide is based on the University of Portsmouth’s course pages for September 2027 entry and related admissions pages. Fees, deadlines and English scores can change, so check the website again before you apply.