How to Apply to Physics at the University of Queensland: Physics as a Major in the Bachelor of Science (Accredited by the Australian Institute of Physics), Prerequisites and Gaokao Mapping, with Entry Routes for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

The University of Queensland (UQ) teaches physics at its St Lucia campus in Brisbane, through the School of Mathematics and Physics in the Faculty of Science. UQ’s pages do not list a stand-alone physics bachelor’s degree: physics is mainly a major in the Bachelor of Science, and you can also take the Mathematical Physics major in the Bachelor of Mathematics or the four-year Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours). What follows is based on UQ’s official 2027 entry information for domestic students, international students (including applicants from China) and transfer students.

1. Where physics sits in UQ’s degrees

• Bachelor of Science: three years, program code 2461, QTAC code 731001, CRICOS code 001961J, AQF Level 7, St Lucia, with Semester 1 and Semester 2 2027 start dates. UQ describes 16 extended majors, 26 majors and 35 minors. The School of Mathematics and Physics lists Physics as a major (also available as an extended major), and the Science page says the physics major is accredited by the Australian Institute of Physics. Minors include Physics, Astrophysics and Biophysics.
• What the physics major covers (UQ’s description): the laws of physics and how they apply in everyday life, combined with mathematics, programming and statistics, to understand quantum mechanics, biophotonics, astronomy or astrophysics, or to apply physics to advanced materials and electronic and optical devices; one sample course on the Science page is Thermodynamics & Condensed Matter Physics. The required courses, the point at which you choose the major and the credit structure are not given on the pages used for this guide; check UQ’s program structure pages and the School of Mathematics and Physics.
• Mathematical Physics major in the Bachelor of Mathematics: the three-year Bachelor of Mathematics (program 2460) includes a Mathematical Physics major, covering the mathematical foundations of modern physical theories such as statistical mechanics, relativity and quantum theory, and a Physics minor can be added.
• Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours): four years, program code 2516, CRICOS code 079390F, AQF Level 8. The school page lists Physics as a major; UQ says it includes a full-year research project in one of more than 30 fields.
• Honours: the school page lists a one-year Bachelor of Science (Honours) that can specialise in physics. Its entry conditions are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the school’s honours page.
• Dual programs: the Bachelor of Science can be combined with Business Management, Commerce, Journalism, Economics, Computer Science, Music, Laws (Honours), Engineering (Honours), Biomedical Science, Arts, Mathematics and Education (Secondary).
• Experience and research: the Science page mentions an elective placement course of up to 160 hours of Work Integrated Learning, and the school page mentions Summer and Winter Research Programs.

2. Prerequisites and reference entry scores

• Bachelor of Science prerequisites: Queensland Year 12 General English (Units 3 and 4, C), Mathematical Methods (C), and one of Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Science or Physics (C); Earth and Environmental Science will no longer be accepted from Semester 1, 2028. UQ recommends Specialist Mathematics and Physics (Units 3 and 4, C) if majoring in physics.
• Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) prerequisites: English, Mathematical Methods and two of Agricultural Science, Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Science, Specialist Mathematics or Physics, at least one of which must be Biology, Chemistry or Physics.
• Lowest adjusted scores offered for Semester 1, 2026 (updated each April; meeting them does not guarantee admission): Science ATAR 80, IB 30.25; Advanced Science (Honours) ATAR 92, IB 36.5. The Science intake was 515 students, 165 of them international (32.0%) and 69 with higher education study (13.4%); among recent secondary students the ATAR ranged from a lowest of 75.4 (without adjustments) or 80 (with adjustments), with medians of 90.8 and 91.7. The Advanced Science (Honours) intake was 158, with 6 international students (3.8%).
• Whether you must choose the physics major when you apply, and any limit on places in it, are not given on the pages used for this guide; check the application system and program page.

UQ states prerequisites as Queensland Year 12 subjects (Units 3 and 4, grade C or higher); students from overseas schools can meet them with equivalent subjects, which UQ lists in a prerequisite equivalents table.

Australian domestic applicants

• How to apply: all undergraduate applications go through the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC). You can list up to 6 preferences and receive one offer per round, for your highest eligible preference.
• How places are allocated: after you meet the subject prerequisites, places are allocated in order of entry score (ATAR or selection rank) until the program is full; the score of the last person offered a place becomes the entry score threshold, including adjustments from admission schemes. The schemes UQ lists are the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Educational Access, Rural Access, School Opportunity, Subject Incentive and Undergraduate Law admission schemes, plus the Guaranteed ATAR; check UQ’s pages for eligibility and adjustments.
• Semester 1, 2027 dates: QTAC applications open 4 August 2026 and close for the major offer round on 7 December 2026; UQ releases offers between 1 October 2026 and 16 February 2027; the QTAC major offer round is 14 January 2027. Some programs have earlier fixed closing dates (see QTAC).
• Fees: domestic commencing undergraduate places are Commonwealth supported, so you pay a student contribution amount, which eligible students can defer with a HECS-HELP loan. The indicative annual fee for each program is given in the program sections below; UQ notes that 2027 fees are not yet available for some programs and the page then shows 2026 figures. A Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) also applies, at most AUD 373 a year for 2026.

International applicants

• How to apply: if your senior schooling is outside Australia, apply directly to UQ through UQ applications, or through an approved UQ agent. UQ says it can consider applications up to two years in advance and that some programs have limited places, so leave time for processing and your student visa. International students currently completing Australian Year 12 (in Australia or another country) or the IB in Australia apply through QTAC instead.
• Closing dates (direct applications to UQ): 30 November 2026 for Semester 1 2027 entry and 31 May 2027 for Semester 2 (UQ words these as “30 November of the previous year” and “31 May of the year of commencement”; a few programs such as the medical pathway differ, see below).
• Student visa: international students accepted into full-time study can apply for an Australian student visa (subclass 500), which has conditions including the Genuine Student requirement. UQ notes that processing times vary and advises accepting your offer as early as possible.
• International tuition: see the program sections; amounts are indicative annual fees for 2027 (16 units), and UQ says fees are reviewed each year and may increase.
• Scholarships: each program page says you may be eligible for more than 100 scholarships. Names, amounts and closing dates for international scholarships are on UQ’s scholarships website; the pages used for this guide do not list them one by one, so check there.

Applicants from China

• Prerequisites: the Gaokao is mapped. UQ’s overseas-school prerequisite equivalents page lists GaoKao (China) with a minimum pass of 60%: Gaokao Mathematics corresponds to Queensland Mathematical Methods, and Gaokao Chemistry, Physics and Biology (or Combined Science) correspond to the subjects of the same name. The Bachelor of Science needs Mathematical Methods plus one science subject: Gaokao Mathematics at 60% maps to Mathematical Methods and Gaokao Physics at 60% maps to Physics (Chemistry, Biology or Combined Science also map). Specialist Mathematics, which UQ recommends for physics majors, is not listed in the Gaokao table.
• Entry scores are converted by country. UQ says that students finishing school overseas must reach the equivalent of the program’s entry score; the program page shows the score once you select your country and qualification. The pages used for this guide do not contain the China conversion table (Gaokao percentage, A-level aggregate and so on), so check it on the program page by selecting China, or ask UQ admissions.
• IB, A-level or AP students: IB scores have thresholds on UQ’s pages (see each program section). For A-levels, prerequisite equivalents are: Mathematics (A or AS Level) for Mathematical Methods, Mathematics (A Level) for Specialist Mathematics, and Physics, Chemistry or Biology (A or AS Level) for the same-named subjects (grade D for A Level, C for AS Level). US high school diplomas (AP minimum grade 3, SAT/ACT) are also mapped; see UQ’s equivalents page.
• How to apply: if your senior schooling is outside Australia, apply directly to UQ or through an approved UQ agent. UQ says applicants from certain countries must apply through an agent and the online system will tell you. Which countries are covered is not given on the pages used for this guide; check in the application system or ask UQ.
• Documents: certified copies of complete transcripts and certificates for all non-UQ study, a passport or national ID copy and evidence of English, uploaded as PDFs. UQ’s exact requirements for Chinese high school transcripts and provincial exam records are not given on the pages used for this guide; ask UQ admissions.
• If your score or prerequisites fall short, see the pathway section on UQ College programs.

English language requirements

• Standard requirement for most undergraduate programs: IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each sub-band; TOEFL iBT 87 (listening 19, reading 19, writing 21, speaking 19); PTE Academic 64 with at least 60 in all sub-bands; Bridging English (BE) overall grade 4 with at least C in all macro skills; CES overall 176 and at least 169 in all sub-bands. OET is not accepted.
• Other ways to meet the requirement include completing senior secondary school in a designated country listed in UQ’s PDF, a recognised bachelor’s or master’s degree, one year of full-time post-secondary study in a designated country, two years of study at a recognised institution, or at least three years of work experience in an English-speaking professional environment. See UQ’s English language requirements page for the lists and conditions.
• Test results must be no more than two years old at commencement. UQ does not recognise IELTS Online, PTE Academic Online, TOEFL iBT Home Edition or TOEFL ITP.
• If you are slightly short, you may be eligible for a package offer: an English course at UQ College (Bridging English, 10 to 30 weeks, or Integrated English, 5 to 45 weeks) plus a conditional offer to the UQ program. Tick the package offer on your UQ application rather than applying to UQ College directly.

The program pages for the Bachelor of Science and the Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) give the standard requirement above (IELTS 6.5, 6.0 in each band).

Transfer students and credit

• Applying with university results: UQ says that if you have completed two years of full-time (or equivalent) bachelor-level or higher study, your selection rank is based on that study only. After one full-time year you can receive a higher selection rank from your GPA; with under two years, UQ uses the higher of your previous study (for example an ATAR) or your GPA; with more than two years, it uses your GPA only. UQ also says that if you fail to progress in a program, you cannot reapply to that program using your ATAR or rank.
• Credit and exemptions: UQ has specified credit, unspecified credit and exemptions, and a credit precedent database of courses it has assessed from other universities. You can apply for credit only after you accept a UQ offer. The TAFE credit tables on UQ’s page cover nursing, midwifery and social work programs.
• IB credit: IB subjects can earn up to one semester (8 units) of credit or exemptions, depending on the subject, grade and program structure. Examples from UQ’s table: Mathematics Analysis & Approaches HL at 4 gives exemption from MATH1040 and MATH1050; Physics SL or HL at 6 gives exemption from PHYS1001; Chemistry HL at 6 gives specified credit for CHEM1100; Biology HL at 6 gives specified credit for BIOL1020; Economics HL at 6 gives exemption from ECON1011 (or ECON1010 and ECON1020). Whether they apply to your program is decided after you are admitted.
• GPA thresholds and places for transfers into individual programs are not given on the pages used for this guide; ask UQ admissions.

For physics, UQ’s IB credit table gives exemption from PHYS1001 for Physics (SL or HL) at grade 6; A-level physics equivalents are described in the section on applicants from China above.

Pathways if your score or prerequisites fall short

• Bridging courses: UQ College runs intensive 4-week face-to-face courses each November and December in Mathematical Methods, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, and self-paced online courses in Pure Mathematics (Mathematical Methods) and General Mathematics that start year-round. Bridging courses cannot be used to gain a selection rank.
• Tertiary Preparation Program: a 30-week UQ College program at St Lucia that meets prerequisites and gives a selection rank, up to 93 according to UQ.
• Tertiary studies pathway: study another program at UQ or elsewhere and use your GPA to gain a higher selection rank or meet prerequisites.

Fees

• International tuition for 2027 (per year, 16 units): about AUD 56,800 for the Bachelor of Science and about AUD 60,952 for the Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours); UQ reviews fees every year and they may increase. Some Science majors include field-trip courses with extra costs; whether the physics major does is not stated.
• Indicative annual fee for domestic students (UQ says 2027 fees are not yet available, so these are 2026 figures): Bachelor of Science AUD 9,690; Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) AUD 9,690.

Checklist

Australian domestic applicants: English, Mathematical Methods and one science subject (C), with Specialist Mathematics and Physics recommended for the physics major; apply through QTAC by 7 December 2026; reference ATAR 80 for the Bachelor of Science.

International applicants: apply directly to UQ by 30 November 2026 for February 2027; IELTS 6.5 (6.0 in each band) or equivalent; certified transcripts, passport and English evidence; tuition AUD 56,800 a year for the Bachelor of Science.

Applicants from China: Gaokao Mathematics and Physics at 60% map to the prerequisites; check the entry score by selecting China on the program page.

Transfer students: two years of university study means you are assessed on that study; apply for credit after accepting an offer.

Sources: The University of Queensland, Bachelor of Science; Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours); Bachelor of Mathematics; School of Mathematics and Physics undergraduate page; Faculty of Science study page; Entry requirements; Prerequisite equivalents; Submit your application; Credit eligibility; Pathway options; Fees; English language requirements. Information is for 2027 entry; entry scores are from the Semester 1 2026 intake. Check UQ for the latest figures.