How to Apply to Physics at RMIT University: Physics Is a Major in the Bachelor of Science and Is Linked to Mathematics, With Entry Requirements for Local, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

RMIT University is in central Melbourne. RMIT’s website does not list a stand-alone physics bachelor degree: physics is one of nine majors in the Bachelor of Science (BP350). You apply to the Bachelor of Science, take a common first semester of science foundations and then choose a major. This guide covers 2027 entry for Australian students, international students (including those from China) and transfer students.

1. Degree structure and the physics major

• Degree: Bachelor of Science (program code BP350), three years full-time (six years part-time for local students), taught at the City campus in central Melbourne. CRICOS code 110982H. Intakes are February and July. It has 24 subjects, four per semester.
• Common first semester: everyone starts with four “Foundations of Science” subjects: physical sciences, life sciences, data and science communication, and one mathematics subject. The mathematics subject is either “A mathematical toolbox for scientists” or “A calculus toolbox for scientists”; students majoring in Physics or Mathematics must take the calculus toolbox. RMIT says you do not need to decide on a major before you start; you choose after the first semester.
• Nine majors: Biological Sciences, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Food Science and Technology, Geospatial Science, Mathematics, Nutrition Science, Physics and Statistics. You can take a single major (eight major subjects, plus a four-subject advanced minor and a four-subject generalist minor) or a double major (eight subjects in each). Your major or majors appear on your testamur. Not every pair of majors can be combined.
• Capstone: the work-integrated learning part of the degree, an independent science project in industry or an external laboratory with a written proposal, an oral presentation and a final report. RMIT says a double major in mathematics and statistics completes two mathematics-and-statistics WIL subjects; a double major with only one of them may take the general science project; other majors do two science projects.
• College and recognition: the Bachelor of Science page does not name the school or college that runs it; this is not given on the pages used for this guide. It says graduates with a Mathematics and Statistics major may be eligible for membership of the Statistical Society of Australia (SSA), the Australian Society for Operations Research (ASOR), the American Statistical Association (ASA) and INFORMS, and Physics graduates for the Australian Institute of Physics (AIP). This is society membership.
• Exchange and honours: RMIT says it has exchange and overseas study programs with more than 165 partner universities. Completing the degree may lead to the Bachelor of Science (Honours) (BH012); its entry conditions were not on the pages used for this guide, so check RMIT.
• The eight physics subjects: mechanics and thermodynamics; introduction to electromagnetism; materials physics; classical and quantum mechanics; electrodynamics and relativity; optics and quantum physics; radiation and nuclear physics; and thermal and statistical physics. RMIT adds that you also study mathematics topics such as differential equations, vector calculus and linear algebra, and in the final year can do research projects with physics academics and researchers.
• Physics must be paired with mathematics, but RMIT’s pages differ on how: the physics major page says physics majors “MUST complete their generalist minor in mathematics” and sets out a single-major structure (eight physics subjects, an advanced minor and the mathematics generalist minor), yet the double-major section of the same page says “the Physics major is only available as a double major with Mathematics”. Whether it is physics with a mathematics minor, or only a physics and mathematics double major, is not settled on the site, so confirm with RMIT.
• Advanced minors: Advanced Physics and Space Science.
• Labs and research: the page mentions small classes and final-year projects alongside researchers; the lab timetable is not given on the pages used for this guide. RMIT also says its physics academics work with partners in quantum technology, photonics, advanced materials, biophysics and medical physics. The only recognition listed for physics is eligibility for membership of the Australian Institute of Physics (AIP); no accreditation of the degree itself is stated.

Australian students

• How selection works: local students apply through VTAC (or directly to RMIT) and are ranked by ATAR plus adjustment factors. For Semester 1 2027 the degree has a Guaranteed ATAR of 70.00 (excluding adjustment factors): reach it and meet the prerequisites and RMIT guarantees an offer. Below it you may still get an offer, depending on places and adjustments. For VTAC applicants the course must be your highest eligible preference. The lowest ATAR (with adjustments) to receive an offer for Semester 1 2026 was 70.00. For the Science/Master of Teaching Practice packaged pathway the page gives two figures, 75.15 in the course header and 73.80 in the table below, so confirm with RMIT.
• Prerequisites: VCE units 3 and 4, a study score of at least 25 in English (other than EAL) or 27 in English as an Additional Language; and a study score of at least 20 in one of General Mathematics, Mathematical Methods or Specialist Mathematics, or equivalent studies.
• Adjustment factors: RMIT says adjustment factors include equity access schemes and subject adjustments, up to 28 aggregate points. For subject adjustments, a study score of 25 in any Information Technology, Mathematics or Science subject earns 2 points per study, up to 8 points. Applicants from low socio-economic areas receive an automatic regional adjustment. Other applicant types are ranked under their own rules: vocational applicants receive a selection rank by highest qualification (Advanced Diploma 81, Diploma 72, Certificate IV 54) and may sit the STAT, and applicants with university study need at least four graded undergraduate courses and are ranked by GPA.
• Local-student fees: for Commonwealth supported places in 2027, RMIT says the student contribution is set by the band of each subject rather than by the whole program, and ranges from AU$4,908 to AU$18,025 for a standard full-time year (96 credit points). In RMIT’s band table, Mathematics and Statistics subjects are AU$4,908 a year and Science subjects AU$9,880 a year (maximums for a standard full-time year with all subjects in one band). HECS-HELP loans can defer payment. Which band each subject falls in is on RMIT’s site.

International students: entry and prerequisites

• Academic requirement: a qualification RMIT recognises as equivalent to a VCE average of at least 65% (the country equivalency pages give conversions), or completion of RMIT Foundation Studies, or a recognised post-secondary diploma in the relevant discipline. RMIT stresses that meeting the minimum does not guarantee entry.
• Prerequisite: VCE units 3 and 4, a study score of at least 20 in one of General Mathematics, Mathematical Methods or Specialist Mathematics, or equivalent studies. How overseas qualifications count as equivalent is not itemised; RMIT assesses it at application. Physics majors must take the calculus toolbox, already listed in the common first semester above. RMIT does not say whether the physics major also requires a high-school physics subject; this is not published, so ask RMIT.
• Selection task: RMIT states that no selection task is required for this degree, so there is no mathematics entrance test, interview or portfolio.
• International students in Australian Year 12: they may apply through VTAC with an ATAR.
• Tuition: AU$45,120 a year for international students (listed as the 2027 annual fee).
• Other costs: on top of tuition there is the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF, maximum AU$386 in 2027) and Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC, required for the whole visa period for student-visa holders); some programs also have materials fees, textbooks and equipment costs. RMIT says tuition may be adjusted each January by up to 7.5% (higher-education fees are rounded up to the nearest AU$10 per credit point, so the actual rise can exceed 7.5%). Fees are fixed within a calendar year, so students starting later in the year pay slightly more in total.

Applicants from China

RMIT converts qualifications to a Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) average. For the degree in this guide the academic requirement for international students is the equivalent of a VCE average of 65%. The China equivalency table gives:

• Gao San: an overall average across all subjects of 75%. The table shows “not applicable” in the Gao Er column for bachelor degrees, so Gao Er results alone are not enough.
• Gaokao: RMIT publishes a score for Beijing only: 441. For other provinces it says to contact RMIT International; the scores are not published.
• IB Diploma: 25 points, including bonus and penalty points.
• A-levels and AP: the pages used for this guide do not give conversions for these; check RMIT’s country equivalency pages or ask RMIT International.
• Mathematics prerequisite: RMIT states a VCE mathematics study score of 20 “or equivalent studies”. How Chinese senior-high mathematics counts as equivalent is not published; RMIT assesses it at application. A physics subject is not listed as a prerequisite.
• If your marks fall short: RMIT Foundation Studies is listed on the China table at a Gao Er average of 60% or Gao San average of 50%, and the University Pathways Fast Track at Gao Er 75% or Gao San 60%. How a pathway leads into this degree is set out in your offer and in the Pathways section of the degree page.
• Documents: RMIT lists academic transcripts and graduation certificates, evidence of English level, and any course-specific documents. Whether Chinese senior-high proficiency-test (huikao) papers are asked for separately is not given on the pages used for this guide; check RMIT’s required-documents page or ask RMIT.
• Meeting the minimum does not guarantee entry; every application is assessed.

How to apply, deadlines and timeline (2027 entry)

• How to apply: international students apply through RMIT’s Application Portal, directly or through an RMIT-authorised agent. Students who have taken an Australian Year 12 (in Australia or overseas), or the IB in Australia or New Zealand, apply through VTAC. RMIT says applicants from some countries must pay an application fee and are strongly encouraged to apply through an authorised agent.
• Semester 1 deadline: the international bachelor-degree application deadline is 3 March 2027, and every required document must be in by that date (incomplete applications are not assessed). Outcomes are due on 5 March, which is also the last day to accept. If an interview is required, complete it by 28 January 2027 and accept and pay by 1 February. Requests for a change of program, a selection task or a credit assessment must be in by 24 February 2027. RMIT notes that programs with late-enrolment restrictions are not covered by this deadline.
• Semesters 2 and 3: RMIT says the 2027 Semester 2 and Semester 3 dates will be published “later this year”. They were not on the pages used for this guide, so check the application dates page.
• Visa timing: RMIT recommends that students who need a student visa apply and accept an offer at least 4–8 weeks before the course starts, so apply well before the deadline. Student-visa holders can only study full-time.
• Application fee: RMIT lists countries whose applicants pay an AU$100 application fee (credited to the tuition deposit once you accept and start). China is not on that list. Check the list for other countries.

English requirements (undergraduate)

• For the degrees in this guide, the program pages give the same scores: IELTS Academic 6.5 with no band below 6.0; TOEFL iBT 79 (Reading 13, Listening 12, Speaking 18, Writing 21); PTE Academic 58 (no band below 50); Cambridge C1 Advanced 176 (no component below 169). Nursing has higher requirements, covered in the nursing section.
• Notes: TOEFL tests taken on or after 21 January 2026 must be the TOEFL iBT Australia test, and results on the 1–6 scale are not accepted. RMIT does not accept at-home or online tests, and results must be within two years of the course start. If your scores fall short, RMIT University Pathways (RMIT UP) offers an Academic English Advanced course.

Pathways and credit

• Associate Degree in Applied Science (Science option, AD012P24): completing it guarantees entry to the Bachelor of Science with 48 to 144 credit points of credit (one to three semesters), depending on the majors and minors you choose; the amount is confirmed at enrolment.
• You can also enter from RMIT Foundation Studies or a range of vocational courses. RMIT warns that credit may reduce your choice of majors and minors.

Transfers and credit

• From another Australian university: RMIT says students who finish first year at another Australian university may receive credit, awarded only where the completed course has an equivalent in the RMIT program. Request credit when you apply and provide detailed course outlines (volume of learning, content and weekly topics, learning outcomes, assessment types and weightings, and learning resources). For Semester 1, undergraduate credit-assessment requests are due by 24 February 2027.
• Overseas institutions: RMIT has credit agreements with some institutions around the world. If yours is not listed you may still be eligible; credit is assessed case by case.
• Credit can limit choices: RMIT warns that credit may reduce the majors or minors you can choose. The amount of credit is confirmed in your offer.

Scholarships for international students

• RMIT says it awards more than 2,000 scholarships a year. Some international scholarships are assessed automatically when you apply; others need a separate application. Criteria include academic results, country of citizenship, program and personal circumstances.
• Undergraduate Pathway Scholarship for China: RMIT summarises it as a 20% tuition reduction for students from China whose bachelor program is packaged with ELICOS, Foundation Studies, Fast Track, a vocational program or an associate degree. RMIT describes it for these packaged offers; whether direct entry to the bachelor degree qualifies should be confirmed with RMIT.
• For international students taking an Australian Year 12 or the IB in Australia, RMIT lists the Medibank Excellence Scholarship (AU$12,000) and the Medibank High Achiever International Scholarship (AU$20,000).
• The scholarships page also lists awards by region, college and course. Whether a specific award fits your degree should be checked on RMIT’s scholarships page.

Key points by applicant

Australian students:

• Apply to the Bachelor of Science, take the science foundations and the calculus toolbox in semester one, then choose physics. The 2027 Guaranteed ATAR is 70.00; prerequisites are VCE English 25 (27 for EAL) and a mathematics study score of 20
• RMIT’s pages differ on whether physics needs a mathematics minor or a mathematics double major, so confirm before applying

International students (including from China):

• The equivalent of a 65% VCE average: Gao San 75%, Beijing Gaokao 441, IB 25. Scores for other provinces are not published
• Mathematics prerequisite of study score 20 or equivalent; no selection task; IELTS 6.5 (no band below 6.0); Semester 1 2027 deadline 3 March, earlier if you need a visa; tuition AU$45,120 a year

Transfer students:

• Request credit on your application and attach course outlines; Semester 1 credit assessments are due by 24 February 2027; credit may limit major choices
• The Associate Degree in Applied Science (Science option) guarantees entry to the Bachelor of Science with one to three semesters of credit

Sources: RMIT University, Bachelor of Science (BP350); Physics major; Apply as an international student; Application dates; China equivalencies; IB equivalencies; English proficiency tests; Fees for international students; Application fee countries; Pathways and credit transfer; International scholarships. Information is for 2027 entry. Where a page does not print a year, check the date against 2027 entry on the RMIT website, which is the final authority.