Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology

Physics, astrophysics, and cosmology together address some of the grandest questions in science: how the universe began, how it evolved, what its large-scale structure is, and what the fundamental nature of space, time, matter, and energy is. At the University of Portsmouth, this four-year full-time programme combines a rigorous physics education with specialist content in astrophysics and cosmology, including a sandwich year, a year abroad, and work placement opportunities. Portsmouth has particular strengths in cosmology research, which enriches the academic environment in which you study.

The physics foundation of the programme develops your mastery of classical and modern physics: mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, and the mathematical tools that underpin all of these. The astrophysics and cosmology strand extends this into the study of stars, galaxies, and the universe as a whole, using spectroscopy, gravitational physics, nuclear and particle physics, and the observational data gathered by telescopes across the electromagnetic spectrum and beyond. You will engage with how the universe is observed and measured, how models of cosmic structure and evolution are built and tested against observation, and how fundamental questions in physics connect to the largest scales of the cosmos.

The sandwich year and year abroad provide professional and international experience that complements the academic content strongly.

Graduates of physics, astrophysics, and cosmology programmes have strong career prospects across a wide range of sectors. Academic and industrial research in physics, astrophysics, and space science are direct pathways for those wishing to pursue careers at the frontier of the discipline. Technology, data science, defence, finance, telecommunications, and public sector analytical roles are also significant career destinations, as the quantitative and computational skills that physics develops are in sustained demand across the economy.

Some graduates go on to doctoral study in astrophysics, cosmology, or related areas of physics. The year abroad and placement experience strengthen both the international competence and the professional readiness that employers value.