Physics with Astronomy

Physics with astronomy combines the rigorous study of the fundamental principles governing matter, energy, space, and time with a focused engagement with the science of the universe beyond Earth. Astronomy addresses some of the most profound questions humans can ask: the origin and evolution of the universe, the nature of dark matter and dark energy, the life cycles of stars, the formation of galaxies, and the possibility of life elsewhere. Physics provides the mathematical and conceptual framework within which those questions are approached with genuine scientific rigour.

At the University of Liverpool, this three-year full-time programme includes a year abroad, giving you the experience of studying in a different research or academic environment and the opportunity to build connections in the international astrophysics community. Liverpool has research activity in areas including astrophysics and cosmology, and undergraduate students benefit from that environment as they progress through the course. You will develop the mathematical tools, experimental skills, and physical intuition that are central to any physics degree, alongside the specialist astrophysical content that makes this programme distinctive, including stellar physics, cosmology, planetary science, and observational methods.

Physics with astronomy graduates find careers in scientific research, data science, engineering, finance, space technology, education, and science communication. The quantitative and analytical skills developed by a physics degree are valued across many professional sectors, and the astrophysics specialism opens specific routes into space agencies, observatories, research institutes, and the growing commercial space sector. Further study at master's or PhD level in astrophysics, cosmology, or physics is the route into research careers for those wishing to work at the frontier of the discipline.