Physics with Astro-Physics

Physics with Astrophysics is a degree that combines a thorough grounding in the fundamental laws governing matter and energy with a focused study of the universe at its largest scales. Physics is the science that explains everything from the behaviour of subatomic particles to the flow of heat and light, from the mechanics of moving bodies to the nature of space and time. Astrophysics applies these principles to the cosmos, investigating how stars are born and die, how galaxies form and evolve, what dark matter and dark energy might be, and how the universe itself came into being and will develop.

At Queen's University Belfast, this three-year, full-time programme gives you a thorough foundation in modern physics alongside dedicated astrophysics modules. You will study classical and quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, optics, and relativity, developing the mathematical and analytical toolkit that all of physics requires. The astrophysics strand then applies this foundation to understanding stars, stellar populations, galaxies, black holes, cosmology, and observational astronomy, moving behind the images that popular science presents to explain the physics that produces them.

Queen's has a strong tradition in astrophysics research, particularly in areas such as stellar astrophysics and space weather, and the teaching reflects that active research culture.

Graduates of Physics with Astrophysics move into careers in research, where many pursue postgraduate study leading to PhD positions in universities or research institutes. The quantitative skills the degree develops are also highly valued outside academia, and physics graduates find careers in finance, data science, software engineering, defence, energy, medical physics, and consultancy. Teaching physics at secondary level is another well-established path.

The combination of mathematical rigour and scientific breadth makes physics graduates among the most analytically capable in any graduate cohort.