Physics with Astrophysics

Physics with astrophysics brings together the fundamental discipline of physics and one of its most awe-inspiring applications: the study of the universe at the largest scales. Physics provides the laws and mathematical frameworks that govern everything from subatomic particles to macroscopic structures; astrophysics applies those frameworks to stars, galaxies, black holes, dark matter, dark energy and the origin and evolution of the cosmos. Astrophysics is driven by some of the deepest questions in science: how did the universe begin, how do stars form and die, what is dark matter, and what is the ultimate fate of everything?

At the University of York, this four-year programme, which includes a year in industry as well as a year abroad, connects your study directly to active research on the great challenges of cosmology, from the nuclear reactions that power stars to the mysteries of dark matter, as York's own description puts it. You will develop a rigorous grounding in classical and quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics and special relativity, alongside specialist study in stellar physics, galactic structure, cosmology and observational astronomy. The year in industry gives you the opportunity to apply your skills in a professional scientific or engineering environment, while the year abroad provides an international academic dimension to your formation as a physicist.

Physics trains a distinctive kind of analytical thinking: the ability to construct mathematical models of complex systems, to make quantitative predictions and to test them against data. These skills are valued far beyond academic science.

Graduates from physics with astrophysics go on to careers in research, space science, data science, financial modelling, engineering, technology, computing, scientific instrumentation and science communication, as well as postgraduate study leading to doctoral research in astrophysics or related fields.