Edinburgh: Extraordinary futures await.
Undergraduate study - 2025 entry
Degree finder
Contact us

Subject area: Physics and Astronomy

Why choose Physics and Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh?

  • We are ranked in the top 20 universities in the UK by subject in the Times Good University Guide 2024.

  • All of our single honours programmes are accredited by the Institute of Physics (IOP).

  • You will be taught by academic staff with links to major research facilities across the world, including CERN, TRIUMF, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and a number of principal astronomy facilities.

  • Our teaching laboratories cover all disciplines of experimental physics.

Study abroad

Studying at Edinburgh for me is a unique experience, as it is a combination of being in a great community of students and staff, following an excellent approach to learning Physics, and living in such a beautiful city.

Dimona Videnlieva 4th year MPhys Theoretical Physics
Dimona Videnlieva 4th year MPhys Theoretical Physics

Introducing Physics and Astronomy

Physics is the study of matter and motion, what the world is made of and how it works.

Physicists study:

  • quarks and leptons and the smallest fragments of the universe
  • the material world we perceive directly with our senses
  • stars, galaxies, and the origins and fate of the universe itself

Our programmes will guide you through this territory and equip you with a range of thinking and practical skills. You will learn the fundamental principles of physics and start to specialise as you progress through your programme.

Our programmes are flexible, so you can tailor your study to your interests and chosen career. You will also be able to choose a range of subjects from other academic areas.

You will learn new skills, such as how to:

  • assemble data by experiment, study or calculation
  • draw conclusions from your observations

These skills will prepare you for a range of careers or for further study and research.

Take a virtual tour

You can take a closer look at the School of Physics and Astronomy and explore our facilities and campus on the University's Virtual Visit site.

Take a virtual tour of the School of Physics and Astronomy