Explore Physics Degree Programmes
Physics at Aberdeen takes you on a fascinating journey of understanding through every level of the physical world, from quarks, atoms and molecules to solar systems, galaxies and the universe.
We will explore questions as vast as how the universe has evolved into its present state and cover topics such as the quantum nature of reality and other fascinating topics like thermodynamics and entropy.
We offer a stimulating environment for learning, with small class sizes and friendly staff that you will truly get to know well as you study here. Our overall aim is to build a solid foundation of physics knowledge and use that to teach you how to think differently about the world and learn the widely applicable problem-solving skills of a physicist.
Here, you will be taught by experts in both experimental and theoretical areas of physics. Our highly research-active staff’s work also interfaces strongly with other disciplines, so you will learn how to apply your physics skills and knowledge to understanding problems in multiple fields, including the environment, the economy and medicine.
We have laboratory physics available at all four years of the degree, with a solid introduction to the skills required for experimental physics in our first year labs, leading to ever more complex experiments and more freedom to pursue your own interests in second and third year. In fourth year, you may choose to undertake an experimental physics project – this year, this has included designing an in-vitro chip for studying heart disease, or constructing an optical tweezers.
Thanks to our connections with other disciplines we have offered other fourth year projects in medical physics, including MRI, and solid state chemistry and the study of anti-matter. We also have extremely strong expertise in computational modelling, and have projects modelling topics as diverse as patient flow through a hospital, the effects of chaos on network communications and the spread of disease.
Explore Physics Degree Programmes
Physics Careers
Physics is widely seen as a highly numerate and technical degree, so general employment prospects are excellent. The comprehensive expertise of the Physics staff at Aberdeen means you will be in an excellent position to pursue postgraduate opportunities in a huge variety of fields.
We have graduates working in particle physics at CERN, in the business and finance sectors, teaching, and even generating weather forecasts. Many graduates become professional scientists in industry, research institutes and universities.
The skills you learn here in quantitative and data analysis are highly valued in numerous sectors outside of science, including banking and finance, where such graduates are highly valued and remunerated.
According to the What Do Graduates Do? 2023 survey, Physics graduates had the highest level of employment in graduate jobs (85%) and also commanded the highest salaries for science graduates (£28,116).
Typical roles taken up by physics graduates include:
• Astronomer
• Clinical Scientist (medical physics)
• Data Scientist
• Financial Analyst
• Geophysicist
• Metallurgist
• Meteorologist
• Nanotechnologist
• Nuclear Scientist
• Researcher
• Software Engineer