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 and well remunerated in numerous sectors outside of science. Physics graduates are typically academically excellent, critical thinkers and effective communicators, open to learning and personal development, and have the attributes to become active citizens. As a Physics student you will learn many valuable transferable skills that are important for employability:
- Critical thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to apply rules to new information
- The ability to break down a complex problem into a set of discrete, logical, manageable steps
- A strong understanding of research skills (via interdisciplinary seminars and the 4th year project)
- Oral and poster presentations
- Group and team work
- Synopsis, report and essay writing
- A high level of fluency in mathematical topics
- Mathematical and computer modelling expertise
- Programming skills, which may include R, Python, Matlab, or Mathematica, depending on the courses chosen
- Computer based data and time series analysis and modelling
According to the What Do Graduates Do? 2023/2024 survey, a high percentage of Physics graduates were in employment or study 15 months after graduation (88%). Physics graduates also commanded the highest average salaries for science graduates (£30,691). About 51% of Physics graduates were in full-time employment, and a further 20% in further study, about half of which were pursuing a PhD or similar doctoral-level research degree.
The most common type of work for those in employment include Information Technology (28%), Business, HR, and Finance (21%), Engineering professions (11%), and Scientific professions (9%). Common postgraduate fields for physics graduates include bio-medical physics, theoretical physics, applied physics, astrophysics, and data science.
Some roles taken up by physics graduates include Actuary, Astronomer, Business Analyst, Chartered Accountant, Clinical Scientist (Medical Physics), Data Scientist, Economist, Engineer, Financial Analyst, Geophysicist, IT Professional, Metallurgist, Meteorologist, Nanotechnologist, Nuclear Engineer, "Quant", Patent Attorney, Researcher, Software Engineer, Statistician, Teacher, and Technical Writer.