Mathematics and Physics
University of Manchester
UCAS Code: FG31 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
University of Manchester
UCAS Code: FG31 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
A*AA including A* in Mathematics or Further Mathematics A-level. Further Mathematics is preferred but not essential. When the Further Maths A-level is taken it will be included in the offer. If you do not have the required grades or subjects you may want to consider our integrated foundation year. Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore there will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A-level taken. Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offers you will receive. Typical Contextual Offer: A*AB including A* in Mathematics A-level or AAA including AA in Mathematics and Further Mathematics A-level. Further Mathematics is preferred but not essential. When the Further Maths A-level is taken it will be included in the offer. A grade A in A-level Further Mathematics would be required. Please check for specific GCSE/IGCSE subject entry requirements below Contextual offers are available for applicants who: - live in the UK and will be under the age of 21 on 1 September of the year they will start their course; and - live in an area of disadvantage or with low progression into higher education; and - have attended a UK school or college for their GCSEs or A-levels (or equivalent qualifications) that has performed below the national average over multiple years. See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.
AS level results are not considered as part of the standard admissions process at The University of Manchester.
Each application is considered individually. Applicants should contact the Admissions Office to discuss their particular circumstances. As a guide we require a QAA-recognised Access to HE Diploma (a minimum of 60 credits overall with at least 45 at Level 3). The 45 credits at Level 3 to be with Distinction (to include 21 credits of specific Mathematics units). In addition, we require Advanced A-level in Mathematics at grade A*.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
D2, D2, D3 in Principal subjects, including D2 in both Physics and Mathematics. We also consider applicants offering a mix of Pre-U Principal Subjects and A-level subjects, provided a minimum of three distinct subjects overall are taken. The University welcomes and recognises the value of the Cambridge Pre-U Global Perspectives and Research (GPR) and the opportunities it provides for applicants to develop independent study and research skills. However, the qualification will not form part of your offer conditions. If you do not have the required grades or subjects you may want to consider our integrated foundation year.
The University recognises the benefits of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and the opportunities it provides for applicants to develop independent study and research skills. Although the Extended Project will not be included in the conditions of your offer, we strongly encourage you to provide information about the EPQ in your personal statement and at interview (if appropriate). We may also choose to take your performance in the EPQ into account should places be available in August for applicants who narrowly miss the entry grades for their chosen course.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education, typically five GCSEs/IGCSEs at grade A*/9 to B/6, including acceptable levels of literacy and numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade C/4 in GCSE/IGCSE English Language and Grade A/7 (normally) in GCSE/IGCSE Mathematics. GCSE/IGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/IGCSE English Language. Other applicants will be expected to demonstrate a broad general education and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
37 points overall with 7,6,6 at Higher Level, including 7 in Mathematics. We will only accept Higher Level Mathematics: analysis and approaches.
OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma
We consider the Cambridge Technical Diploma for entry with grades DD in combination with a grade A* in A-level Mathematics.
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate
We consider the Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate for entry with grade D plus a grade A* in A-level Mathematics and another A-level (not General Studies or Critical Thinking) at grade A.
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
We consider the Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma for entry with grades DDD in combination with a grade A* in A-level Mathematics.
OCR Cambridge Technical Foundation Diploma
We consider the Cambridge Foundation Diploma for entry with grades DD plus a grade A* in A-level Mathematics and another A-level (not General Studies or Critical Thinking) at grade A.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
We consider the National Diploma for entry provided it is in a subject relevant to the chosen course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Diploma with grades DD plus an A-level in Mathematics at grade A*.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
We consider the National Extended Certificate for entry provided it is in a subject relevant to the chosen course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Extended Certificate with grade D plus additional level 3 qualifications such as A-level grades at A* (Mathematics) and A in another subject.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
We consider the National Extended Diploma for entry provided it is in a subject relevant to the chosen course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Extended Diploma with grades DDD plus an A-level in Mathematics at grade A*.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
We consider the National Foundation Diploma for entry provided it is in a subject relevant to the chosen course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Foundation Diploma with grade D plus additional level 3 qualifications such as A-levels at A* (Mathematics) and A in another subject.
We normally require grades AAAAB in Scottish Highers. In addition, Scottish Advanced Highers at AAA (including Mathematics) is normally required. English Language not taken at Higher/Advanced Higher must have been achieved at SCQF level 5 (minimum National 5 grade C / Intermediate 2 grade C / Standard Grade Credit level grade 3). If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact us.
We normally require grades AAAAB in Scottish Highers. In addition, Scottish Advanced Highers at AAA (including Mathematics) is normally required. English Language not taken at Higher/Advanced Higher must have been achieved at SCQF level 5 (minimum National 5 grade C / Intermediate 2 grade C / Standard Grade Credit level grade 3). If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact us.
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)
The University welcomes and recognises the value of the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma/Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate and would consider this qualification at grade A when taken with Physics and Mathematics A-levels with grades A*A*.
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About this course
Our BSc Mathematics and Physics degree provides an opportunity to study two key subjects in depth - at a university with a fantastic reputation for both.
You will study a broad range of topics across both disciplines. In applied mathematics, for example, you can cover hydrodynamics, waves, elasticity and modelling of industrial processes. For theoretical physics you can study, among others, high energy particle physics, nuclear physics and quark matter, and field theory in curved space-time.
Our physics department is recognised as one of the very best in the UK, and we have one of the largest mathematics departments in the country - so you can explore a huge range of areas.
You will have access to an incredible array of facilities - including our £43 million built-for-purpose Alan Turing Building, designed with input from mathematics staff and students alike - and will be taught by teachers with a wide variety of research interests. Our strong links with industry include an annual maths-specific careers fair and an employer interview programme.
Extra funding
The University of Manchester is committed to attracting and supporting the very best students. We have a focus on nurturing talent and ability and we want to make sure that you have the opportunity to study here, regardless of your financial circumstances.
The Uni
University of Manchester
Department of Physics and Astronomy
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Mathematics
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Physics
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Mathematics
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
Want to feel needed? This is one of the most flexible degrees of all and with so much of modern work being based on data, there are options everywhere for maths graduates. With all that training in handling figures, it's hardly surprising that a lot of maths graduates go into well-paid jobs in the IT or finance industries, and last year, a maths graduate in London could expect a very respectable average starting salary of £27k. And we're always short of teachers in maths, so that is an excellent option for anyone wanting to help the next generation. And if you want a research job, you'll want a doctorate — and a really good maths doctorate will get you all sorts of interest from academia and finance — and might secure some of the highest salaries going for new leavers from university.
Physics
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
Although the subject has seen a bit of resurgence in recent years, the UK is still felt to be short of physics graduates, and in particular physicists training as teachers. If you want a career in physics research — in all sorts of areas, from atmospheric physics to lasers - you'll probably need to take a doctorate, and so have a think about where you would like to do that and how you might fund it (the government funds many physics doctorates, so you might not find it as hard as you think). With that in mind, it's not surprising that just over a fifth of physics graduates go on to take doctorates when they finish their degree, and well over a third of physicists take some kind of postgraduate study in total. Physics is highly regarded and surprisingly versatile, which is why physics graduates who decide not to stay in education are more likely to go into well-paid jobs in the finance industry than they are to go into science. The demand and versatility of physics degrees goes to explain why they're amongst the best-paid science graduates.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Mathematics
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£25k
£34k
£41k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
Physics
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£26k
£36k
£43k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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