Physics vs Astrophysics

Hi everyone. I am currently in Year 12 studying Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science at A-level and wish to study Physics at university. I'm very interested in Astrophysics and am positive I would like a job in the subject.

I was intrigued as to whether it would be better to take a general physics degree (and take astro modules with an astro-focused thesis for my masters in 2027/8) or take a more specific astrophysics / physics with astrophysics degree?

I feel if I took the astrophysics degree route I'd have more leverage when it comes to applying for astrophysics-related jobs but may be limiting myself if there are no jobs in the field and I decide to branch out, but taking a general physics degree, while broadening the possibility for physics jobs, may put me at a disadvantage for astrophysics-specific jobs, which I'm very sure I would like to do.

Does anybody have any advice?

Reply 1

yellowdrummer123

5

Original post by c_buck16

Hi everyone. I am currently in Year 12 studying Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science at A-level and wish to study Physics at university. I'm very interested in Astrophysics and am positive I would like a job in the subject.

I was intrigued as to whether it would be better to take a general physics degree (and take astro modules with an astro-focused thesis for my masters in 2027/8) or take a more specific astrophysics / physics with astrophysics degree?

I feel if I took the astrophysics degree route I'd have more leverage when it comes to applying for astrophysics-related jobs but may be limiting myself if there are no jobs in the field and I decide to branch out, but taking a general physics degree, while broadening the possibility for physics jobs, may put me at a disadvantage for astrophysics-specific jobs, which I'm very sure I would like to do.

Does anybody have any advice?

Hi, I am (fingers crossed) going to study Physics with Astrophysics later this year at uni and I had a similar question to you in year 12. However, you will find that majority of the universities in the UK have Physics with Astrophysics or sometimes Physics with Astronomy as their degrees rather than straight Astrophysics. And in all 3 cases you are required to take loads of general physics and mathematics modules especially in years 1 and 2 because every physicist needs to know the foundations of physics before specialising into any field. As a result, whether you apply for Astrophysics or any other Physics degrees the first year will be very similar to a general physics degree and you can usually take introductory Astro modules on the general degree as well as the Astro streamed ones. So, you shouldn't worry too much about your decision now because you will gain the general physics background no matter what and if you feel you made the wrong choice when you get to uni there will likely be the option to switch in or out of the streamed option, especially in the first 2 years (although I would clarify this with your specific choices at open days etc).

Also, as far as I am aware a lot of astrophysics jobs (by which I think you mean research?) will require a PhD so you can always specialise into astrophysics at this stage instead if you decide to do a general physics degree.

Hope this helped :smile:

(edited 11 months ago)

Reply 2

Kong, Donkey

10

Original post by c_buck16

Hi everyone. I am currently in Year 12 studying Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science at A-level and wish to study Physics at university. I'm very interested in Astrophysics and am positive I would like a job in the subject.

I was intrigued as to whether it would be better to take a general physics degree (and take astro modules with an astro-focused thesis for my masters in 2027/8) or take a more specific astrophysics / physics with astrophysics degree?

I feel if I took the astrophysics degree route I'd have more leverage when it comes to applying for astrophysics-related jobs but may be limiting myself if there are no jobs in the field and I decide to branch out, but taking a general physics degree, while broadening the possibility for physics jobs, may put me at a disadvantage for astrophysics-specific jobs, which I'm very sure I would like to do.

Does anybody have any advice?

I have applied for a general physics masters starting this year. At every open day I've attended, the university has always said that you can change courses generally up to the end of 1st/2nd year as the content in these years is normally the same as any other physics course. The only difference in applying for a physics with astrophysics (or alike) degree is that you get priority over other general physics students for astrophysics experiments and events. Also, Astrophysics/Astronomy modules that would've been compulsory for a general physics student are now compulsory for you.

In my own experience, I initially wanted to apply for a physics with astrophysics / only astrophysics degree when I started looking at universities, but after some research and gathering opinions from family friends and whatnot (who have jobs in the field), I decided to do a general physics degree as it would most likely be better for me job-wise (higher salary, more job opportunities possibly) and I still love physics as a whole so this really didn't bother me. Of course, while you're doing your degree and you decide your heart is set on a job in astrophysics, then specialise in it. My point is, don't limit your choices too soon and just explore (and definitely research) everything to see what you like. I thought astrophysics was my favourite part of physics in Y12 and now I can't even pick. There's always time to change your course after you get into university, so I'd say don't worry for now; just focus on getting into university for now and don't spend too much time stressing over what course you apply for.

Reply 3

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

15

Hi,
I'm a second year studying physics at Lancaster University. As others have said, in first year at most universities you will find that whatever branch of physics degree scheme you are on e.g. particle physics and cosmology, or physics with astrophysics, you will study all of the same core modules in first year. This will give you a good grounding which you can build on in your desired area of expertise, starting from second year onwards. I'd also add that as yellowdrummer said there is some flexibility in terms of moving between degree schemes within the department; at Lancaster we were given the option to change streams up until the end of first year once you know a little bit more about what you're interested in.
If you know that you're interested in astrophysics I'd recommend checking out which unis have research focus areas in astrophysics as this will filter down into your undergraduate degree, especially in the later years, in terms of what modules are on offer. For instance, Lancaster does a lot of research in space physics, for example into the magnetospheres of other planets in the solar system and the impacts of space weather, as well as in areas of astrophysics such as star evolution, and this is echoed in third year modules like space and aural physics, advanced stellar astrophysics, stellar structure and the interstellar medium Have a look at what modules are currently on offer, but it's not guaranteed that the same modules will be running when you attend university, which is why checking which research groups are active at a university can be helpful. Once you've found a university that matches your interests, you should be able to apply for any physics or physics with astrophysics degree and get a good foundation in general physics, whilst also being able to study topics you're interested in.
In terms of being disadvantaged for astrophysics-based jobs without a specific astrophysics degree, so long as you have studied some astrophysics and have the necessary skills and interest it is likely that the employer/research institute will not be too fussy about the title of your degree.
Having said that, the most important thing to consider when choosing a course is whether you are going to enjoy it or not, so if you know astrophysics is your passion make sure you find a university that offers a lot of astrophysics modules!
Hope this helps,
Becky
(Lancaster University Student Ambassador)

Physics vs Astrophysics

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