Astronomy, Space Science and Astrophysics (MPhys 4 years)
Investigate the possibilities of life elsewhere within the universe and get involved with real space missions from ESA and NASA. This degree allows you to specialise in astronomy and space - from spacecraft design to star formation and astrobiology. Using our fantastic facilities, including the Beacon Observatory, and dedicated data analysis lab module, you'll learn from experts in the field and open up a range of careers in space science.
Our four-year integrated Master's programme (MPhys) allows you to hone the skills needed for research and technical roles in industry, or as a preparation for a PhD. Deepen your knowledge with specialised taught modules and work with an academic to carry out a real, open-ended research project.
If you don't have a science background or don't meet our entry requirements, you can take our foundation year.
Accreditation
This course is fully accredited by the Institute of Physics.
Your future
You’ll graduate with an excellent grounding in scientific knowledge and extensive laboratory experience, as well as a toolbox of transferable skills highly sought after by employers. These include excellent communication and problem-solving skills; analytical thinking; effective time management; and the ability to work independently or as part of a team. Our graduates have gone on to work for employers such as:
Airbus
The Met Office
Defence Engineering and Science Group (MoD)
BAE.
Location
Our city, your time.
It has never been a better time to study in Canterbury. Our high student population creates a vibrant, diverse and student-friendly atmosphere.
We are a hub of exciting new ideas emerging from a stunning historic city - join us and get involved!
You'll focus on the fundamentals of mathematics, physics and astronomy. You'll learn a broad range of subjects such as the multiwavelength universe and exoplanets, spacecraft design and operations, atomic and nuclear physics, and quantum physics. A combination of specialist modules and laboratory work on individual and group projects opens avenues for even deeper exploration: for example, stars, galaxies and the Universe, the Sun, the Earth and Mars and more. In the final year you can study advanced, specialist modules and work within one of our research groups to complete an in-depth research project under the guidance of an academic supervisor.
Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.
This course is available in Clearing. If you have submitted an application, you can add this course. If you haven’t sent us an application yet, you can do this until 24th September 2026.
This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.
University of Kent has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?
The following entry points are available for this course:
Direct entry into Year 2 of this programme is considered on a case by case basis.
For further information about applying to Kent as an international student you can visit our International student webpages: https://www.kent.ac.uk/international. From here you will find useful information on country entry requirements, scholarship information, events and application guidance.
Kent has dedicated support available to international students through groups, networks, English language and more specialist services through our Student Support and Wellbeing team. Visit our guide for international students to find out more on how we can support you during your time at Kent: www.kent.ac.uk/guides/support-for-international-students
Please visit our website for further information:https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/how-to-apply/english-language-requirements.html
As part of our commitment to widening participation at the University of Kent, we have a contextual admissions policy. We use data and indicators to help build a more rounded view of an applicant's achievements and potential, we are keen to ensure that we are able to identify talent using a range of applicant information in addition to prior attainment. We are also committed to ensuring that each applicant is assessed fairly. In general, contextual offers will be lower than our standard offer.
This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).
It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.
Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.
We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.
This report uses your grades to show how students with similar results have done when applying to this course in the past. Sometimes, there isn’t data for every possible set of grades. When that happens, universities and colleges occasionally fill in the gaps for sets of grades that are typically accepted.
No fee information has been provided for this course
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
All fees for 2026/27 are to be confirmed. Please see the programme page at www.kent.ac.uk for further information on fees and funding options.
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details - https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/fees-and-funding
Email:study@kent.ac.uk
Phone:01227 768896
Email:study@kent.ac.uk
Phone:01227 768896
Recruitment and Admissions Office
Registry
Canterbury
CT2 7NZ
At University of Kent
