Overview
Physics is the most fundamental of the natural sciences—it seeks to understand the laws governing the universe, from the behavior of subatomic particles to the dynamics of galaxies. Studying physics means learning to describe the world in the language of mathematics, building models that explain natural phenomena, and testing those models through experiment and observation.
The intellectual demands of a physics degree are among the highest in any discipline. You will master advanced mathematics, develop deep physical intuition, and learn to approach problems with a first-principles mindset. This rigorous training is precisely why physics graduates are so versatile—they are recruited into finance, technology, engineering, data science, and research, often competing successfully against specialists in those fields.
If you are driven by curiosity about how the universe works, enjoy solving challenging mathematical problems, and want a degree that demonstrates intellectual depth to any employer, physics is an outstanding choice. It is not the easiest path, but it is one of the most respected and flexible degrees you can earn.
The world’s leading physics programmes offer distinct strengths worth understanding. MIT’s Department of Physics emphasises hands-on experimental work alongside theory, with access to facilities like the Plasma Science and Fusion Center. Caltech—with the highest per-capita Nobel count in physics—offers an intimate, research-intensive environment where undergraduates regularly co-author papers. Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory has been the site of landmark discoveries from the electron to the structure of DNA, and its Natural Sciences Tripos provides exceptional breadth. ETH Zurich, Einstein’s alma mater, remains a powerhouse in theoretical and experimental physics across Europe, while Princeton’s department is renowned for its strengths in string theory, cosmology, and plasma physics.
Career Outcomes & Salary
What jobs can I get and how much will I earn?
$55,000–$100,000 (US) / £28,000–£45,000 (UK) / A$55,000–$80,000 (AU)
$100,000–$220,000 (US) / £55,000–£120,000 (UK) / A$85,000–$160,000 (AU)
$160,000–$500,000+ (US, senior quant finance or tech research)
Very strong—physics graduates are prized for their problem-solving abilities. Quantitative finance, tech, quantum computing, and clean energy all compete for physics talent. The supply of graduates with genuine mathematical physics training always falls short of demand.
Industry Trends & Outlook
Where is this field heading?
Physics is experiencing a period of extraordinary both fundamental and applied excitement. In fundamental research, the James Webb Space Telescope is revealing the earliest galaxies and testing cosmological models. The detection of gravitational waves by LIGO/Virgo has opened an entirely new window on the universe. Particle physics is pursuing the mysteries left unsolved by the Standard Model—dark matter, neutrino masses, and the matter-antimatter asymmetry—while planning for next-generation colliders. Quantum computing, which emerged directly from quantum physics research, is transitioning from laboratory curiosity to commercial development, with companies like IBM, Google, IonQ, and PsiQuantum investing billions.
The applied physics landscape is equally dynamic. Semiconductor physics underpins the entire technology industry, and the push for smaller, faster, more energy-efficient chips continues to drive innovation. Clean energy physics—photovoltaics, battery materials, fusion energy—is a massive growth area as the world transitions to low-carbon energy systems. Nuclear fusion has seen renewed optimism with breakthroughs at the National Ignition Facility and private fusion companies attracting unprecedented investment. Quantum sensing, quantum cryptography, and quantum networking are emerging applications where physics graduates are in direct demand. Medical physics (radiation therapy, MRI development, proton beam therapy) provides a clinical career path that combines physics with healthcare.
For students entering physics, the career outlook is strong and remarkably diverse. Physics graduates are valued across industries for their problem-solving abilities—quantitative finance, data science, consulting, and technology companies actively recruit physicists for their rigorous analytical training. The ability to model complex systems, work with uncertainty, and think from first principles is a rare and transferable skill set. Academic physics remains viable but competitive, with postdoctoral positions leading to faculty roles at a rate of roughly 10–20%. The students who thrive are those who combine deep physical understanding with computational skills—Python, numerical methods, and data analysis are now essential tools alongside the traditional pencil-and-paper problem-solving that defines the discipline.
AI & This Major
AI is a tool that physics graduates are uniquely positioned to develop and apply. Understanding optimization, linear algebra, probability, and modeling from first principles gives physicists a structural advantage in AI research. Physics-informed machine learning (encoding physical laws into AI models) is a growing frontier.
What You'll Learn
Core topics and skills covered in this degree
Is This Right For Me?
Honest self-assessment to help you decide
You'll thrive if...
- ✓You’re driven by a deep curiosity about how the universe works—from the subatomic to the cosmic, you want to understand the fundamental laws of nature
- ✓You enjoy mathematical problem-solving and find beauty in the way equations describe physical reality
- ✓You like the combination of theoretical elegance and experimental verification—ideas must be tested against the real world
- ✓You want a degree that develops the most rigorous analytical and problem-solving skills possible—physics training is portable across industries
- ✓You’re comfortable with difficulty—physics is genuinely hard, and the challenge is part of what makes it rewarding
Might not be for you if...
- ●Mathematics beyond calculus makes you uncomfortable—physics is intensely mathematical, and the maths gets harder every year
- ●You prefer practical, directly applicable learning—much of physics is abstract and theoretical, with applications that may not be obvious
- ●You want a career path that doesn’t require explaining to people what you can do with your degree—physics careers often require translation between academic training and industry roles
- ●You prefer collaborative, discussion-based learning—physics problem-solving is largely individual and internal
- ●Experimental work involving long lab sessions and meticulous data analysis doesn’t appeal to you—experimental physics is a core component
A Day in the Life
What a typical week actually looks like
A typical week in Year 2 of a physics programme is a demanding combination of mathematical rigour, experimental skill, and conceptual wonder. Monday starts with a classical mechanics lecture that’s nothing like school physics—you’re studying Lagrangian mechanics, deriving equations of motion from variational principles rather than Newton’s laws directly. The mathematics involves calculus of variations and generalized coordinates, and the elegance of the Euler-Lagrange equation feels like discovering a deeper layer of reality beneath the F=ma you learned at school. After lunch, a three-hour experimental physics lab has you measuring the speed of light using a rotating mirror apparatus, calculating uncertainties, and writing up results in a formal lab report.
Tuesday features an electromagnetism lecture working through Maxwell’s equations in differential form—you’re using vector calculus (divergence, curl, gradient) to understand how electric and magnetic fields propagate as electromagnetic waves. The fact that light is an electromagnetic wave, derived purely from mathematical equations, still feels remarkable. Wednesday brings a quantum mechanics module that challenges everything you thought you knew about reality—today you’re solving the time-independent Schrödinger equation for the hydrogen atom, and the mathematics of spherical harmonics and angular momentum operators is the most technically demanding material you’ve encountered. Your problem sheet involves calculating the probability of finding an electron at a given distance from the nucleus.
Thursday has a thermal physics lecture deriving the laws of thermodynamics from statistical mechanics—connecting the macroscopic behaviour of gases to the statistical properties of enormous numbers of microscopic particles. The insight that entropy is fundamentally about counting microstates is one of those conceptual shifts that changes how you think about the physical world. Friday brings a computational physics class where you write Python code to numerically solve differential equations that have no analytical solution—this week it’s simulating planetary orbits using the Runge-Kutta method. Weekends are spent on problem sheets (typically 4–6 challenging problems per course, requiring 15–25+ hours total), reading textbooks (Griffiths for E&M, Shankar for quantum), and preparing lab reports that must meet rigorous standards for uncertainty analysis and scientific writing.
High School Preparation
What to study and do before university
Skills to Develop
- •Master calculus thoroughly—physics is fundamentally mathematical, and comfort with differentiation, integration, and differential equations is non-negotiable from day one
- •Develop physical intuition alongside mathematical skill—practice estimating orders of magnitude, reasoning about limiting cases, and checking whether answers make physical sense
- •Learn basic programming (Python)—computational physics is increasingly central, and the ability to simulate physical systems and analyze data numerically is a major advantage
- •Read beyond the textbook—Feynman’s Lectures on Physics (freely available online), Six Easy Pieces, or The Elegant Universe (Greene) show how physicists actually think
Extracurriculars
- •Participate in physics olympiads (BPhO, IPhO selection, F=ma)—competition physics develops problem-solving skills that directly prepare you for university-level work
- •Build projects that demonstrate physics understanding—a telescope, an electromagnetic device, a Raspberry Pi physics experiment—hands-on building shows applied understanding
- •Attend physics enrichment programmes—many universities run summer schools and masterclasses for talented students
- •Read popular physics books and follow physics communication channels—Veritasium, 3Blue1Brown (for the maths), and Physics Girl provide excellent content
- •Enter science fairs with a physics project that involves designing experiments, collecting data, and drawing conclusions
QS World Ranking 2026
Physics & Astronomy
| # | University |
|---|---|
| 1 | 🇺🇸Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) |
| 2 | 🇺🇸Harvard University |
| 3 | 🇬🇧University of Oxford |
| 4 | 🇺🇸Stanford University |
| 5 | 🇬🇧University of Cambridge |
How This Compares to Similar Majors
Side-by-side with related fields
Getting In — Admissions Guide
How competitive is this major and how to stand out
Physics at top universities is highly competitive. Cambridge requires A*A*A with A* in both Mathematics and Physics. Oxford requires A*AA with A* in Physics and Mathematics (plus the PAT aptitude test). Imperial requires A*A*A. IB students need 40–42+ with HL Physics and Mathematics at 7. Further Mathematics is strongly recommended at most competitive programmes.
What Strengthens Your Application
- 1Exceptional results in Physics, Mathematics, and ideally Further Mathematics—these three subjects are the core preparation
- 2Physics olympiad participation (BPhO, F=ma/USAPhO)—competition results strongly correlate with success in university physics
- 3Hands-on physics projects—building devices, conducting experiments, or solving physics problems beyond the syllabus
- 4Programming experience—demonstrating computational skills is increasingly valued
- 5A personal statement showing genuine intellectual curiosity about physical phenomena, not just exam performance
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ●Not taking Further Mathematics—this is a major disadvantage at competitive programmes and leaves you underprepared for the mathematical demands
- ●Treating physics as a memorization subject—university physics is about deriving, understanding, and applying principles, not remembering formulae
- ●Underestimating the workload—physics consistently ranks among the most demanding undergraduate programmes
Interview & Admission Tests
Oxford requires the PAT (Physics Aptitude Test) and conducts interviews with live problem-solving. Cambridge interviews involve working through physics and maths problems in real time. The key is demonstrating physical intuition and mathematical reasoning under pressure—practice unfamiliar problems, not rehearsed solutions. Imperial may use the PAT or alternative aptitude tests.
General Preparation
These recommendations cover general preparation across Singapore universities. Specific programme requirements may differ—detailed per-programme requirements coming soon.
IB Diploma
- •Mathematics AA HL (essential)
- •Physics HL (strongly recommended)
- •Chemistry HL (helpful)
A-Level
- •H2 Mathematics (essential)
- •H2 Physics (strongly recommended)
- •H2 Further Mathematics (advantageous)
- •H2 Chemistry (helpful)
AP
- •AP Physics C: Mechanics (essential)
- •AP Physics C: E&M (essential)
- •AP Calculus BC
IGCSE
- •Physics (essential, high grade)
- •Additional Mathematics (essential)
- •Chemistry (recommended)
Skills & Aptitudes
NUS IB / A-Level admission requirements:NUS Admissions
NTU IB / A-Level admission requirements:NTU Admissions
Where to Study in Singapore
Similar Majors
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Frequently Asked Questions
What do you study in Physics?
Physics is the most fundamental of the natural sciences—it seeks to understand the laws governing the universe, from the behavior of subatomic particles to the dynamics of galaxies. Studying physics means learning to describe the world in the language of mathematics, building models that explain natural phenomena, and testing those models through experiment…
What can you do after a Physics degree?
Typical entry-level roles: Quantitative Analyst, Data Scientist, Graduate Engineer, Research Associate, Medical Physicist (Trainee) (starting salary $55,000–$100,000 (US) / £28,000–£45,000 (UK) / A$55,000–$80,000 (AU)). Key industries: Quantitative Finance, Technology & AI, National Laboratories & Research, Quantum Computing, Medical Physics & Healthcare. Very strong—physics graduates are prized for their problem-solving abilities. Quantitative finance, tech, quantum computing, and clean energy all compete for ph…
Which high-school courses prepare you for Physics?
Recommended IB courses: HL Physics, HL Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches, HL Chemistry; Recommended AP courses: AP Physics C: Mechanics, AP Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism, AP Calculus BC; Recommended A-Levels: Physics, Mathematics, Further Mathematics.
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