International Profile

University of Cardiff
The School of Physics and Astronomy

About us
Physics is the fundamental science which lies at the heart of all technology and engineering. At Cardiff University School of Physics and Astronomy, we’re proud to be part of groundbreaking research exploring the frontiers of physics and astronomy.

Home to one of the largest astronomy groups in the UK, we are one of the founder members of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) which first detected gravitational waves in 2016.

Our researchers have been instrumental in developing nanoscale 3D-printing of magnetic materials and we have led the development of technologies around quantum dots, which will help scientists and engineers of the future to optimise the efficiency of devices from power generation to medical imaging.

In the REF 2021 research assessment exercise 99% of our submission was deemed world-leading or internationally excellent, showing the strength of our research expertise.

The welcoming nature of our School is reflected by the fact that we were the first physics department in Wales to achieve Athena Silver Swan status in 2022, demonstrating our commitment to equality and diversity. In the 2022 National Student Survey, we were ranked first in the Russell Group universities for organisation and management and second for the quality of teaching.

Location and facilities
The School of Physics and Astronomy is based in the Queen’s Buildings, in the heart of Wales’s capital city.

Our friendly, international community is currently made up of approximately 150 teaching and research staff and around 470 students. Our postgraduate students have plenty of opportunities to interact with our internationally-recognised staff and to benefit from their expertise.

We work with the: Cardiff University

Worldwide LIGO research group, which first detected gravitational waves in 2016.
£44 million Cardiff University Brain Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) which brings together world-leading expertise in brain mapping with the very latest in brain imaging and stimulation.
Institute for Compound Semiconductors, based in the state-of-the-art Translational Research Hub.

The new Centre for Student Life, the hub for student support and careers services, and the Students’ Union, (rated 2^nd in the UK by 2022 WhatUni Student Choice Awards for Best Students’ Union) are also within easy access.

A two-hour train journey to London, Cardiff is ideally located for easy access to the Welsh coastline and national parks.

Postgraduate taught courses
We offer six postgraduate taught courses, with a number of funding and scholarship opportunities.

MSc Physics
MSc Astrophysics
MSc Compound Semiconductor Physics
MSc Gravitational Waves
MSc Data Intensive Physics
MSc Data Intensive Astrophysics
Cardiff University
“The best thing about the course is the modules - the way they are designed not only covers everything we need to know about astrophysics but prepared me for a research career. The staff are very friendly, and although I was a long way away from my family, I feel as though I have a little family here now. Cardiff is really green, and the Student Union has loads of activities every day where you can make friends so it’s not just about studying, it’s everything – the whole package.”

Gauri Verma, MSc Astrophysics student, 2023

YouTube: hear from our student

Postgraduate research courses
We provide supervision and/or research projects in the following areas:

Astronomy (Observational and Theoretical)
Astronomy Instrumentation
Condensed Matter and Photonics
Gravity Exploration Institute
Brain Imaging

Contact details
physics-admissions@cardiff.ac.uk
+44 (0)29 208 76457
Queen's Buildings
The Parade
Cardiff University
CF24 3AA

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