Key information
Duration
- Full-time: 36 months (3-4 years)
- Part-time: 60 months (5-7 years)
Start dates & application deadlines
- Starting January 2027 - Apply before Oct 2026
- Starting April 2027 - Apply before Jan 2027
- Starting July 2027 - Apply before Apr 2027
- Starting October 2027 - Apply before Jul 2027
Language
English
English requirements
TOEFL® IBT - Required score: 90
TOEFL iBT® is accepted by more than 13,000 universities and other institutions in over 160 countries. The test can be taken at a test center or at home. The test measures your English-language abilities in an academic setting. The score refers to the total score of 4 subjects (writing, listening, speaking, and reading), each subject has a range of 0 - 30.
PTE Academic - Required score: 69
PTE Academic (Pearson Test of English) is a language test that enables students to demonstrate their writing, listening, speaking, and reading skills when applying to study in English. The score refers to a total score which ranges between 10 and 90.
IELTS - Required score: 6.5
The International English Language Test System (IELTS) tests your English-language proficiency on a scale of 1 – 9. The score refers to the combined average score of 4 subjects (writing, listening, speaking, and reading).
Delivered
On Campus
Campus Location
Cardiff, United Kingdom
Disciplines
Physics; Astronomy & Space Sciences
Overview
The Astronomy and Astrophysics observational degree delivered at Cardiff University regularly uses a variety of international telescopes, in particular the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, GEMINI telescope and the UK Infrared Telescope in Hawaii, the La Palma Observatory, the Anglo-Australian Telescope, and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST).
Much of our work involves multi-wavelength observations of the Hidden Universe, those regions of the Universe which are invisible with optical telescopes because they are cold and shrouded in dust - the regions where new galaxies, stars and planets are forming
Objectives
Another major activity is fundamental research in general relativity and gravitational wave astronomy. This includes both the design of gravitational wave telescopes, in particular the processes used to extract and analyse the extremely subtle signals they record; and prediction of the signals to be expected from likely sources such as black holes, supernovae, pulsars, inspiralling and coalescing neutron stars, and quantum processes occurring in the early Universe.
Visit the programme website for more information
Programme Structure
Origins questions include:
- what determines the structure and dynamics of the enormous molecular clouds from which new stars and planets form
- the efficiency of star formation and the masses with which stars form
- the clustering properties of stars and why most stars are born in binary systems
- how galaxies form and how galaxies in clusters inter act with one another
- how, when and where the chemical elements are synthesised
- how the evolution and appearance of the Universe are affected by dust
- how the process of galaxy formation relates to cosmology, particularly the large-scale structure of the "cosmic web"
Admission requirements
Academic requirements
GPA - Upper Second Class
Your GPA, or Grade Point Average, is a number that indicates how well or how high you scored in your courses on average. Usually a GPA scales between 1.0 and 4.0, however different countries and universities can have different grading systems.
English requirements
TOEFL® IBT - Required score: 90
TOEFL iBT® is accepted by more than 13,000 universities and other institutions in over 160 countries. The test can be taken at a test center or at home. The test measures your English-language abilities in an academic setting. The score refers to the total score of 4 subjects (writing, listening, speaking, and reading), each subject has a range of 0 - 30.
PTE Academic - Required score: 69
PTE Academic (Pearson Test of English) is a language test that enables students to demonstrate their writing, listening, speaking, and reading skills when applying to study in English. The score refers to a total score which ranges between 10 and 90.
IELTS - Required score: 6.5
The International English Language Test System (IELTS) tests your English-language proficiency on a scale of 1 – 9. The score refers to the combined average score of 4 subjects (writing, listening, speaking, and reading).
Other requirements
General requirements
- Research proposal
- Personal statement
- CV
- Certificates and transcripts for all post high school education to date. If you are still studying for your undergraduate degree you will probably not have any certificates or final transcripts, but you should submit any end of year interim transcripts that you have so far.
- Two academic references.
Make sure you meet all requirements
Fees and funding
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees are shown in AUD and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.
International
Applies to non-residents: 50,445 AUD / year (≈ 26,700 GBP / year)
Domestic
Applies to citizens or residents: 9,458 AUD / year (≈ 5,006 GBP / year)
Additional Details: Part-time tuition fees: £2,503
Living costs
Cardiff, United Kingdom: 1,186-2,014 AUD / month
The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.