Undergraduate BSc (Hons)
Astronomy, Space Science and Astrophysics
with a Foundation Year
Inspired by the wonders and vastness of the universe? This is the course for you.
Physics gives you the tools to understand our world at a fundamental level, from the smallest sub-atomic particles to the large-scale structure of the universe. Our dedicated foundation year will give you the knowledge and skills needed for entry to any of our physics, astrophysics, astronomy or space science degrees.
This course is designed for science students who do not meet the requirements for direct entry to Stage 1 of our degree courses. It is also an excellent conversion course for applicants who have shown academic ability in non-science subjects. We consider applicants without traditional academic qualifications who have relevant professional experience.
Successful completion of the foundation year allows you to move on to any of our physics, astrophysics, astronomy or space science degrees, including the four-year integrated Master's (MPhys).
You'll also develop the transferable skills to open up a world of job opportunities, leading to careers in research, aeronautics, engineering, medical physics, defence, teaching, finance and data analytics.
This course is fully accredited by the Institute of Physics.
Your degree opens the door to lots of exciting careers; taking a professional placement year helps you discover some of those options.
You'll be able to move between our courses in the earlier years, ensuring you are studying the best course for you.
Dr Tim Kinnear and student Amber Whale describe what's great about studying at Kent from outstanding facilities to industry connections.
You'll discover the latest developments in areas such as the solar system and space science, galactic structure and planetary nebulae.
You'll use newly-refurbished physics and astronomy labs, a photonics centre and the Beacon Observatory with optical telescope.
Our typical offer levels are listed below and include indicative contextual offers. If you hold alternative qualifications just get in touch and we'll be glad to discuss these with you.
For those with a relevant science qualification our standard offer is CDD with one of these to be Maths or Physics. For those without a relevant science qualification, our standard offer is BCC.
The University will consider applicants holding/studying BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF;OCR) in a relevant Science or Engineering subject at 120 credits or more, on a case by case basis. Please contact us via the enquiries tab for further advice on your individual circumstances.
80 Tariff points overall, Typically H5, H4, H4 at HL including HL Maths/Maths Method, HL Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches or HL Physics at 4 or HL Maths Studies at 5, or SL Maths or Physics at 5 at HL including HL Maths/Maths Method or HL Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches at 4 or HL Maths Studies at 5.
N/A
The University will consider applicants holding T level qualifications in subjects closely aligned to the course.
The University welcomes applications from Access to Higher Education Diploma candidates for consideration. A typical offer may require you to obtain a proportion of Level 3 credits in relevant subjects at merit grade or above.
The following modules are offered to our current students. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation:
Teaching is by lectures, practical classes, tutorials and workshops. You have an average of nine one-hour lectures, one or two days of practical or project work and a number of workshops each week. The practical modules include specific study skills in physics and general communication skills.
Assessment is by written examinations at the end of each year and by continuous assessment of practical classes and other written assignments. Your final degree result is made up of a combined mark from the Stage 2 and 3 assessments and your placement year, with maximum weight applied to the final stage.
For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
For programme aims and learning outcomes please see the programme specification.
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:
Read some of their stories and find out about the range of support and extra opportunities available to further your career potential.
The 2024/25 annual tuition fees for this course are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details.
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence.
The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of A*AA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Join the student-led Physics Society and Space Soc. They organise talks, practical demonstrations and social events. A great way to meet students across year groups.
Next steps
If you are from the UK or Ireland, you must apply for this course through UCAS. If you are not from the UK or Ireland, you can apply through UCAS or directly on our website if you have never used UCAS and you do not intend to use UCAS in the future.
We welcome applications from students all around the world with a wide range of international qualifications.
Student life
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