Program Overview

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DPhil in Theoretical Physics

The DPhil in Theoretical Physics is a research-based course of three to four years in duration. As a student on this course, you will choose from topics ranging from astrophysics and plasma physics to condensed matter theory to particle theory.

About the Course

The course is hosted by the Theoretical Physics sub-department, one of six sub-departments of the Department of Physics. The sub-department collaborates with experimentalists in other sub-departments and worldwide. There are also theoretical projects available in other sub-departments.

You will be assigned to a research group and your research project will be your main focus throughout your DPhil. Your research work begins on day one and will be underpinned by a taught graduate course in the first year that runs in parallel.

To learn more about the research topics youll have the opportunity to explore, please refer to the Research areas section.

To increase your basic and specialist physics knowledge, you will be required to attend lectures and other courses in your first year. You will have the opportunity to follow courses taught at other departments across the Maths, Physics, and Life Sciences division.

You will engage in a thorough skills training programme which includes a range of workshops and seminars in transferable skills, generic research skills, and specific research techniques. There are also numerous seminars and lectures held in the department by local and visiting physicists, and you will be provided with many opportunities to meet experts in various fields. There will also be an opportunity for you to present your work at both formal and informal conferences, seminars, and colloquia.

Attendance

The course is full-time and requires attendance in Oxford. Full-time students are subject to the University's Residence requirements.

Provision exists for students on some courses to undertake their research in a well-founded laboratory outside of the University. This may require travel to and attendance at a site that is not located in Oxford. Where known, existing collaborations will be outlined on this page.

You will be expected to travel during your DPhil, both to meet and work with collaborators and to share your work, as well as attend conferences and summer schools inside or outside the UK. The department will normally be able to support such attendance financially.

Resources to Support Your Study

As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of resources, including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources, and IT services.

The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK. It includes the main Bodleian Library and libraries across Oxford, including major research libraries and faculty, department, and institute libraries. Together, the Libraries hold more than 13 million printed items, provide access to e-journals, and contain outstanding special collections, including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art, and printed ephemera.

The University's IT Services is available to all students to support with core university IT systems and tools, as well as many other services and facilities. IT Services also offers a range of IT learning courses for students to support with learning and research, as well as guidance on what technology to bring with you as a new student at Oxford.

As a DPhil student of Theoretical Physics, you will have access to a 2,344 CPU core HPC computing cluster and appropriate computing support. You will be provided with a personal desktop computer in your office in the department, at the department's expense.

You will be provided with personal office space in the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics alongside staff members, with whom you will share a variety of meeting rooms and an on-site canteen(s) which doubles as a social space for the group.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Department of Physics, and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances, a supervisor may be found outside the Department of Physics.

The frequency of student supervisor meetings varies depending on the nature of the project. You are welcome to contact potential supervisors for further information.

Assessment

At the end of the first year, you are expected to submit a report on your research and to defend it in an interview with the Graduate Studies Panel and a specialist reader. The panel will determine whether you can transfer status from Probationer Research Student (PRS) status to DPhil student status.

You will be expected to submit a substantial original thesis after three or, at most, four years from the date of admission. To be successfully awarded a DPhil, you will need to defend your thesis orally (viva voce) in front of two appointed examiners.

Graduate Destinations

The DPhil in Theoretical Physics at Oxford is ideally suited to those students who would like to pursue a career in research; either in academia or industry all over the world. The majority of alumni go on to take up postdoctoral research posts after graduation.

However, a very wide range of career paths is possible, with recent graduates taking up positions in investment banking, business analysis, and consulting.

Research Areas

Youll have the opportunity to undertake research within the specialized themes of this course, which include:

• Astrophysics
• Plasma physics
• Condensed matter theory
• Particle theory

Further Information

Information about research groups, academic and research staff, and departmental research can be found on the department's website.

Entry Requirements

The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our guidance to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.

We know that contextual factors can make it difficult for candidates to demonstrate their full potential. This course is taking part in an initiative to use contextual data to help us to better understand your achievements in the context of your individual background.

Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements, and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying. Contextual data may also be used in the assessment of studentships.

Degree-Level Qualifications

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:

• A first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honors in physics, mathematics, or another relevant science. The equivalent of a UK four-year integrated MPhys or MSci degree is typically required. Bachelor's degrees with a minimum four years' standard duration may satisfy the entry requirements.

Entrance is very competitive, and most successful applicants have a first-class degree or the equivalent. In exceptional cases, the requirement for a first-class or strong upper-second class undergraduate degree with honors can be alternatively demonstrated by a graduate masters degree or substantial directly-related professional or research experience.

For applicants with a bachelor's degree from the USA, the minimum overall GPA that is normally required to meet the undergraduate-level requirement is 3.5 out of 4.0. However, selection of candidates also depends on other factors in your application, and most successful applicants have achieved higher GPA scores.

If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the Universitys minimum entry requirements.

GRE General Test Scores

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.

Other Qualifications, Evidence of Excellence, and Relevant Experience

It is helpful to include details of any of the following applicable attributes, which may strengthen your application:

• Details of any publications. Many candidates with no peer-reviewed publications receive offers each year.
• Research or professional experience in areas aligned with the proposed supervisors' research interests.
• Depending on the project, evidence of training in scientific computer programming or related numerical techniques.
• Previous experience in a scientific or technical research environment.

English Language Proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University's standard level. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's standard level are detailed in the table below.

Test	Minimum Overall Score	Minimum Score per Component
IELTS Academic (Institution code: 0713)	7.0	6.5
TOEFL iBT (Institution code: 0490)	100	Listening: 22, Reading: 24, Speaking: 25, Writing: 24
C1 Advanced	185	176
C2 Proficiency	185	176
Oxford Test of English Advanced	155	145

Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course.

Declaring Extenuating Circumstances

If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (e.g., other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.

References

You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course.

Supporting Documents

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application.

Performance at Interview

Interviews are normally held as part of the admissions process.

Offer Conditions for Successful Applications

If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines.

Funding

For entry in the academic year, the collegiate University expects to offer over 1,100 full or partial graduate scholarships across a wide range of graduate courses.

If you apply by the January deadline shown on this page and receive a course offer, your application will then be considered for Oxford scholarships. For the majority of Oxford scholarships, your application will automatically be assessed against the eligibility criteria, without needing to make a separate application.

To ensure that you are considered for Oxford scholarships that require a separate application, for which you may be eligible, use our fees, funding, and scholarship search tool to identify these opportunities and find out how to apply.

Costs

Annual Course Fees

The fees for this course are charged on an annual basis.

Fee Status	Annual Course Fees
Home	Ł10,470
Overseas	Ł34,700

What Do Course Fees Cover?

Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies.

How Long Do I Need to Pay Course Fees?

Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability.

Additional Costs

You will be expected to travel during your DPhil, both to meet and work with collaborators and to share your work. The sub-department of Theoretical Physics funds a minimum of one summer/winter school per student per year, which includes accommodation and travel costs.

Living Costs

In addition to your course fees and any additional course-specific costs, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

College Preference

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. The following colleges accept students on the DPhil in Theoretical Physics:

• Balliol College
• Brasenose College
• Christ Church
• Corpus Christi College
• Exeter College
• Hertford College
• Jesus College
• Keble College
• Lady Margaret Hall
• Linacre College
• Lincoln College
• Magdalen College
• Mansfield College
• Merton College
• New College
• Oriel College
• Pembroke College
• Reuben College
• St Anne's College
• St Catherine's College
• St Cross College
• St Edmund Hall
• St Hilda's College
• St Hugh's College
• St John's College
• St Peter's College
• Somerville College
• Trinity College
• University College
• Wadham College
• Wolfson College
• Worcester College
• Wycliffe Hall

How to Apply

Our guide to getting started provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application, including advice to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.

If it is important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline e.g., under the January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance.

Application Fee Waivers

An application fee of Ł20 is payable for each application to this course. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:

• Applicants from low-income countries
• Refugees and displaced persons
• UK applicants from low-income backgrounds
• Applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria

Completing Your Application

You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents.

Proposed Field and Title of Research Project

If you are applying with your own research proposal, enter your project title under 'Proposed field and title of research project'.

Proposed Supervisor

If known, under 'Proposed supervisor name' enter the name of the academic(s) whom you would like to supervise your research.

Referees

Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete.

Official Transcript(s)

Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date.

CV/Résumé

A CV/résumé is compulsory for this course. Most applicants choose to submit a document of one to two pages highlighting their academic achievements and any relevant professional experience.

Research Proposal

A research proposal outlining your research interests and experience should be submitted.

The proposal should outline your reasons for wishing to study for a DPhil in Theoretical Physics and the type of research project that you wish to undertake. It is not necessary to be very specific about your choice of project, but if you do have a clear preference for a particular research area or supervisor, please indicate and explain this.

After You've Submitted Your Application

Your application (including the supporting documents outlined above) will be assessed against the entry requirements detailed on this course page. Whether or not you have secured funding will be taken into consideration when your application is assessed.

You can find out more about our shortlisting and selection process in our detailed guide to what happens next.

Admission Status

Open to applications for entry in

Deadlines

12:00 midday UK time on:

• Thursday 8 January 2026: Latest deadline for most Oxford scholarships
• Tuesday 3 March 2026: Final application deadline for entry in

Key Facts

• Course code: RD_AE1
• Expected length: 3 to 4 years
• Places in: c. 17
• Applications/year: 293
• Expected start: 4 October 2026
• English language: Standard level required