Program Overview

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BSc in Physics

Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences

The Bachelor of Science in Physics programme is designed for students who are passionate about understanding nature, driven by curiosity, and interested in mathematics. This programme will equip students with useful and transferable skills in theoretical, experimental, and computational physics, preparing them for a variety of career options.

Programme Information

The programme will help students develop their creativity, inventiveness, problem-solving abilities, analytical thinking skills, and ability to communicate complex ideas. Career opportunities for graduates include lecturers at universities, researchers in national laboratories and industries, developers of renewable energy sources, medical scientists and biophysicists, science advisors for non-governmental organisations, industry or government, radiation scientists, computational scientists, geophysicists, innovators and entrepreneurs, and atmospheric scientists and climatologists.

Career Opportunities

Graduates could be employed as:

• University academics, whose duties include lecturing, research, and the supervision of postgraduate students
• Researchers in national laboratories, such as the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (NECSA), the South African Astronomical Observatory, or iThemba LABS (Laboratory for Accelerator-based Sciences)
• Researchers in industry, for example at the CSIR or Element Six
• Science advisors for non-governmental organisations, industry, or government
• Radiation scientists
• Medical scientists and biophysicists
• Atmospheric scientists and climatologists
• Developers of renewable energy sources
• Geophysicists
• Innovators and entrepreneurs
• Computational scientists

International collaboration also takes place with experts from abroad.

Faculty Notes

All modules will only be presented in English, which is the University's official language of tuition, communication, and correspondence. The Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences is home to more than 6,500 undergraduate and postgraduate students, presenting degrees in fields ranging from actuaries to zoologists, and consists of 13 departments. All degree programmes are designed to develop problem-solving individuals who can easily adapt to changing circumstances and take the lead in their chosen fields of specialisation.

Admission Requirements

The admission requirements below apply to all who apply for admission to the University of Pretoria with a National Senior Certificate (NSC) and Independent Examination Board (IEB) qualifications.

• Minimum requirements:
  • Achievement level:
    • English Home Language or English First Additional Language: 5
    • Mathematics: 5
    • Physical Sciences: 5
    • APS: 34
• Life Orientation is excluded when calculating the APS.
• Applicants currently in Grade 12 must apply with their final Grade 11 (or equivalent) results.
• Applicants who have completed Grade 12 must apply with their final NSC or equivalent qualification results.
• Meeting the minimum academic requirements does not guarantee admission.

Minimum Duration

The minimum duration of the programme is 3 years, full-time.

Closing Dates

• South Africa: 30/06/2025
• International: 30/06/2025