Physics
MJRH-ADPHY

Physics (Advanced)

Undergraduate major

The Physics major (BAdvSci) (Honours) provides a flexible and personalised approach to studying Physics with students able to explore the field through for-credit immersive research experiences, industry placement and/or interdisciplinary team-based projects.

Course outline
  • ATAR

    ATAR

    Minimum ATAR 95
  • Qualification
    Physics Major (BAdvSci) (Honours)
  • Credit

    Credit

    800
Course outline

Select your preferred degree

This course belongs to multiple degrees. Select the single degree or double degree below to see the application deadlines.

Course outline
Physics (Advanced)

Outline

Outline

Those who study physics are fascinated by fundamental questions about the origin, nature and function of our Universe. Physics seeks to explain relationships involving the smallest and the largest structures, utilising the four known forces: strong, weak, electromagnetic and gravitational.

This major is part of the Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours), designed for high performing students to pursue their interest in Science through a core of research, leadership and entrepreneurship. The flexible and personalised approach to studying physics enables you to explore the field through for-credit immersive research experiences, industry placement and/or interdisciplinary team-based projects. It provides opportunities for you to source and undertake internal and external internships and immersive work experiences, which can be used for course credit.

Your capstone experience offers you the opportunity to pursue physics projects that may be based anywhere from pure research right through to translational (entrepreneurial) science.

You can gain considerable knowledge and skills, while conducting physics experiments and solving real-world problems mathematically or computationally, which find application in a wide range of careers.

The high-level mathematics and computer science in this course aligns it with high-profile international projects such as the Square Kilometre Array.

Work-based learning is ensured through the requirement to engage in immersive industry and/or research experience.

This major sits within the Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) degree. To apply for this major, you will apply for the Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours).

See our handbook for more course information. 

How this course will make you industry ready

Through embedded research and industry engagement, you'll have the opportunity to investigate multiple areas of specialisation and tailor a final-year experience that prepares you for the career of your choice.

What jobs can the Physics (Advanced) course lead to?

Careers

  • Astrophysicist
  • Computational physicist
  • Environmental physicist
  • Finance analysts
  • Materials analyst
  • Medical Physicists
  • Meteorologist
  • Satellite remote-sensing scientist

Industries

  • Astronomy
  • Defence
  • Environmental consultation
  • Manufacturing

What you'll learn

  • design/build/use appropriate experimental apparatus or algorithms to solve problems; apply appropriate technologies to solving problems while evaluating their limitations and advantages
  • understand that physics is a dynamic field of study; demonstrate initiative and intellectual independence by taking advantage of opportunities for continuing education
  • consider problems in the physical sciences from a global perspective and recognise the inherent universal nature of the physical sciences
  • work collaboratively and respectfully with colleagues from a range of cultural backgrounds and recognising that nature-physics and its language are a-cultural
  • collaborate effectively as a leader of research or as part of a research team while applying an ethical approach to analysis of scientific data and information
  • demonstrate an advanced knowledge of the nature of science, its methods and processes, and an advanced ability to apply physics knowledge and understanding to solve physics problems and recognise the limitations of physics theories and the problem solving capability of physics
  • analyse challenging and multi-faceted problems and generate testable theories to examine them; generate innovative solutions to problems by designing and carrying out physics experiments, integrating new and established knowledge
  • access and make judgements on the value of a wide variety of existing information in the physical sciences; compare, contrast and develop new interpretations using physical science results and information from a wide variety of sources on the basis of reliability, accuracy and precision
  • communicate approaches, ideas, findings and solutions to problems concisely and coherently in a variety of modes to informed professional audiences

Professional recognition

Graduates are eligible for membership of the Australian Institute of Physics (AIP). Many international equivalents of the AIP also accept graduates as members.

This course is also endorsed by the Naval Shipbuilding College.

Admission criteria

What you need in order to get into this course. There are different pathway options depending on your level of work and education experience.

Select an option that best suits you:

You’re considered a high school leaver if you:

  • Completed year 12 in Australia or overseas in the past two years, or
  • Completed TAFE or VET studies in the past two years.

ATAR pathway

  • Minimum ATAR 95

    This course has a minimum ATAR of 95

  • Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Mathematics Methods ATAR, Mathematics Specialist ATAR and Physics ATAR.

  • Desirable WACE subjects

    Desirable WACE subjects

    There are no desirable WACE subjects for this course.

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

StepUp Entry

StepUp Entry

Successful StepUp Entry and StepUp Equity Adjustment Admission Pathway (StepUp Bonus) applicants will be eligible to be considered for admission into this course.

Alternative pathways

  • STAT entry

    Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)

    Not accepted.

English requirements

Curtin requires all applicants to demonstrate proficiency in English. Specific English requirements for this course are outlined in the IELTS table below.

You may demonstrate English proficiency using the following tests and qualifications.

IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System)

Writing

7.0

Speaking

7.0

Reading

7.0

Listening

7.0

Overall band score

7.0

Find your pathway to Curtin

Think you don’t have the marks or qualifications to study at Curtin? We have several pathways to help you meet admission. Use our pathway finder to find your best way to studying with us.

Pathway finder tool

How others gained admission

View the ATAR breakdown to see the low, median and high ATAR scores of students who started studying this course recently.

To see the other pathways students have taken, see the pathway breakdown.

Other requirements and notes for this course


In addition to the course-specific admission criteria listed above, please read our general admission criteria. Our general admission criteria apply to all courses at Curtin University.

This course is designed for high performing science students. As such students are expected to maintain a minimum academic standard. If that standard is not reached students will be recommended to transition to the Bachelor of Science (Physics).

You’re considered someone with work and life experience if:

You have left secondary education more than two years ago (i.e. who are not classified as recent secondary education applicants) and have not undertaken vocational education training (VET) or higher education study since then.

How we define ‘experience’
‘Experience’ includes a combination of factors sufficient to demonstrate readiness for higher education such as mature-age entry, professional experience whether completion of the Special Tertiary Admission Test (STAT) is required or not, community involvement or work experience. Applicants may have undertaken non-formal programs that have helped prepare them for tertiary education or are relevant to the proposed higher education field of study.

Pathways

  • STAT entry

    Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)

    Not accepted.

ATAR pathway

  • Minimum ATAR 95

    This course has a minimum ATAR of 95

  • Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Mathematics Methods ATAR, Mathematics Specialist ATAR and Physics ATAR.

  • Desirable WACE subjects

    Desirable WACE subjects

    There are no desirable WACE subjects for this course.

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

English requirements

Curtin requires all applicants to demonstrate proficiency in English. Specific English requirements for this course are outlined in the IELTS table below.

You may demonstrate English proficiency using the following tests and qualifications.

IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System)

Writing

7.0

Speaking

7.0

Reading

7.0

Listening

7.0

Overall band score

7.0

Find your pathway to Curtin

Think you don’t have the marks or qualifications to study at Curtin? We have several pathways to help you meet admission. Use our pathway finder to find your best way to studying with us.

Pathway finder tool

Other requirements and notes for this course


In addition to the course-specific admission criteria listed above, please read our general admission criteria. Our general admission criteria apply to all courses at Curtin University.

This course is designed for high performing science students. As such students are expected to maintain a minimum academic standard. If that standard is not reached students will be recommended to transition to the Bachelor of Science (Physics).

You’re considered someone who studied at TAFE or have done an apprenticeship if:

Applicants with vocational education and training (VET) study are those whose highest level of study since leaving secondary education is a VET course. This includes study at a public TAFE or other VET provider, whether a qualification was completed or not. Applicants with VET study may have other qualifications such as a Year 10 or Year 12 secondary school certificate.

Pathways

  • TAFE entry

    Not accepted. VET study cannot meet the equivalent ATAR requirement.

  • STAT entry

    Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT)

    Not accepted.

ATAR pathway

  • Minimum ATAR 95

    This course has a minimum ATAR of 95

  • Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Mathematics Methods ATAR, Mathematics Specialist ATAR and Physics ATAR.

  • Desirable WACE subjects

    Desirable WACE subjects

    There are no desirable WACE subjects for this course.

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

English requirements

Curtin requires all applicants to demonstrate proficiency in English. Specific English requirements for this course are outlined in the IELTS table below.

You may demonstrate English proficiency using the following tests and qualifications.

IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System)

Writing

7.0

Speaking

7.0

Reading

7.0

Listening

7.0

Overall band score

7.0

Find your pathway to Curtin

Think you don’t have the marks or qualifications to study at Curtin? We have several pathways to help you meet admission. Use our pathway finder to find your best way to studying with us.

Pathway finder tool

Other requirements and notes for this course


In addition to the course-specific admission criteria listed above, please read our general admission criteria. Our general admission criteria apply to all courses at Curtin University.

This course is designed for high performing science students. As such students are expected to maintain a minimum academic standard. If that standard is not reached students will be recommended to transition to the Bachelor of Science (Physics).

You’re considered someone who has recently left university if:

Applicants with higher education are those whose highest level of study since leaving secondary education is a higher education course, such as a university degree. This may include applicants who are currently studying a higher education course at another education provider and want to transfer to Curtin University, or applicants who are currently studying at Curtin but want to switch to a different course. It may also include applicants who have completed past study with university and non-university higher education providers.

Curtin course switcher criteria

To switch into this course, you need to have:

  • attained an ATAR of 95; or
  • completed 200 credits over one year, with a course weighted average (CWA) of 80% or higher; and
  • met the prerequisites.

The Maths Specialist prerequisite can be met with:

  • Maths Specialist ATAR or equivalent; or
  • MATH1015 Linear Algebra 1 and MATH1016 Calculus 1.

The Physics prerequisite can be met with:

  • Physics ATAR or equivalent; or
  • PHYS1006 Foundations of Physics.

Higher education course switcher criteria

This course has a semester one intake only. Please refer to the TISC website for more information.

ATAR pathway

  • Minimum ATAR 95

    This course has a minimum ATAR of 95

  • Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Essential WACE subjects (prerequisites)

    Mathematics Methods ATAR, Mathematics Specialist ATAR and Physics ATAR.

  • Desirable WACE subjects

    Desirable WACE subjects

    There are no desirable WACE subjects for this course.

Please see our correlation comparability for previous TEE subjects, WACE courses and WACE ATAR courses.

English requirements

Curtin requires all applicants to demonstrate proficiency in English. Specific English requirements for this course are outlined in the IELTS table below.

You may demonstrate English proficiency using the following tests and qualifications.

IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System)

Writing

7.0

Speaking

7.0

Reading

7.0

Listening

7.0

Overall band score

7.0

Find your pathway to Curtin

Think you don’t have the marks or qualifications to study at Curtin? We have several pathways to help you meet admission. Use our pathway finder to find your best way to studying with us.

Pathway finder tool

Other requirements and notes for this course


In addition to the course-specific admission criteria listed above, please read our general admission criteria. Our general admission criteria apply to all courses at Curtin University.

This course is designed for high performing science students. As such students are expected to maintain a minimum academic standard. If that standard is not reached students will be recommended to transition to the Bachelor of Science (Physics).

Unsure what option suits you?

We’re here to help you navigate the complexities of university admission. Choose the support you need from the options below.

Find your pathway to Curtin

Think you don’t have the marks or qualifications to study at Curtin? We have several pathways to help you meet admission. Use our pathway finder to find your best way to studying with us.

Pathway finder tool
Credit for recognised learning (CRL)

Use your experience to get credit towards your degree

Finish your course sooner with credit for your previous study or work experience.

Fees and charges

Please view the Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) degree for indicative fees.

Looking for more detail on the course structure?

View course structure

How to apply

Please review information on how to apply for the campus of your choice

Apply now

Frequently asked questions

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  • The offering information on this website applies only to future students. Current students should refer to faculty handbooks for current or past course information.

    The information on this page may be subject to change. In particular, Curtin University may change the content, method or location of delivery or tuition fees of courses.

    While Curtin uses reasonable efforts to ensure that the information provided on this page is accurate and up to date, errors and omissions sometimes occur. Curtin makes no warranty, representation or undertaking (expressed or implied) nor does it assume any legal liability (direct or indirect) for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information.

    View courses information disclaimer.

  • Curtin course code: MJRH-ADPHY
  • Last updated on: 4 October 2024

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